Tenebre – Heart’s Blood / 2006 Candlelight / 10 Tracks / http://www.tenebre.com / http://www.candlelightrecordsusa.com / Reviewed 07 August 2006

Tenebre plays a brand of goth rock that I have not heard since I was still doing “The Goth Show” on studio radio all those years ago. In a sense, the opening track “Silver Flame” is reminiscent of a slightly lighter version of Sisters of Mercy. The band has hard, driving guitars that mix together hair metal with rock and enough "goth" influence to keep individuals happy.

For example, the Bauhaus-like vocals during “Mistress of the Dark” makes Tenebre proud owners of a hit that would work perfectly in 1990. The only problem that I have with the style of music that Tenebre does is that there has not been any innovation in that general style since 1990. I’m not sure what exactly can be done to freshen up the sound that Tenebre and a number of other current goth bands have, but one can enjoy Tenebre as this album is. It’s not a major complaint, for sure. Just something to see about for future albums that Tenebre cuts. The one impressive thing that comes out of “Heart’s Blood” has to be the killer guitar solo that bridges the two halves of the track. This guitar does not go away, but is relegated to the background during the chorus.

The one thing that can be said about Tenebre is that at all times during “Heart’s Blood” the instrumentation is without equal. The instrumentation does not fade into the background just to allow the vocals to take center stages. Everything is cranked to the max, and there is still a heavy amount of nuance to everything that Tenebre creates here. The album was released in May of 2005, so chances are good that Tenebre will have a new album out before too long. While Tenebre may not be in the same vein of goth music that has a fast track of reaching crossover success (female-led goth music in the vein of Nightwish and Evanescence), the talent that they exhibit on this album is enough for individuals of all stripes to pick up this album. Of all the hits that Tenebre have on this album, “Shine” may just put the band at the top of the mountain. Tenebre is a band that should be checked out if you have any desire to update your goth collection from the Cure and Sisters of Mercy albums from 1987. Fun goth rock that has high replay values.

Top Tracks: Shine, Blue

Rating: 7.1/10

[JMcQ]