Symphonic / Gothic metal band Trail of Tears was originally formed in 1997 and during the initial period of their existence went through several line-up changes; they were kept together through the perseverance of growling vocalist Ronny Thorsen. After releasing their seventh full-length album, Oscillation in 2013, the band went on an indefinite hiatus. Returning in 2020 with changes in, and returns to the ranks of Trail of Tears – who have now signed to Greek label The Circle Music - they are about to release their first music in over a decade on the EP Winds of Disdain. In reforming the band, Thorsen has recruited Ailyn Gimenez (ex-Sirenia) on vocals alongside original guitarist Runar Hansen (returning to the band for the first time since 2006), long-time bassist Endre Moe and new guitarist Nicolay Jørni Johnsen. Thorsen comments, “After an extremely challenging period with the pandemic and various setbacks, we are finally ready to share the results of our work since first announcing our return back in 2020.”
The four track EP opens with the title track - Winds of Disdain. Oscillating synths draw in the listener and within moments, rapid, jagged and gritty guitars attack alongside rumbling and staccato bass lines. Thorsen’s recognisable growling vocals begin the narrative of battling with one’s own psyche, where the distinction between reality and nightmare blurs. Tonight it pours / The pale black needle poised to scar / I surrender to the shadows cold / Just another slip and I’ll be gone. Gimenez takes up the vocals for the first chorus. Woven so tight / Winds of disdain / Turned into echoes / While doors are slamming shut / Breaking the bridge / Foul-tongued beast / A cruel mind acting on resentment. Emphasising our feelings of self-doubt or struggles in the face of criticism, the chorus might encapsulate the emotions that came with the loss of opportunity during the band’s hiatus. With a soaring and twistedly guitar solo, gothic chants, symphonic flourishes, dramatic vocals and a wonderfully atmospheric closing section, Winds of Disdain sees Trail of Tears include everything that makes them such an interesting band. A solid opening indeed.
As if to immediately signify the variety of which they are capable, second track Take These Tears opens with gorgeously melodic acoustic guitars and it appears that a much quieter track is about to follow. This sense of false tranquillity is shattered thirty-seconds in with intense, energetic drumming but strangely also a slightly unrefined keyboard motif. It is one of the few missteps on an otherwise solid EP. Choral in nature, the lyrics of the opening verse drift distantly - perhaps too much so - in the background, a technique which is repeated whenever these lyrics reappear. Through the fall, I saw a bliss / I saw the light between the mist / Even when my guts don’t dare / I wish I left the time decide. Continuing the introspective nature of the EP, Take These Tears explores sorrow, reflection and the desire for healing and the potential rejuvenating qualities of tears. During the some of the choruses, Gimenez’s and Thorsen’s vocals interweave with a delicate balance of fervour and tenderness. We hang our heads and close our eyes / Take these tears and nurse us back to life / Where’s the blood, where’s the life / What’s the reason for the strife / We need to heal out tired hearts. A short but heavier central section finds the hammering sounds of blacksmith intermingling with Thorsen’s pained cries of Do it, do it, do it. Another captivating guitar solo takes flight after the final chorus and while this is well structured within itself, just as it seems the solo is leading us onwards, the track ends unexpectedly.
Rain falls and thunder crashes distantly as No Colours Left begins moody and ominous with softly picked guitars until the prevailing ambiance is, once again, interrupted. Slower in tempo and more sinister in character, No Colours Left draws on slightly different areas of the band’s sonic palate including some of the best use of their symphonic embellishments. However, as the most gothic influenced track on the EP, heavy, chugging riffs dominate sections of the song and Thorsen is at his most guttural and imposing. Numbness sets in / It’s been forever and a day / Since I last saw these colours / Now there is nothing but a blackened haze. Dealing with the feelings of profound loss symbolised by the lack of colour in life, the protagonist describes ongoing despair but also the determination to not lose hope or give up on the chance of renewal. Gimenez gives a truly beautiful performance throughout but particularly on the final verse of defiance. The days used to be dull / Think it better / I can’t retrieve the time, the time / I found the way to fight / Through the haze / Letting my demons die.
Closing the EP with Blood Red Halo, Trail of Tears increase the tempo once again beginning with a whirlwind of blazing riffs and meteoric drumming leading to a frenetic but charismatic urgency during the initial part of the track and the first chorus. Blood Red Halo / Came as a promise / Breaking threads of sadness through the cloudy night / Allow the sun with healing gold / To nurse away the cruel world / Taking away my shattered soul. Thorsen’s voice has gained more depth and despair over the intervening years and the disconcertingly beautiful interplay between him and Gimenez’s soprano is – understandably - one of the strengths of the EP. Adding more to the EP’s themes of redemptive journeys, resilience and the promise of healing, the lyrics of Blood Red Halo ask for advice and illumination. In dire need of guidance / In dire need of light / The bleakness shows no mercy / The bleakness claims its price. During a glorious and majestic central section, the instruments peel back and Gimenez is left to reach for the heavens with exquisite vulnerability. My weary spirit seeks solace / Fading stars, silent sky / The last breeze / Flashing in colours, honest and solemn. With Blood Red Halo, Trail of Tears have saved the best song on the EP for last and it leaves the listener wanting more.
Winds of Disdain serves as a dependable comeback for Trail of Tears and the band’s new line-up approach each track with the vigour of a band who are keen to maintain their identity but also to pave the way for their next step and a full-length album in the future. Fans of the band will be extremely pleased with what Winds of Disdain has to offer and for those yet to listen, this could serve as the perfect introduction. Welcome back….
Winds of Disdain is released on 24th May 2024
Trail of Tears online