Italy's Eldritch has been around for a long time, though they have not received the same international recognition as country mates, Rhapsody of Fire, they have produced quality material, even while changing styles. The band started as a straight Progressive Metal band, and created such classics as El Nino and Portraits Of The Abyss Within, before they went in a more aggressive route on Reverse. Reverse surprised a lot of people, and thought the band had given up what they had done before. The subsequent discs that followed, Neighbourhell, and one of my personal favorites of all time Blackenday carried the heaviness, while still containing a lot of melody and strong vocals thanks to the always solid and consistent Terence Holler. This guy has a great tone in his voice. He may not have the same range as some of his contemporaries, but he sings with more passion than most of them. Unlike Rhapsody of Fire or say Labyrinth, Eldritch's lyrics are based on feelings, emotions,and Holler's mind set at the time of writing. Regret, despair, hope, and everything inbetween, nothing is off the table as far the lyrical content is considered. That was most apparent on their last disc, the Geo-thermal and political insightful "Gaia's Legacy". Holler's lyrics spoke of the earth, and global warming, with excerpts from Al Gore excerpts of An Inconvenient Truth". Most bands choose to insult the world, the economy, or any state of affairs, in his lyrics Holler finds a way to send a clear message, one of hope for our future. Enter 2014, and Tasting the Tears is here via Scarlet Records(the bands second disc for them). Everything has stayed tried and true about the band, they still offer moments of heaviness, but what really got my attention, was the balance between heavy and melody. The first two songs are two of the best songs the band has written, Inside You features an infectious guitar riff throughout the verses, with Holler's strong vocals over them. The title track does the same thing, and features one of the best guitar solos I have heard in a long time from band co-founder Eugene Simone. Alone Again, starts with a haunting opening guitar melody that will remind familiar listeners of the some their earlier discography. Its very dark mid tempo song, that highlights again Holler's strong vocals. Waiting For Someone is another mid paced, straight ahead power metal sounding song. It has a very cool groove in the verse while the chorus is a little faster. Seeds Of Love also has a faster straight ahead tempo in the verses, while the choruses are more melodic, with Holler soaring above the instruments. The Trade is the first song to feature the piano playing of Gabriel Casseli, whose keyboard playing throughout the disc is very good. The song is a nice melodic mid tempo song, that brings back the memories of Eldritch's more progressive metal roots.

Something Strong and Don't Listen feature a faster tempo, while latter has more of a groove riff then necessarily being a "Fast" song. Iris starts and finishes with classical piano and some atmospheric sound effects playing in the background. Holler's somewhat raspy yet passionate vocals really shine through this song, and he also makes use of the natural vibrato in his voice. Definitely not a filler track, and could be seen as a highlight of how Holler delivers his vocals when the band isn't going full speed. Love From a Stone and Clouds are both melodic mid tempo songs, with Clouds having a very sing-a-long chorus that you can also headbang too. Clouds is up there with Inside You, as personal favorites. The final track is something that is per usual on an Eldritch disc, a cover song. I Will Remember, the haunting classic from Queensryche. This one is a little different, with Holler delivering his own style to the vocals, the guitar being played on a standard acoustic versus a twelve-string that was used in other versions of the song. It's a great interpretation of the song and fits with the overall feel of the disc.

Eldritch does it again, by creating a solid mix of progressive and power metal, weaving an uncanny balance of melody and heaviness. This is by far my favorite Eldritch disc in a long time. If you are new to the band, please check this one out. If Eldritch is a household name to you,and you liked what you heard before, this should be in your collection, which begs me to ask, what are you waiting for?