Profoundemonium

Trail of Tears | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 30, 2001)
• Original Release Date: 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Napalm
• ASIN: B000056KWL
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #383,377 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars YES!, April 12, 2001

By 

B. Frey "Doomlord" (Prairie Village, KS USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Profoundemonium (Audio CD)

It may seem somewhat trendy, but I really dig this "goth metal" genre. I love the blending of the ambient keyboards with the heavy guitars. I also dig the combination of deathy vocal growls and operatic female vocals. One reason I find myself being drawn to this style, is that the music produced by such bands is very dramatic, passionate and melodic. Norway's Trail of Tears is no exception. They fuse dark melodies and morbid ambience with metallic intensity.

The male vocalist has a deep, guttural delivery akin to Opeth's Mikael Akerfeldt. His growls are ominous, yet clear and decipherable at the same time. The beautiful soprano and adds a layer of chilling beauty to the music. The remaining band members cannot be divided or singled out in any way. They each use their instruments as part of the entire presentation, with no special attention given to guitar or keyboard solos, drum pyrotechnics, or vain, overindulgent playing.

The focus of Profoundemonium is, without a doubt, placed squarely on the songs themselves. The music here treads ground somewhere between Opeth and Theatre of Tragedy. Melancholic melodies, sweeping synth textures, and emotional vocals all built upon a solid metal foundation. "Driven Through the Ruins" begins as a powerful, symphonic metal epic before dropping in Thorsen's rich growl. Michaelsen's haunting voice is showcased in the breakdown, which is stripped down to a piano, her voice, and a desolate synth texture. When the songs kicks back in, another verse takes us to some great vocal layering. Thorsen delivers his lines, while Michaelsen offers a stunning countermelody, all underscored by a choir. "Sign of the Shameless" has a melodic guitar theme on the intro, which is played almost like a violin part - smooth and flowing, reminding me of Saviour Machine. The clean guitar breakdown once again highlights Michealsen's excellent voice. "In Frustration's Web" begins in bombastic fashion with some good double kick drum work by Perez, accented by F. Hagen's dramatic synths before sneaking in a little distorted bass run, then dives into a tight metal groove. This song's prelude, "In Frustration's Preludium", is a short little instrumental consisting of a piano/synth melody colored by a little bit of accordion, then slithers into a bleak atmosphere accented by what sounds like plucking violin strings. The moods and textures created by the band are quite moving. This is an album to listen to through headphones, in bed, with the lights out. Lyrically, the band weaves somewhat poetic tales of loss, tragedy and desperation.

Without going into detail about each and every song, overall I can say I am really pleased with Profoundemonium. Those enamoured with the genre would be doing themselves a huge favor by purchasing this record.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must own, September 15, 2007

By 

Brian Skala "crx90" (Fort Worth, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Profoundemonium (Audio CD)

One of the best...actually the best gothic metal albums ever made. With so much interesting musical parts and ability and diverse vocals with harsh and intriguing lyrics It has become a gem of an album and in my top 10 lists of best albums ever made.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dominating, March 18, 2004

By 

Brian Skala "crx90" (Fort Worth, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Profoundemonium (Audio CD)

This album is greatness. I liked Tristania alot and found out the guest singer is on this band...I had to get it. It's melodic, heavy and experimental. The lyrics are straight up and tell life's pain the way it is. The keyboards are really good which alot of bands don't use them correctly, this guy does a great job.