Having a legacy over 20 years within the scene, it gets to the point where one wonders what there is left to do. In the case of Lacrimas Profundere, who already have 10 albums under their belt, thought it would be the right time to finally bring about a concept album. Unfortunately, the execution of the concept falls a bit short.
A story of a boy wandering through a dark forest all alone seems like prime fodder for the gothic metal act. Lacrimas Profundere continue to push forward with the same sound they’ve had for a while, though drastic changes aren’t exactly on the horizon once a band has reached a certain point. The album opens roughly, with the longest track starting things off (“The Worship of Counting Down”) and drags on longer than it should have – not the best opening a concept album as it doesn’t really entice the listener further. The stronger and slightly heavier “My Halo Ground” and upbeat title track fare better, as does the more rock-ish “No Man’s Land,” but the majority of the tracks seem to simply occupy space. Not bad by any means, but ultimately forgettable once they finish. Particularly some of the softer tracks, such as “You, My North.” Perhaps for the sake of the feel of the album, there’s less “heaviness” overall, which affects the dynamics of the album and accents this feeling of blandness.
Despite Hope is Here not really deviating too far from Lacrimas’ norm (other than a lack of aggression overall), it doesn’t really capture the band at their strongest. For those who are drawn to the gothic aesthetic, it may come across as a solid effort, but nothing that will cause the rest of the metal community to start clamoring.