Lacrimas Profundere

Lacrimas Profundere emerged as a gothic metal outfit from Germany under the leadership of guitarist Oliver Nikolas Schmid, whose frequent personnel shifts have matched the turnover rates seen in Spinal Tap and Jethro Tull across multiple decades. The group originated around 1993 in the Southern Bavarian municipality of Waging am See and issued its first recording, ...And the Wings Embraced Us, in 1995. That debut included vocals from Schmid’s brother Christopher along with violinist Anja Hötzendorfer, flautist and keyboardist Eva Stöger, bassist Markus Lapper, and drummer Christian Greisberger. Although the presence of violin and flute set the early albums apart within heavy metal, releases such as ...La Naissance d'un Rêve (1997), Memorandum (1999), and Burning: A Wish (2001) aligned closely with the doomy gothic approach associated with Anathema, Katatonia, and My Dying Bride during their middle periods. Beginning with Fall, I Will Follow (2002) and continuing through Ave End (2004) and Filthy Notes for Frozen Hearts (2006), the band moved further from its metallic roots, adopting a fuller gothic-rock orientation in the manner of Tiamat and Moonspell. In 2007 Christopher Schmid, the final original member besides his brother, exited the lineup, while Rob Vitacca joined as vocalist, indicating probable shifts in both musical direction and overall identity going forward.