Янтарные Слезы - Когда Нет Троп (CD) Digipak

Review
Doomed to Darfness
8/10
07.07.2019

Amber Tears are a band from Russia that plays a melodic and pagan mixture of doom and death metal and this is a review of their 2019 album "Where No Trails" which was released by BadMoodMan.

Atmospheric sounding synths start off the album before going into a heavier direction which also introduces melodic guitar leads. The slower sections of the songs are very heavily rooted in doom metal while spoken word parts can also be heard in certain sections of the recording.

Death metal growls are also a very huge part of the recording while all of the tracks are very long and epic in length. A great amount of melody can also be heard in the guitar riffing along with synths also returning on the later tracks and as the album progresses a brief use of acoustic guitars and percussion's can be heard, all of the musical instruments have a very powerful sound to them as well as all of the music sticking to a very slow direction.

Amber tears plays a style of doom/death emtal t hat is very melodic and atmospheric sounding along with a touch of folk music. The production sounds very professional while the lyrics cover Paganism, Experiences and Nature themes.

In my opinion Amber tears are a very great sounding pagan and melodic mixture of doom and death metal and if you are a fan of those musical genres, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Where i Stayed" and "Where There Is No Spring".

Author: OccultBlackMetal

Review
Metal Temple
9/10
22.04.2019

The Russian Melodic Doom band Янтарные Слёзы (romanized “Jantarnye Slëzy”) know also under their English moniker AMBER TEARS, has been around since the early 2000s and “When No Trails” is only their third full-length album so far. At a first glance AMBER TEARS play typical Death/Doom inspired by bands such as SATURNUS or MY DYING BRIDE, but there is more to their music than that. Their music has Folk and Atmospheric undertones, but not in any straight-forward, cookie-cutter way. The Folk or Atmospheric vibe doesn’t come from a use of particular melodies or song-writing approach, rather, it is an aura or mystique integral to the music – a primordial, hypnotic force of the music that gives it an ancient, primeval feeling. The simple, melodic riffs have a kind of “circular”, trance-inducing quality and they seem to me as musical expressions of archetypal ideas such as the ouroboros, the cosmic wheel or the spindle of the Fates, hence the affinity with traditional Folk Music.

“Sing the Wind, Sing the Raven” has an ambient intro with a dark, haunting vibe that is pierced through by a dreamy but powerful guitar melody. The verse is mellow with spoken lyrics, the chorus is huge and explosive, all the more because of the contrast with the verse. The seven minutes long song has also a nice instrumental section with simple but captivating guitar leads. “Where I Stayed” has a verse with both soft and harsh vocals that are backed by soft strumming of a mandolin, the chorus has a huge, emotional melody, and the lead melody at the end of the song is breathtaking. The nine minutes long “In the Whirlwind of the Last Days” has a trippy intro with chanting and a minimalistic riff of what sounds like some primitive bass harp. The verse is acoustic with only a primitive drumbeat and strumming of a mandolin whose “call” is responded to by a huge, epic riff. Lead melodies and soloing in the mid-section provide the song with a great sense of progression, it ends with an ethereally sad and tender outro. “Under the Stars Light” is the most vivacious tune on the album with a driving, folky melodies; the soloing is a bit more flamboyant, but always controlled and tasteful. The album closes with the ten minutes long “Where There Is No Spring,” that gives me a MY DYING BRIDE vibe and has a powerful, deeply mournful chorus.

Sorry SWALLOW THE SUN, but this relatively unknown Russian band takes the Death/Doom cake so far this year as far as I’m concerned. AMBER TEARS don’t do anything out of the ordinary in terms of melody or songwriting, but everything is “on point” in the songs and on the album (its play time is around 40 minutes, basically you might call it “short and sweet” for Doom Metal), and their music has a spellbinding energy. They fuse harshness and tenderness to create powerful, dreamy songs that are captivating and memorable. Death/Doom fans – but not only they – definitely shouldn’t miss this.

Songwriting: 9
Memorability: 10
Originality: 8
Production: 8

Author: Martin Knap

Review
Uniter Rock Nations
4/5
26.03.2019

Formé en 2002, Amber Tears, aussi connu sous le nom Янтарные Слёзы, est un groupe russe de Doom Metal à influences Folk. Après un premier album, « Revelation Of Renounced » (« Откровение отречённых »), paru en 2006, les musiciens dévoilent « The Key To December » (« Ключ к декабрю ») en 2010, puis plus rien jusqu'à « When No Trails » (« Когда нет троп ») que nous découvrons dès maintenant.

Lent et solennel, ‘Sing the Wind, Sing the Raven' plonge l'auditeur dans l'univers glacé et désertique d'Amber Tears qui propose un Doom Metal lancinant pouvant évoquer des groupes dans la lignée de Saturnus. La batterie se fait discrète afin de mieux laisser la guitare proposer une ligne mélodique sous les hurlements du frontman dont l'engagement ne fait aucun doute et qui laisse transparaître une certaine sensibilité. Sur ‘Where I Stayed', le groupe reste dans une atmosphère similaire mais offre à l'auditeur une ligne instrumentale oscillant entre passages épurés et moments vertigineux de profondeur. La voix est tantôt en scream, tantôt susurrante. Comme souvent dans ce genre, les morceaux sont longs et construits de manière réfléchie, ce qui permet de découvrir différentes facettes du groupe au cours des propositions musicales dont l'auditeur profite.

L'introduction de ‘In the Whirlwind of the Last Days' est dans un registre plutôt Pagan/Folk qui pourrait évoquer par exemple Dordeduh ou Heilung, ce qui ravira les amateurs de ce genre aux ambiances mystiques. En 9 minutes, Amber Tears nous laisse entrevoir une créativité riche et diverse qui ne demande qu'à s'exprimer. La basse et la batterie tiennent finalement le premier rôle sur ‘Under the Stars Light' qui se construit finalement autour de cette ligne rythmique primitive et hypnotique. C'est surtout la majesté du titre et ses accents Rock aux guitares qui séduisent et prouvent que le groupe reste ouvert d'esprit et ne s'enferme pas dans un genre. D'abord à la guitare acoustique, ‘Where There Is No Spring' conclut cet album en dix minutes de pure beauté.

« When No Trails » est un album tout à fait respectable dans son genre et qui marque les esprits par sa propreté et le professionnalisme de son exécution, Amber Tears proposant des morceaux construits et sensibles qui prennent le temps d'évoluer en véritables fresques musicales.

Author: Enora Journaliste

Review
Bagnik Zine
8.3/10
21.04.2019

It seems to me that very few people expected the release of the new album of AMBER TEARS - nine years have passed since the release of the previous album, and I personally forgot abot this band from Penza. As it turned out, the group did not die, but just very slowly sculpted its new creation. And I must point out that the wait was worth it.

On the first two albums, AMBER TIES were honest clo... followers of GODS TOWER; they interpreted the Belarusian folk guitar sound in their doomish and soulful style. It sounded cool, but the impression was spoiled by somewhat sloppy compositions and fucking disaster of a vocal. Regarding the new album, there are two news: the vocals are better, and GODS TOWER cloning was left in the past. Although AMBER TEARS melodious guitar riffs still contain some references to GODS TOWER, most of the material is “independent” now. If you carefully study the compositions with a magnifying glass, it turns out that there is nothing special about them. But a big role is played by the powerful and atmospheric sounding of the instruments, as well as the ingenious scatter of additional tracks. Listening to a traditional doom riff is one thing. Listening to this riff, accompanied by a simple and effective acoustic part or keyboard arrangement, is another thing. “When no Trails" is incredibly dramatic, musically emotional and beautiful. Finally, once again I hear the band not hesitating to let the guitar float freely for a minute and a half, so that it can play great solos. Great - just like SATURNUS or DOOM: VS on “Earthless”.

The vocal is still the weakest point, although now it can be perceived without twitching eyelids. When Mr. Bandurin needs to growl, he is so desperately straining that I start worrying about his underwear. Let the respected sir not consider it an insult - he tries, but it seems to me that it is better to sing in a more natural manner than to try to squeeze something unsuitable for consumption. In addition, the vocals are devoid of emotion, it's just a neutral roar. The same Thomas Jensen from SATURNUS, for example, knows how to growl much lower, more extreme, and still manages to tear the soul to shreds. It would not be superfluous to peep him a couple of techniques.

In general, the return of the band after a long pause was extremely successful. The CD for my collection is on it's way. (I am (slightly embarrassed by the design though - what kind of post-punk is this?). Unfortunately, "When no Trails" seems to be the last work of AMBER TEARS, but it is not a shame to leave on such a note.

Author: F1sher16

Review
No Clean Singing
28.03.2019

It was only yesterday that I wrote about a song from the new album by the Russian pagan doom band Amber Tears [Янтарные Слезы]. I knew then that we would be premiering the entire album today, and I had planned to recommend the track much earlier than I did, but I couldn’t resist. “Sing the Wind, Sing the Raven” [Спой Ветер, Спой Воронis] such a powerfully captivating song, its mood so wintry and haunting, so steeped in sorrow down to the marrow, so deeply moving, yet so glorious.

What I knew then, and can prove to you now, is that the entire album is just as captivating as that opening track. Entitled When No Trails [Когда Нет Троп], it will be released by BadMood Man Records on March 29th — tomorrow!

The glistening, tear-stained melodic riff that first emerges just before the 1:00 mark of “Sing the Wind, Sing the Raven” got its hooks in my head immediately, and every time it resurfaces in the song it’s just as penetrating. The deep, growled vocals are also extravagantly powerful in their emotional intensity, and the swirling solo that emerges in the song’s back half, when the music becomes more vibrantly anguished, is wonderful.

Similar ingredients make all the songs into stunning experiences. The heavier aspects of the songs — and they are very heavy indeed — manifest the gray grandeur of looming mountain crags and the panoramic scale of endless tundra, while the guitar melodies and keyboard accents shine like ice beneath a midnight sun. This is most definitely the music of winter, with a solemnity befitting the vast, encompassing majesty of nature in the depths of its cyclical death, and with hints of a spring that might not be welcomed.

“Where I Stayed” follows that remarkable opening track, proceeding at the pace of funeral doom. Titanic chords, massive drum detonations, and a high, swirling lead guitar (gleaming and aching in equal measure) enact tragedy on an enormous stage. We hear somber spoken words and crystalline notes over a huge bass beat and a giant drum rhythm, as well as cavernous harsh growls whose feeling extends from abyssal gloom to shredding despair. A slow, mesmerizing solo emerges over a riff and a rhythm that shake the body like a castanet containing our bones.

The fluid soloing in each song really is amazing, channeling different moods, but always in gripping fashion. But it’s not as if you reach the point when you’re just impatiently waiting for them, because what precedes them is always so staggeringly powerful and immersive. The ritual drum rhythm and clean choral vocals mixed with reverential spoken words create a riveting start to “In the Whirlwind of the Last Days“, which is somber, stately, and earth-shaking. When the extended solo arrives, it’s soulful and thoroughly desolate, crying out as if pleading for a rescue that will never come.

“Under the Stars Light” is probably the closest competitor to the opening track for the “most infectious” song on the album. The lumbering bass and potent drumming at the outset get the head moving hard, while a skirling guitar melody transforms into the sound of weeping. The song becomes more hopeless in its atmosphere, powered by a gargantuan lurching cadence and a sorcerous yet heart-aching solo. But there’s no question the band know the power of that opening sequence, because after a calamitous interlude in which the vocalist cries out in extremity, they return to it.

Soft, wistful acoustic picking leads us into the long closing track, “Where There Is No Spring“, joined by the echoing resonance of spoken words and ambient shimmer, deepening the music’s contemplative and forlorn mood. And then things get very, very heavy, and the song becomes a slow march, the music of shivering, bedraggled people struggling on beneath the crushing weight of all their misfortunes and regrets, an endless line stretching to the horizon beneath the monochrome gray of heartless skies, their bitter tears mixed with freezing rain.

When No Trails is a powerful album at many levels, from the sheer overpowering impact of its crushing heaviness to the gut-wrenching, soul-shaking effect of its yearning and hopeless moods, from the icy beauty and ominous grandeur that shines from the melodies to the visceral, ravaging effect of the vocals. Very easy to get lost in this album — so get lost in it below, on the eve of its release.

Author: Islander