Review of the Album Tasting the Tears by Italian Progressive Thrash Metal Band Eldritch

Tasting the Tears is the 2014 studio album by Italian thrash metal band Eldritch and I know what you might be thinking. Isn’t this band progressive metal? Well, they were a progressive metal band in their early years but they have gotten heavier and more technical starting with their thrash infused album Reverse in 2001. They may have some progressive metal elements in their later albums but it just feels like a form of melodic thrash with progressive influence such as the song called Inside You.

In spite of the album’s title Tasting the Tears will not leave you feeling morose or something like that. It can be thought of as the result of 23 years of crafting nothing but brilliant metal music.

As of 2020, they are nearing 30 years as a band and it is time that they somehow get more recognition and this album review and analysis is one step in that direction.

Listening to the album in 2020, I am left to wonder whether this is the best album for Eldritch or not. That’s a tough call simply because they have so many great studio albums. It can be like every one of their albums is as good as a very tasty cherry pie with each piece being as delightful as the next.

However, to categorize Eldritch as a purely progressive or power metal band is inaccurate as well because this is a band that has tried to and has been musically diverse and where do we begin with Eldritch? With power ballads such as Cage of Sins or Blind Promise in 1995 and Come to Life, a very heavy thrash style song to something as passionate as the song Iris, Eldritch is most definitely a combination of progressive, power, and thrash metal all in one.

Inside You starts the main riff sounding like Dream Theater before transitioning into a heavier riff that sounds like Canadian band Annihilator. Eldritch is a band that has also written songs about mental problems and disease and it has worked out very well. Those of you that have followed this band since 2004 will surely remember the song called This Everlasting Mind Disease. Fast forward ten years later to 2014 and it is like the band made themselves even better. After a really heavy album, Tasting the Tears is a welcome album to listen to actually. For those that cannot handle extreme metal music for some reason, this album is one of those that you will surely enjoy as an alternative, Even though Eldritch is a good hybrid of progressive and thrash metal, their music will not overwhelm you mentally or emotionally.

“Tasting the Tears” the song is lyrically about someone that thought that life was going to be easier for him but instead, life has turned out to be worse than torture. Hoping that life could be easier is a strategy that usually does not work according to experts that have studied the mind. Nonetheless, the title track ends in very strong fashion.

Seeds of Love (not the Morning Musume song) has a very good message in it and that message is that in a world where there is so much anger, love is what is needed. Although such a sentiment is obvious, actually implementing that strategy every day is one of the toughest things to do. Sometimes we are waiting for a sign to feed our souls the right thing as our hearts can be full of love.

Credit should also be given to Terence Holler also known as Mario Tarantola for his contribution! Alone Again is a love song about someone that misses his former lover but he knows that she deserves someone better than him. He still feels alone again without her. The album can also be thought of lyrically as addressing the issues of life struggle, lost love, and romance.

The album can also be thought of lyrically as addressing the issues of life struggle, lost love, and romance. His best vocal performance may more than likely be in the song Iris which is a soft ballad song which is brilliant. He was born in the United States to Italian parents so it would make sense for him in a way to be the lead singer for Eldritch. Even though he does not have that heavy accent, his performance on this album should be given credit still for he sings under control and in pitch!

Iris is a song that lyrically about love, that when strong makes us feel so powerful that we crave it even more. In this song, the man is away from his love for more than two years and all he wants to have is her embrace. She is so far away and he is really in pain because he is separated from her.

Once again, it is really a tough call to say with any certainty whether Tasting the Tears is the best album in the career of Eldritch. The song Iris is definitely one of the album’s most solid points in an album filled with quite a few strong songs.

Strongest songs in Tasting the Tears

• Inside You
• Tasting the Tears
• Seeds of Love
• Iris