North Italian dark, cinematic alternative rockers Tears Heaven released their debut, studio-recorded album `GODFALL` recently, the forgotten story of a fallen god and the loss of his divine nature, perpetrated by other deities. The band members are his last followers and, as such, they have the purpose of spreading his word to prevent its fall into oblivion. Led by the personas of Atlas Heaven, Jericho, Legiōn, The Priest, and Lady Amygdala, Tears Heaven weaves a narrative infused with Anglo/Swedish alternative rock influences reminiscent of acts like Ghost, Magna Carta Cartel, White Lies, and Editors.
The album opens with `Requiem For the Fallen` an eighty five second instrumental lament or token of remembrance allowing a real sense of anticipation about what`s to come. A synth, piano and rhythmic drum beat lead us into title track `Godfall` a reflective almost symphonic number about an Angel falling from Heaven where the pain and suffering and shock is almost tangible in the emotive vocal delivery.
`Celestial` literally means belonging or relating to heaven but here it`s a moving reflection on where the perpetrator has fallen and how they feel they could be a peacemaker. A delightfully anthemic offering. The rhythmic pounding and dreamy `Conviction` could be interpreted either as a firmly held belief or conviction or indeed a sentence or judgement pertaining to a criminal offence when found guilty. The choice is yours.
`Moonlight (King and Queen)` has a wonderful contemplative luminescence about it. Moonlight is a symbolic representation of various themes like mystery, magic, introspection, and tranquillity. We enjoy a fairly meditative cinematic operatic instrumental with `Exsilium` a Latin word meaning exile, banishment, or the place of exile.
`Divine` portrays a godly or seraphic providence and the track has a contemplative ambience with a slight edge to it. We have a further title in `Lumina` that in English seems to have an ambiguity about it. It could mean to light or illuminate or a cavity come hollow structure. A brooding, ruminative composition that will have phones lit in an arena when played and shared live.
`Oracle` has a plainchant like opening before we are led on a spiritual melodic absorbed journey. An oracle being a priest or priestess acting as a medium through whom advice or prophecy was sought from the gods in classical antiquity. The title `Black Rose` always reminds me of Thin Lizzy`s Roisin Dubh. The track is a deeply tender mellifluous, euphonious instrumental and whereas a Black Rose is often associated with death and mourning, it`s also connected with rebirth, transformation, and mystery and here it displays a mood or atmosphere of rebirth and revival.
`Oblivion` as the title would suggest gives that sense of confusion, that state of being unaware or unconscious of what is happening around one, a quite robust submission. The concluding track `Ascension (Ring of Blazing Light)` a natural process of growth is a stop start reflexion and appears to be a kind of awakening or resurrection of sorts.
I read that Tears` Heaven carve out their own style of dark, cinematic alternative rock infused with gothic and post-rock elements and that is a pretty succinct summery. The tracks on `Godfall` are powerful, melodic, and evocative and the story shared is quite engrossing and fascinating. A wonderfully entrancing debut album and it`ll be intriguing to see how the band develops and grows.
Rating 9/10
