The group “Lacrimosa” (Lacrimosa - from Latin “full of tears”) is today recognized as the deserved leader of a wide and rather ambiguous musical genre, which is briefly called “Gothic”.
The secret of the genre
It is not possible to pinpoint the scope of the direction of this musical collective.
As the magazine Imhoter, Lacrimosa, whose discography and biography of the participants will be discussed in this article, responds, they are kings in the genre of dark gothic rock (dark gothic rock). However, there is a more adequate assumption, relating the activities of the group to such a direction as gothic metal (Gothic metal). It is noteworthy that due to the mixture of styles (gothic rock, classical and metal, darkwave), the Lacrimosa group, whose history is quite diverse, has become fond of many people with varied musical preferences.
Recalling the work of the group, the Hall of Sermon website translated the lines of one of the compositions of the musical group in this way - The dream has led me and I will follow it into the glowing fire ("The dream leads me, and I will follow it into the fire"). These lines swept in a wave throughout the work of the Lacrimosa group, becoming almost its motto. According to the founder and vocalist of the group Tilo Wolf, their music is intellectual, it provides an opportunity to plunge into the world of complex experiences and emotions, which makes it very specific.
Dawn of the Lacrimosa Group
The birth of this creative project, we owe Tilo Wolf, who from a young age decided to devote himself to music. He was born in a German city called Frankfurt.
But, having lived there for some time, his family moved to live in a German-speaking region in Switzerland. By the age of 17, being a very gifted child, Tilo managed to accumulate a fair amount of his own literary opus, which he decided to express in music, for which he began to take piano lessons. In the same year, having mastered the synthesizer, he single-handedly recorded the first cassette called Clamor, which included two songs Seele In Not (Soul in Need) and Requiem. Both compositions were later included in the first album of the rock band Lacrimosa. Every fan of gothic music knows them.
Lacrimosa Song Language
Tilo Wolf initially preferred to perform his songs only in his native language - German.
Many years later, the leader of the Lacrimosa group said that he could not imagine his poems in another language, he was so kind to every word uttered. He saw no reason to translate the songs of Lacrimosa into English, because he could not feel the slightest shades of meaning in another language.
Lacrimosa: biography, albums
In 1991, Tilo independently recorded his first album, but not a single recording studio wanted to collaborate with a self-taught goth. The unrecognized genius took a risk - he created his own recording office. By trial and error, he managed to keep his business afloat, and now his company Hall Of Sermon enjoys considerable authority on the Gothic and metal scene. Angst (“Fear”) was the name of the first disc of Tilo, which is radically different in sound from modern songs of the Lacrimosa group, biography, albums, compositions of which are known today to many music lovers.
Angst is a minimalist electronic sound with the dreary and detached vocals of Tilo, so reminiscent of today's darkwave. Nevertheless, the first album began to sell well - about 1,000 copies were sold in one year. The disc was first released on vinyl, and the CD was released only after a year and a half. Angst first introduced the musical world to the name of the group - Lacrimosa. Those who are familiar with the history of Mozart know what the tragic requiem for Lacrimosa meant to the composer. Fascinated by the work of the great composer, Tilo gave his group a name in honor of the last creation of a genius.
However, Wolf himself was disappointed with the sound of his disc, so to write subsequent ones, he decided to add live instrumental sound and joint arrangements with session musicians. The first partner was the bass player Shtelio Diamantopoulos, who, incidentally, is the author of all release covers. In turn, Shtelio brought Roland Thaler into the group, who eventually lingered for a short time in the team. The Einsamkeit ("Loneliness") disc was distinguished by its participation in the recording of keyboardist Philippe Aloith and violinist Eric The Phantom.
Second wind
Fans of the group appreciated these quality innovations accordingly, and disc sales rose sharply. 1993 was the release of the Satura disc. Although only Alois remained from the previous Lacrimosa group, the set direction was preserved. In the same year, inspired by the success of Tilo decided on a live performance in Leipzig. The experience turned out to be exciting: it turns out that it’s not so easy to sing and play the synthesizer at the same time when “someone pulls your thigh”.
The "luminary" of the Gothic
Lacrimosa conquered the Gothic scene of Switzerland and Germany. Well-known Gothic magazines such as Orkus and Zillo drew attention to the project and the person of Tilo and began to regularly publish articles about him and his work.
However, Tilo was again unhappy and began to think about radical changes in his life and music. He was again not happy with the state of affairs in the group, and by the will of fate he was destined to meet Anna Nurmi from the musical group Two Witches, which had broken up at the end of 1993. Gothic rock vocals made an indelible impression on Wolf, and he, without hesitation, invited her to become his musical and business partner. It turned out that a romance spun between them, which they stubbornly protect from sneaky journalists. The history of the Lacrimosa group has acquired a new trend.
Useful “acquisition”
The second most important participant joined the Lacrimosa group - a strong drummer under the pseudonym AC. He was known for concerts and recordings as part of the German legend of the metal scene - Running Wild.
With this group in 1991, AC recorded two discs - Blazon Stone and First Years Of Piracy, and also released several mini-albums. He became the "first live drummer" in the songs of the Lacrimosa group. The new sound formed the basis of the Schakal minion ("The Jackal" - 1994) and the full disk Inferno ("Hell" - 1995).
The old fans of the group were shocked by the addition of drums, electric guitars, orchestral sounds. In addition, Anna began to act as a vocalist, only she sang in English, Tilo succumbed to her influence and also began to perform in another language. Thanks to a change in image and sound, the group acquired the status of a metal band. Against the backdrop of contemporaries (Tiamat, Paradise Lost, Lake Of Tears, and Theater Of Tragedy) who refused to be brutal, Lacrimosa established itself as pure Gothic rock.
Image change
With the advent of Anna, in addition to the Iroquois, the gothic make-up of Tilo, the black and white coloring of covers and the harlequin in the logo, the atmosphere was inspired by sado-masochism. Under certain circumstances, photographs of Anna in clothes appropriate for this topic were “toured” throughout the specialized press, not forgetting to appear in Russia.
Career career
Following Stolzes Herz ("Proud Heart"), the "Gothic market" has replenished with the new Stille album ("Calm"). However, this disc caused a wave of indignation among many fans: this is how two militant camps appeared. The first accepted changes in sound, others began to accuse musicians of simplifying compositions in the interests of commercialization. Probably Stille for newcomers, unprepared for the tough style of fans, turned out to be more accessible to perception. This is when compared with early recordings, which, by the way, were never devoid of taste and melody.
Despite a flurry of disagreement among fans over the Stille album, this release was the most profitable in the history of Lacrimosa. The reviews (biographies of the team members were considered very meticulously), however, were a little lame. Some were not quite satisfied with Anna’s female vocals, and the constant change of faces in the composition did not let the fans rest. After the release of this album, the group went on a big tour, during which they recorded material for a live double called Live.
Elodia
Work on the new album, called Elodia (Elodia - the goddess of dawn in the mythology of ancient Greece), lasted a little longer. Not surprising, because for the recording of "Lacrimosa" I decided to use the London Symphony Orchestra and a couple of choirs. The orchestra was recorded in the famous London studio Abbey Road (the place where The Beatles themselves once worked), vocals and other instruments were recorded in the German studio Impuls Tonstudios Pierre Genkel. Thus, the disc was distinguished by the participation of as many as 187 singers and instrumentalists. Elodia is a three-act rock opera that tells of two lovers who, over time, lose interest in each other.
Meanwhile
While the disc was being created, Tilo Wolf managed to take part in a couple of interesting projects. Thrashers Kreator invited frontman "Lacrimosa" to record his vocals for their title track from an experimental disc called Endorama. As well as possible, the sinister voice of Tilo is combined with the theme of the upcoming Apocalypse, he overshadowed the vocalist of Kreator - Millet. Continuing to experiment with metal, Tilo contacts his fellow countrymen SamaeL, these are former blacksters. They used only Copycat lyrics. and created a joint unique remix. A new psychedelic industrial version of this gothic rock action movie can be heard in the mini-album Alleine zu Zweit (Lonely Together), released a couple of months before the release of "Elodia".
Cool acceleration
Then, in 2001, the group released already two albums "under the names Der Morgen Danach and Fassade (" The Next Morning "," Facade "). To give its music more romance and penetration, Lacrimosa collaborated with the German Babelsberg Orchestra and the Philharmonic Orchestra. These albums used a special compositional system - each song flowed smoothly into another, and they all represent a kaleidoscope of all human emotions. Such a trick allowed them to simply bewitch the audience, listening to every sound with bated breath, as if they were captured by the voices of Tilo and Anna ...
The Echos album was released in 2003, and was preceded by a single from 2002 called Durch Nacht und Flut (Through the Night and the Deep). Crossing out all the fans' expectations, Tilo refused melodic sound and introduced even greater grandeur, transparency and tearfulness in his performance. This album revealed him not only as a talented vocalist, but also as a great composer and arranger. Fans especially remembered such vivid compositions as Sacrifice (“Victim”) and Die Schreie sind verstummt (“Screaming were silent”), which instantly immerse the listener in the situations described in them. Each song of this album is a separate story, chapter, but at the same time the album is holistic and harmonious. All stories are closely intertwined.
New wave, or End to the old
2005 was marked by the release of a new album called Lichtgestalt. This album turned out to be much “heavier” than the previous one, it begins with incredibly melodic and beautiful compositions under the names Kelch der Liebe, Sapphire and Lichtgestalt. A storyline love line sweeps through the album. “Lacrimosa” was very pleased with its concert tour immediately after the release of this album. On June 10, 2005, an enchanting musical group visited Russia.
In 2005, on December 2, a mini-album was released called Lichtgestalten, which was a continuation of Lichtgestalt with a link to Echos. The album includes new compositions: Unerkannt ("Unknown") and Skintight ("Fitting"). The group owes the design of the disc to Jakim Lutka, who stylized it at the request of Tilo under vinyl (forty-five). Tilo stylized the new vinyl EP disc. With the release of the new single, the first disc with all the clips of Lacrimosa was also released, which included the long-awaited Lichtgestalt, which came as a surprise to all fans of the gothic band.
After completing the longest tour to promote the Lichtgestalt album, the indefatigable group released its second live album and a DVD with a film that dedicates fans to the group’s history and work. Both discs were named Lichtjachre ("Bright Years"). In 2007, on June 29, this disc was released for sale.
February 2009 was the date of the announcement of the release of a new album called Sehnsucht. The disc came out on May 8, 2009. In March, the album’s song list was preliminarily published, which included 10 tracks.
March 2, 2010 - announcement of the release of a new album dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the group. The release of the Schattenspiel album (Game of Shadows) came on May 7, 2010. March 20, the official website of the group published information and the cover of the new album.