EBONY TEARS - "A HANDFUL OF NOTHING" (BLACK SUN)

 

Ebony Tears were one of my discoveries of 1998. With gladness I received news of a new release forthcoming, "A Handful of Nothing".

The band have continued in their well known Gothenburg style, the tracks full of cool hooks and intensely energetic riffing. The album features several corkers of tracks, particularly "Scenario" and "When Depression Speaks". Unfortunately, the use of violin that gave their debut ("Intortura Insomniae") that extra edge of something folky has dwindled to almost nothing. In fact, only one rather a-typical 1+ minute instrumental ("Erised") still uses the violin, and there's none of it in any of the other tracks. I think that's a shame. Also, the album is only a little longer than half an hour. That, and the lack of violins, this time keeps the album from getting the full rating.

RK

 

Written April 1999

 

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