REVIEWS for BLODSTAINED ENDURANCE

Hello!

Lets use this topic to post Reviews for the upcoming album "BLOODSTAINED ENDURANCE"

It doesn`t matter if it is in other laguage than english or french because we could all use a translator program like: http://www.freetranslation.com/ or http://babelfish.yahoo.com/

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First one I found (In german)
SCORE: 8/10!!

http://www.metal.de/cdreviews.php4?was=review&id=12390&search_highlight=trail+of+tears

Another one in German!

http://www.dark-festivals.de/metal/trail_of_tears__bloodstained_endurance_1164.html

A french review :
> http://www.extreme-metal.com/site/message.php?message=825

COOL the review ...
At leat a review which confirm the extraordinary talent of Cathrin , yeah yeah yeah !!!

The review is not very good, we don't learn anything :/

Hmm I didn`t understand so much of that review, I will definetly use Babelfish
Here is a list of some reviews from TRAIL OF TEARS `S OFFICIAl site(More to come)

84/100 RockTribune Magazine (Belgium)

9.5/10 LOUD Magazine (Portugal)

9.5/10 Orkus Magazine (Germany)

5/6 Scream magazine (Norway)

8/10 metal.de

94/100 lordsofmetal.nl

8.5/10 furyrocks.com

7/10 burnyourears.de

8/10 Metal Hammer magazine (Hungary)

6/7 Metal Hammer magazine (Germany)

8/10 Rock Hard (Germany)

These are very good grades ! I hope the following ones are as good as these.

9/10 http://www.blistering.com/ (US)

Reviews
Trail of Tears - Bloodstained Endurance (Napalm Records)
By: David E. Gehlke


[9/10] It’s not like we throw a 9/10 rating around here every day, but the unbridled vitriol and contrasts on Bloodstained Endurance practically begged for this mark. All this, after Trail of Tears nearly split up in late 2006 after the well-publicized departure of four out of six band members, including clean singer Kjetil Nordhus. Yet mainman Ronny Thorsen has proven to be one resilient dude and the results on Bloodstained Endurance speaks for itself: this is the Goth metal album of 2009 to be reckoned with.

Returning to the band is female vocalist Catherine Paulsen, who was last heard on 2002’s A New Dimension of Might. Paulsen, a soprano, fits right into the band’s very-aggro, death metal-tinged approach. This is most notable on “Once Kissed By the Serpent (Twice Bitten By the Truth)” which might be the band’s most significant song to date, as Paulsen turns in a passionate, cut-throat performance during the chorus topped off by feverish melodies.

Paulsen’s mark is all over this thing, mainly during the chorus sections. She shines during “Bloodstained Endurance,” “Triumphant Gleam” and “A Storm At Will” and does a tremendous job of keeping this album out of typical Goth metal territory.

In terms of riffs and arrangements, Thorsen and co. have emerged with a litany of bone-jarring, subtlety melodic riffs, of which are in full force during “In the Valley of Ashes” and “Take. Aim. Reclaim. Prevail.” Combine that the vitriolic, vengeful nature of the lyrics (it’s not a stretch to say most, if not all of this are in direct response to the lineup debacle of ’06) and it’s just one seething album that – like we mentioned earlier – pulls away from typical Goth metal conventions.

Always thought of these Nords to be of the upper-echelon of Goth metal bands and the inherent strength of Bloodstained Endurance supplants, if not destroys that notion. A pure gem.

I don't understand the last sentence and what the meaning of " Gem " Thank you if someone can help me ...

I think the last sentence means that Trail of Tears is not your typical Gothic Metal band, they are more than that because their albums (Bloodstained Endurance in this case) are very powerful and well conceived to avoid the clichés of the genre. And for the word "gem", it is the same thing as "gemme" in French. I hope what I've written makes sense.
Once again, a very good review. I want this album

Thank you guy

it's cool ...

Trail of Tears - Bloodstained Endurance (2009)

82/100

i was really expecting something good here, which i got as expected
from trail of tears BUT i just cant ignore some flaws in this album.
-the songs are too short, going over 3 mins. only you cant really fully grasp the songs, you know the whole atmosphere thingy (i always do that on ANDOM, i feel the songs hehe)but don't worry, at least they compensated by giving us 12 songs.

-catherine's vocals has been underutilized. it saddens me that her operatic vocals have been misused, they do not appear at all (except for 1 ballad), her "normal" voice is okay i dont mind hearing it, but sometimes it gets monotonous, regardless her normal singing voice is strong and doesnt drown with the music.

-the production sometimes sound uhm..odd? there are times that the sound gets louder on other sections.

-now the songs..
they are good! heavy and sung with emotions. they still follow the same formula of beauty and the beast. and oh before i forgot, just wanna say...HANDS DOWN to ronny thorsen again, the guy never fails to impress me with his harsh vocals, they are always fitting as ever to the music. stand out tracks would be, the feverish alliance (for its catchy tunes), a storm at will (for a glimpse of what catherine can do) and faith comes knocking (some people may complain about the theatrics
given on this song, but i dont mind it, bec it stands out, you will even hear witch vocals here, some choirs, and all what's missing on this album)

-the instruments are competent.
BUT this album lacks the atmosphere as i've been saying all along. where are the keyboards? synthesizers? the cold emotionless choirs rampant on ANDOM? they are non existent on this album. what happened to the symphoblack elements? almost gone.

despite of all the flaws i've said in this whole "review", Bloodstained Endurance is a good album which beats Sirenia's Path to Decay, as the gothic metal album for the year (well for now, at least...) i still keep yearning for a solid album through and through, and while this album delivered, it just kept me from wanting more! more! more!

to conclude this, get this album if you are a gothic metal fan, it will be a worthy addition to your collection. and if you're new to Trail of Tears and you wanna try them, i suggest getting the more ambiguous and bombastic A NEW DIMENSION OF MIGHT first, before hearing this one.

Another review, this one from LORDS OF METAL
Rating: 94/100
http://www.lordsofmetal.nl/showreview.php?id=14145&lang=en


A new book, a new story and a new start; that was the plan frontman/ grunter Ronny Thorsen after the though period that Trail Of Tears went through around 2006. He succeeded in struggling and in the summer of 2007; he walked in the path of virtue and he went on stage with the new occupation including the new comeback of singer Cathrine Paulsen. After two years it’s still working out fine so it seems like Trail Of Tears has a steady line-up. In the meantime the band members had enough time to get to know each other and they started writing new songs that are leading to ‘Bloodstained Endurance’ right now. The stability is founded again and you definitely can hear this on the new album; that’s one thing for sure!

On ‘Bloodstained Endurance’ you can hear that Trail Of Tears is a very motivated band and also has very talented musicians. For example guitarist Pal Olsen and bass player Endre Moe; they brought some thrash influences into Trail Of Tears. Also Cato Jensen is very talented; besides Trail Of Tears he play drums in some other bands like Cutthroat and Dimension F3H. That proves that he can turn his hand to anything and that’s an advantage for Trail Of Tears if you have so many influences of different kind of metal styles in your songs. Perhaps this is an explanation for the fact that Trail Of Tears has a versatile sound on the new album. Some songs are aggressive as a bee on LSD like ‘Once Kissed By The Serpent’, other songs like ‘Faith Comes Knocking’ are atmospheric and powerful and a song like for example ‘A Storm At Will’ touches a sensitive chord.

Besides some musical surprises also Cathrine will stagger everyone with her current voice. She’s back and how; the classical singing girl of the past turned out to be a forceful rock singer. She proves that female fronted metal is not all about fairytale princesses and shows in a really perfect way how to use her voice as a woman who knows what she want. All people who doubted about the motivation and the reason for existence of Trail Of Tears were totally wrong! ‘Bloodstained Endurance’ conforms that Trail Of Tears is back; stronger than ever before!

. so far the reviews i've read are being generous (which i dont mind, bec. Trail of Tears is 1 of the underrated bands in all of metal, they deserve more recognition, i think)

Latter-day Trail of Tears remain as vital as ever - 98%
(Written by joncheetham88 on May 31st, 2009 )


All the bad signs were there. A failed tour, enormous financial loss and the sudden abandonment of frontman Ronny Thorsen by his band members. Trail of Tears had just recorded an album that not only made up for its mediocre predecessor Free Fall Into Fear, but actually made the listener understand the importance of that album in the context of coming to record the mighty Existentia.

However, enjoyment of that album was marred by the position Thorsen found himself in, and later, when he assembled his new band, the fear that the progression he had found from album to album with trusty male siren Kjetil Nordhus would disappear with the dawning of a 'new era' Trail of Tears. After all, who hasn't seen it happen? A band releases a brilliant album, then some big event like a label change or line-up disaster prompts months of the band claiming they are 'retaining all the normal elements of [insert doomed band's name here] while introducing some new ones that will surely attract lots of new fans!' or some equally depressing lie. What it translates to is the band in question have sold their souls for a month of heavy marketing.

Fortunately, Bloodstained Endurance is not just creatively worded album and song titles and gorgeous cover art by legend Travis Smith (it even surpasses Existentia's memorable inferno). The tracks on the album are gems. All the normal adjectives can still be associated with Trail of Tears: mighty, powerful, striking, consistent, quality, beer-guzzling-inducing. From the start the album is musically less complex while structurally similiar to Existentia; the songs have the same format of growled verses and clean choruses, but without the complex layering of violins and acoustic guitars found on songs like 'Deceptive Mirrors' and 'My Comfort.' The notable exception is a well-placed violin solo on the title track, reminding of the glory days of Tristania, and a choral motif on 'Take Aim. Reclaim. Prevail' that reminds of 'Deceptive Mirrors', even followed by one of the quiet female-sung C-parts that were characteristic of the last album. Ronny's grim chant of 'DIE.DIE.DIE.' on Dead End Gaze is a conscious effort to recall the same technique on 'Splendid Coma Visions.' It worked then for atmosphere and it sounds even better here. Think of this album as a direct sequel, but again everything is even angrier, heavier and more intense while retaining every bit of the melancholy and melody that we've loved since Disclosure in Red.

The album has a tight format, allowing for little distraction from the band's purpose: gurgling guitar riffs, booming drums and impassioned vocals. The songs are usually between 3:00 and 4:30 long, a little more variation than Existentia where a rigid structure made some songs indistinguishable at first. Each track here has its own mood, usually circling around the same musical themes but taking them in different directions, from the determined march of 'The Feverish Alliance' to the urgent riffs of 'In The Valley of Ashes' (one of the band's most melodic and powerful songs to date) and finally the creepy doom of album closer 'Faith Comes Knocking.' The title track is a good example of a groovy riff around which an entire song is built, albeit very creatively, making great stage-fodder and addictive listening.

Catherine Paulsen, the siren of A New Dimension of Might, returns to the fold for her second album with the band, and with just her and Ronny handling vocals this makes the first time since Trail of Tears' debut Kjetil Nordhus has not been involved. I thought Kjetil's presence, now very strongly identifiable with the band, would be sorely missed on the new album, however Catherine pulls out all the stops for a performance rivaling that on her other album with the band. Avoiding the temptation to indulge in stereotypical soprano singing, she challenges herself by singing in a clean, passionate voice that prevents the dual vocals from becoming to similiar to Ronny's performance alongside Helena Iren Michaelsen on Disclosure in Red and the genre-defining Profoundemonium. Structurally, Catherine has taken over exactly where Kjetil left off, performing choruses and C-parts, while most verses are still handled by Ronny's deep growls, which you'll be pleased to hear are still just pure death metal - he puts in a bloodthirsty performance on the unmissable 'Once Bitten By The Serpent (Twice Bitten By Truth).' Catherine's defining performance is on 'A Storm at Will.' Thorsen has long tried to create 'ballad' songs for his albums, resulting in curious progressive pieces like 'Empty Rooms' and 'Liquid View.' Here the group opts for a more typical 'gothic' ballad, allowing Catherine to really shine; though she still avoids Tarja-soprano and Sharon-sugariness, her performance makes this Trail of Tears' first truly successful attempt at a ballad. Another fantastic example of Catherine's talent is on 'Farewell to Sanity', which for me cements her as a more varied and powerful singer than the diva-like (and let's face it, annoying) Michaelsen.

This may be the first time since Profoundemonium that Trail of Tears have released an album so similiar to the last in design, but it was exactly the right choice. Rather than alienate fans with a new sound as well as a new line-up, the band has carefully created an album that acts as a twin to Existentia, therefore making it extremely easy for new fans to access their back-catalogue. Is it better than the band's previous work? For me, its combination of diversity and a tight sound make it the best album to date, an unmissable combination of Existentia's career-spanning diversity and Profoundemonium's dramatic gothic tone. Along with those two and A New Dimension of Might, Bloodstained Endurance is the band's fourth unquestionably classic, essential album. I'm giving it a 98, not just for a brilliant album, but for living up to all possible expectations and giving their fans everything they could ask for.

Thanks for posting this reviews, just remember to post the link of the site or the name of the Magazine

And for German speaking, here is a group review made by http://www.sounds2move.de/




Nach dem erbärmlichen Abklang von Tristania, dem wortlosen Verschwinden von The Sins Of Thy Beloved und allenfalls soliden Werken von Sirenia sind Trail Of Tears die letzte Bastion an höchstwertigen, symphonischen Gothic Metal aus norwegischen Landen. Das mehr oder weniger vollständig ausgetauschte LineUp konnte Ronny Thorsen jedoch nicht aufhalten und so offenbart sich „Bloodstained Endurance“ als logischer Nachfolger von „Existentia“. Es regieren immer noch Bombast, Symphonie und einem für Gothic Metal Verhältnisse recht hartes Metal Fundament, welches aber jederzeit von einer cleveren und durchdachten Melodieführung geleitet wird. Im Bereich des Gothic Metal ohne den geringsten Zweifel das Album des Jahres. Hört allein den Opener „The Feverish Alliance“ und ihr wisst, was ich meine.



Christian Stiewe



Trail of Tears kann man gut und gerne als die Wundertüte des norwegischen Gothic Metals bezeichnen. Beliebte Sängerinnen wurden überraschend vor die Tür gesetzt, stilistische Kurskorrekturen führten nicht immer nur zu Begeisterungsstürmen bei den Fans, und nach dem letzten Album „Existentia“ ging Bandleader Ronny Thorsen sogar die gesamte Mannschaft von der Fahne. Ausgerechnet diese Band scheint nun der letzte Hoffnungsschimmer der einst so stolzen norwegischen Düsterszene zu sein. The Sins of thy Beloved verharren seit fast zehn Jahren in ihrer Totenstarre, Sirenia haben sich mit ihrem neuesten Werk endgültig in poppiger Belanglosigkeit verloren und von Tristania steht nach dem Abgang von Vibeke Stene auch nur noch Selbstdemontage zu befürchten. In so einer Situation ist ein Album wie „Bloodstained Endurance“ wahrer Balsam für die geschundene Seele des Gothic-Metal-Fans. Denn hier stimmt wirklich alles. Zwar benötigte ich etwa zehn Durchläufe, doch dann zündeten fast alle der elf vertretenen Songs und hinterließen nachhaltig ihre Spuren in meinen Gehirnwindungen. An erster Stelle sei „In the Valley of Ashes“ genannt, eine wirklich erstklassig eingängige Gothic-Metal-Hymne. Auch der Titeltrack, der mit einer eindringlichen Geige aufwartet, die Ballade „A Storm at Will“ oder das hart stampfende „Once kissed by the Serpent“ sind allererste Sahne. Daneben gibt es auch experimentelle Stücke wie „Triumphant Gleam“ (Trip-Hop?) oder das sehr düstere „Dead End Gaze“. Die typischen Gothic-Chöre findet man dann im ansonsten sehr harten „Take Aim, Reclaim, Prevail“ und im abschließenden „Faith comes Knocking“. Wenn es überhaupt etwas zu kritisieren gibt, dann dass Heimkehrerin Catherin Paulsen sich mit ihrer klassischen Stimme (im Vergleich zu „A new Dimension of Might“) doch sehr zurück hält, und dass der Refrain von „Farewell to Sanity“ doch etwas arg an Moonspells „Scorpion Flower“ erinnert.



Alexander Dontscheff


Was einen nicht umbringt, macht einen nur stärker. Diese Devise muss wohl auch Ronny Thorsen berücksichtigt haben, dem im November 2006 kurzerhand fast die gesamte Trail of Tears Besetzung abhanden gekommen ist. Zwar wurde danach noch das Album „Existentia” veröffentlicht, dem man aber die aufkommende Unstimmigkeit innerhalb der Band überdeutlicht anhörte und das somit nur einen halbgaren Eindruck hinterließ. Trotzdem, oder gerade deshalb, melden sich Trail of Tears in diesen Tagen in neuer Besetzung und mit einem aktuellen Werk zurück. Trail of Tears besinnen sich mit „Bloodstained Endurance” auf ihre alten Stärken, was sich nicht nur darin äußert, dass Ex-Sängerin Cathrine Paulsen wieder zur Besetzung gehört, sondern auch in musikalischer Hinsicht steht der neue Silberling dem 2002 Album „A New Dimension of Might” näher als z.B. seinem direkten Vorgänger „Existentia”. So bietet „Bloodstained Endurance” den gewohnten Mix aus opernhaftem Frauen- und harschem Männergesang, während in Sachen Instrumentierung so manch epische Passage aufgeboten wird. Das mag zwar nicht sonderlich originell klingen, aber Trail of Tears waren so oder so noch nie eine Ausgeburt an Originalität, sondern in früheren Tagen eher wie eine immerhin hochwertige Tristania-Kopie. Doch da Tristania ihr besten Zeiten auch schon lange hinter sich gelassen haben und Bands wie Sirenia nur ein kommerzieller Witz sind, da könnten Trail of Tears mit ihrem aktuellen Album durchaus eine offene Lücke füllen. Denn obwohl „Bloodstained Endurance” wahrscheinlich nie als ein Meisterwerk verstanden werden wird, bietet das Album dennoch sehr solide und gekonnt umgesetzte Songkost. Songs wie der eröffnete Titeltrack, das darauf folgende „Once kissed by the Serpent (Twice bitten by Truth)“, oder auch die eingängige Halb-Ballade „A Storm at Will“ wissen auf alle Fälle gut zu unterhalten.



Nando Rohner





Vielleicht war “Free Fall into Fear” seinerzeit gar nicht so schlecht wie manch einer es gemacht hat. Und trotzdem stinkt die Scheibe meiner Ansicht nach gegen „Existentia“ in allen Belangen ab. Schon allein die Qualitäten von Emanuelle Zoldan werteten das letzte Trail of Tears Album mächtig auf und die Hitdichte sorgte für den Rest. Und jetzt? Jetzt kommt „Bloodstained Endurance“ und mit dem Album eine fast komplett neu formierte Band, darunter auch Rückkehrerin Catherine Paulsen. Bemerkenswert ist, dass trotz der massiven Neubesetzung der Faden von „Existentia“ recht konsequent weitergesponnen wurde, was ausdrücklich als Kompliment gen Ronny Thorsen verstanden werden darf. Dieser bewegt sich hier mit seiner Mannschaft auf durchweg hohem Niveau und vermag es damit Freunden des semi-klassischen nordeuropäischen Gothic Metal ein Lächeln auf die Lippen zu zaubern. Die sehr theatralischen Vocals von Sängerin Cathrine halten sich von jeglichen Klischees konsequent fort, während Ronny mit druckvollen Shouts jedweden Anflug von Weichspülerei von dannen jagt. Allein „Take Aim, Reclaim, Prevail“ ist ein Kaufargument; hier haben wir es mit einem der geilsten Genre-Kracher der letzten Monate zu tun. Kraftvoll, episch, gesegnet mit majestätischen Chören, wie sie unter anderem die Frühwerke von Tristania und Sirenia prägten, bekommt der Düster Metal Liebhaber hier die prägnante norwegische Schule in Reinkultur geboten. Schon aufgrund der Umstände wie Mastermind Ronny Thorsen nur wenige Wochen vor dem Stichtag für “Existentia” vor zwei Jahren in die Parade gefahren wurde, gönne ich es dem Skandinavier, dass seine neu formierte Truppe nun endlich mit großen Schritten vorwärts kommen und die verdienten Lorbeeren für ihre stets hochwertigen Veröffentlichungen einfahren wird. Mit einem runden, auf ganzer Linie überzeugenden Album wie „Bloodstained Endurance“ im Rücken müsste es allerdings schon mit dem Teufel zu gehen, wenn es mit den Gothic Metallern nicht endlich wieder steil bergauf gehen würde.



Markus Rutten



Man sagt ja, Metal ist Flucht aus dem Alltag. Wer Metal hört, der ist automatisch schon anders, läuft anders rum, schafft seine ganz eigenen Normen, die man dann als vermeintlich „anders“ tauft. Normierte Kontroverse quasi. Dabei ist es bloß ein übertragendes Bild. Wir finden Pop-Musik auch im Metal: Eingängiges, überproduziertes, nur eben aufgewertet mit dicken Gitarren. Und anderem Image. Und da wären wir schon wieder bei der Flucht aus dem Alltag. Trail Of Tears spielen Gothic-Metal. Das ist schon mal ein guter Vorwand, sie nicht zu mögen: Plakative Outfits, kitschgetränkte Melodien und ganz ganz viel Pathos. Doch würde man es sich zu leicht machen, sie so schnell abzustrafen, in eine Schublade zu packen? Finden wir so was wie, ja, Substanz auf „Bloodstained Endurance“? Ja, hier scheiden sich die Geister. Spärlich gesetzte, einfache Gitarrenläufe; dafür flächige, klebrige Keyboard-Teppiche und ein Wechselspiel aus hohem, weiblichen Gesang und gegrowltem, für mich als Leihen am ehesten direkt neben Moonspell einzuordnen. Die Strukturen sind dabei brav nach Schema F, das Ganze ist eben streng melodisch und letztendlich auch Chorus-betont. Mal geht das auf, mal nicht. Dazu natürlich aalglatt und episch produziert, wie es sich gehört. Aufhorchen lassen nebst Gitarrensoli, nicht spektakulär technisch, aber auf alle Fälle gefühlvoll und catchy gespielt. Aber genug Zynismus. Bei aller, nicht Abneigung, aber Schwierigkeit, die ich mit diesem Genre verbinde, ist „Bloodstained Endurance“ für mich irgendwann sogar recht gut hörbar, teilweise spaßig, und ja, „in Ordnung“ gewesen. Immer knapp an der Schmerzgrenze, immer fast ein Tropfen zuviel im sprichwörtlichen, prall gefüllten Fass, aber letztendlich doch solide gespielt und für Genrefans bestimmt gefundenes Fressen. Leute wie ich mit ebenso, sagen wir „zweifelnden“ Einstellungen und Ansichten dürften hier jedoch nichts verpassen. Ob ich das Teil abseits meiner Arbeit noch mal auflegen werde, bleibt daher fraglich.





Olivier Haas




Gääääähn... So kurz und knackig mein ernüchterndes Fazit zum neuen ToT-Langeisen. „Bloodstained Endurance“ hat mich echt fast dazu gezwungen, nach irgendeiner Beschäftigung zu suchen, um nicht die volle Konzentration auf dieses uninspirierte, träge und halbgare Machwerk zu vergeuden. „Triumphant Gleam“ z.B. ist einfach ein sacklangweiliges Lied, das mich mit computergenerierten Beats sowie dem Gejammer und dem künstlichen, erzwungenen Vibrato von Sopran Cathrine Paulsen nervt. „A Storm at Will“ hingegen ist eine waschechte Ballade, kommt ziemlich puritanisch daher und ist (vielleicht gerade deshalb?) mein persönliches Highlight des Albums. ToT verzetteln sich sonst nämlich noch so gerne in Spielereien, die in den seltensten Fällen angebracht wirken. „Take Aim, Reclaim, Prevail“ beispielsweise, das an und für sich (wie so manches Stück auf „Bloodstained Endurance“) so spannend ist wie Eishockey ohne Puck, „überrascht“ einen etwa in der Hälfte mit einer völlig deplatziert wirkenden Jazz-Einlage. „The Desperation Corridors“ zeigt dann noch einmal exemplarisch, was auf ToTs neustem Dreher Programm ist: Immer fast gleich wirkende Strophen wechseln sich mit einem lahmen Refrain ab – das Gesicht möchte einem einschlafen. Richtiger Gothic Metal muss für meinen Geschmack richtig opernhaft bombastisch, richtig düster und richtig spannungerzeugend sein – all das ist „Bloodstained Endurance“ meines Erachtens beileibe nicht.



Richard Hänzi


Ich bin, dies gleich vorneweg, kein großer Freund von allem, was mit Gothic zu tun hat oder auch schon nur ein selbiges im Namen trägt; somit ist "Bloodstained Endurance" mein erstes Gothic Metal Album, mit welchem ich mich intensiver auseinander setze. Der erste Eindruck überrascht: Das erwartete, kitschige Gesäusel eines geschminkten Popprinzen oder einer übergestylten Diva bleibt aus, stattdessen poltern mir durchaus schöne Growls entgegen. Damit driften Trail of Tears in den Up-Tempo-Songs schon beinahe in Melodic Death Gefilde ab, was mir doch zu gefallen weiß. Nett! Diese werden zwar rasch von Erwartetem ergänzt, dennoch weit weniger übel, als erwartet. Gleich muss ich aber einräumen, dass die Growls das wohl Einzige sind, was ich an dem Album gut finde. Zu schnell verliert es sich in meinen Ohren im Hintergrund, plätschert eher, als dass die Musik fließt. Hauptschuld daran tragen die weiblichen Gesangparts, leider scheint durch sie beinahe jedes Lied an Identität zu verlieren und lässt die Songs zu einer Masse verschmelzen. So vermochte es auch dieses Trail-of-Tears'sche Album nicht, mir ein neues Genre zu erschließen.



Micha Käser

yeah, sure sure. the first one, i wrote myself that's why it looks soo amateurish
the other one, i've read on metal-archives.com

Uh too bad i don't understand very much german :/

I'm happy all the review are positive

Another review! (But I dont have the Magazine yet)
4/5 KERRANG! (UK)

Great ! Bloodstained Endurance : 19/20
> http://www.spirit-of-metal.com/album-groupe-Trail_Of_Tears-nom_album-Bloodstained_Endurance-l-fr.html

Good!!

Mindview (Belgium) 6/7

Aaaand another one!!!

http://www.metal-discovery.com 8.5/10

"...'Bloodstained Endurance' sees Trail of Tears revisit their erstwhile musical aesthetic..."


Norwegian symphonic metallers Trail of Tears return with sixth studio album, 'Bloodstained Endurance', on Napalm Records. It is perhaps a surprise to some that the band are still in existence following a mass walk-out of four members (including former Green Carnation frontman Kjetil Nordhus) towards the end of 2006, just prior to the release of fifth album 'Existentia'. An 'official' statement was issued subsequent to the walk-out informing fans the band had split up, although a further 'official' counter-statement from constant member, and resident growler, Ronny Thorsen refuted the split. With Thorsen recruiting four new members plus soprano vocalist Cathrine Paulsen returning to record her first album with the band since 2002's 'A New Dimension of Might', it appears Thorsen's statement has proved to be the true one. And 'Bloodstained Endurance' sees Trail of Tears revisit their erstwhile musical aesthetic with the growled male vocals courtesy of Thorsen once again alongside Paulsen's distinct and powerful voice. In fact, Paulsen has matured significantly as a singer since her previous stint in the band, so her return is a very welcome one. Fusing disparate metal elements - symphonic; black; thrash; and occasional rock opera leanings - 'Bloodstained Endurance' is a generically diverse album (as one would expect from a record bearing the Trail of Tears name) that is overloaded with originally catchy melodies and skilful songwriting. Although idiomatic of the established Trail of Tears sound, 'Bloodstained Endurance' also sees the Norwegians progress with their music, although one would perhaps expect this with largely a new lineup. In short, there is enough here to please established fans of the band and, hopefully, attract significant interest from those who will be discovering the Norwegians afresh.

BLABBERMOUTH.NET 8,5/10 !!!!

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/showreview.aspx?reviewID=1711


Another hard-driving, bombastic effort from TRAIL OF TEARS, "Bloodstained Endurance" features the return of soprano vocalist Cathrine Paulsen whose sonorous voice lifts those beautiful melodies to the heavens and provides a perfect contrast to the melo-death muscle and Ronny Thorsen's growls. The release of 2007's superb "Existentia" demonstrated the band's place as one of Napalm's shining stars and its follow-up does the same. It is another excellent disc from a band that has always been about quality and consistency.

"Gothic metal" has been the catch-all descriptor for the Norwegian act, but is somewhat misleading in that it does not fully capture that broader appeal of an album like "Bloodstained Endurance". Generally dark, yet not morose, the symphonic shades and effervescent melodies blend seamlessly with the predominantly propulsive, riff-heavy aggressiveness. In other words, those not necessarily enamored with the symphonic/gothic metal of a typical Napalm release — the roster's expansion into more diverse styles notwithstanding — may be swayed with the TRAIL OF TEARS' musical package.

More than anything else, the central structures come with a big 'ole set of balls, not altogether unlike what a band like DARK TRANQUILLITY brings to the table. With the exception of ballad "A Storm at Will" (itself one of the album's best songs with an addictive melody and Paulsen's moving spotlight performance), the album is filled with tunes that move with groove and weight. By itself though that aspect of the songwriting is not what makes "Bloodstained Endurance" a keeper. It is the marrying of those bright, shining melodies — led by Paulsen's golden pipes and the incorporation of symphonic, sometimes operatic, elements — to the sheer heaviness of the delivery. Nowhere is that as evident as on "The Feverish Alliance", a song that boasts the album's biggest hook and a slightly exotic edge to the main riff. The title track is similarly effective, this time with Thorsen carrying the very intense chorus. If you're looking for a riff that defines toughness, then check out "In the Valley of Ashes". "Take Aim, Reclaim, Prevail" is notable for its lush, symphonic choral effects on the chorus, while "Faith Comes Knocking" is the disc's darkest track and is every bit as aggressive as the rest; Paulsen' bout of maniacal laughter at one point and her song-ending question is downright spooky. The album has an abundance of those moments that make you go "wow, that's cool."

On balance, "Existentia" might get the nod because of a marginally more catchy collection of songs, but it is very, very close. Both are outstanding efforts; no two ways about it. Those seeking to broaden their traditionally death metal oriented tastes with an album that features actual singing and home-run melodies without actually leaving the aggression behind may be pleasantly surprised by "Bloodstained Endurance". Besides, TRAIL OF TEARS deserves the attention.


- Scott Alisoglu