Serpentine (Serpentine - Flowing Tears)

Member Name: Frankingsteins

Product:	Serpentine - Flowing Tears
Date:	09/07/08 (19 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good female vocals.

Disadvantages: Dull instrumentation.

Flowing Tears are one of the more impressive gothic metal bands I've heard, fronted by compelling female singers who don't rely on gimmicky operatic or pop vocals to sell metal albums to teenage goth girls, but who rather deliver a heartfelt performance that more than exceeds the otherwise bland musicianship.

Stefanie Duchêne's voice is excellent here, but it's ultimately only her performance in 'Starfish Ride' that will remain with the listener afterwards. After that point, the album's slow pace and lack of any real hooks starts to become tiresome, and it turns more into an album of atmospheric slow songs spoiled by the occasional dull ballad such as 'Portsall' that take the tedium to unnecessary extremes.

The atmosphere isn't particularly gloomy, as would be the case with a doom metal album, but isn't as chirpy as the average goth metal album, ending up in a slightly disappointing ambivalent middle ground.

1. Intro
2. Starfish Ride (For a Million Dollar Handshake)
3. Serpentine
4. Children of the Sun
5. The Marching Sane
6. Breach
7. Portsall (Departure Song)
8. Justine
9. The Carnage People
10. Merlin
11. Cupid of the Carrion Kind
12. For Tonight

Summary: Flowing Tears' second album (2002).