Genre:  Shoegazer / Dreampop

01 Lotus Flower
02 Emotional Cocoon
03 Trial by Fire
04 Melinda
05 Lady Aurora
06 Dream Bliss
07 Crimson Interlude
08 Crimson Water Cleanses the Soul
09 Pointless Savior
10 Nightingale

Living their musical lives through a genre long since past, in a country whose 'gothic' culture seems to be not only declining in number but authenticity, Tearwave has been fighting what seems to be an uphill battle continuing on their atmosphereic path.  However, with experience drawn from bands whom have long ago fallen into the recesses of time nearly a decade ago, Tearwave is flawlessly drifting through the music realm of the gothic subculture, not only in this country, but in a worldwide view with the help of their label Projekt.  The band themselves embrace romanticism and emotional atmospheres in an era where feeling of any sort is merely classified as "emo" and disregarded as quickly as they have come to the human in question.  Let's face it, we've all become machines at this point to live up to what is now trendy and "cool" in this country.  Emotions are now looked down upon when they are the core aspect of what makes us human, and it is through musicians like those in Tearwave that we can rediscover this not only primal, but essential key to our being.

The imagery that the band envokes through their beautiful style whispers of their own countryside; a land surrounded by water and forest.  This combined with the large New York City no too overwhelmingly far away makes for a unique feeling; a painting of desolate forests and cold, frozen lakes with snow-laden streets and city lights.  A place where nature and the urban dwellings of today meet in equality.  Not even the city can escape the frozen drifts of winter and there is nothing better suiting to fit this style than the gentle, fragile snow dancing endlessly through the sky to a waltz amongst the air molecules, only to land into one giant blanket of indistinguishable characteristics.  It indeed is strange how no two snowflakes are alike, but end in a large infinity of blueish white, just as the atmosphere carries throughout the music in a sea of reverb and delay.  Dreams of snow...sleeping endlessly under this frozen blanket.

Haunting is nearly the only word that could truely describe Tearwave's initial self-titled release on Projekt.  Everything found here is indeed haunting in a very chilling way.  The music wreathes of cold almost moreso than even the expanse of black metal.  This music shall forever remain in my consciousness just as the beautiful La Floa Maldita did so long ago when I heard the same two tracks that I have still only heard today.  It is hard to believe that music like this exists in this country, where so much of the popular culture is fighting against beauty and feeling for a more machine-like approach to humanity.  I can do nothing but thank them though for their beautiful efforts and let them know that it pays off.  In the world of metal, its sometimes so incredibly hard to remember that I'm a human.  These strange harmonious works of pure musical art are always a much needed warm embrace to remind me that there is still a heart within this cocoon of a body.  Certainly one of the best atmosphereic releases of this year!