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Eternal Tears of Sorrow > Sinner's Serenade > Reviews
Eternal Tears of Sorrow - Sinner's Serenade

Turn My Headphones Up - 64%

OzzyApu, February 23rd, 2009

I understand that the later output is where this band truly picked up their signature sound and produced hit after hit, but this debut warrants some attention. It stands as the ugly duckling of the catalog. While albums like Chaotic Beauty and A Virgin And A Whore bring out the intricacy, Sinner’s Serenade is much more dirty, mean, and unpolished.

The production isn’t that bad, as all the instruments are audible enough and clear (especially the drums) Wait, that’s because the drums are programmed! Noooo! The guitars sound rather downtuned, but no buzzsaw or shredded-cheese echo is present. The album is built more around the riffs that are gruff and tough, definitely bringing that thrash edge into effect. You’ll headbang to what'll remind you of early In Flames and Dark Tranquillity, if those kinds of bands are your thing. In fact, Kalmah, this band’s cousin, found themselves replicating this sound on The Black Waltz. The riffs are tremolo, epic, and straightforward. The first four tracks (sans the Dimmu Borgir-like intro “Dawn”) are guilty of this on all charges.

There are times where they will use some keyboard backdrop or effect, but it isn’t extensively used as it is on future albums. No solos (not even by the guitars) or background rhythm parts, but just those instances that make a song that much more epic (title track, per se?) The vocals, damn, they’re deep but clear. They’re more like a raspy growl, rather than a death-like one. In that respect, they’re underachieving and definitely not the standout aspect. You can enjoy them, but Altti improved greatly on the material after this. I can’t really hear much from the bass either, as it’s pretty background stuff. Again, this would be improved vastly on later recordings, especially considering that they used the same recording technology on their demo before this.

No track really truly outshines another here by riffs alone, but it’s those small instances of keyboard or acoustic back up that keeps you remembering what this album has in store. Thus, it’s a respectable release, but nothing like the bliss to come. I’d say give this one a listen, but you aren’t missing much if you look the other way either.

A Promising - 89%

Incarnadine_Letter, March 5th, 2007

‘Twas four years the wait for Eternal Tears of Sorrow first record “Sinner’s Serenade” after two excellent demos “Bard’s Burial” and “The Seven Godesses Frost”.

Previously, both demos were quite promising, containing fast guitar riffs and excellent pitched vocals. Plus, all 10 tracks have amazing lyrics containing all darkness and death a melodic song can carry along.

In a personal point of view, as a first CD, it might have been flaw-less. However, we are talking here about human beings, and no matter how amazingly well they play, they can also have some mistakes. Taking the CD as a whole, the first image we get from this finish band, is one who has a very particular sound. Both guitar players Jarmo Puolakanaho and Olli - Pekka Törrö, can perefectly fuse both lead and rythmic guitars, creating catchy tunes that can get stuck in your mind easily.

Although the album, has quite a ryhtym, that forces the listener to just headbang and join the music gladly, the whole atmoshpehe brakes at track 5 “Into The Deepest Waters”: a piece with absolutly no lyrics wich is quite a dissapoinment. It gives the impresion, that it was an unfinished song, or that noone could find proper lyrics that fitted in. Ergo, this piece sounds as if it was cut, which is a shame, for the song could have been one of the best in the album.

Probably the 2 best songs through out the whole cd are “Bard’s Burial” and “ The Son Of The Forest”. Maybe because this two tracks are flawless in any aspect and capture the whole escense of Eternal Tears of Sorrow. A pure sound of trash metal, that would later on fuse to symphonic death metal, but still lingering and still present in every tune.

The strong lyrics talking of sorrow, darkness and death, are perefectly fitted in the tracks, making an awesome record all together.Its defenitly a must have cd in every metalheads collection.