A Tear Beyond |Afterthought |Independent

Release Date April 18^th, 2025
Format CD/Digital
Genre Gothic Metal
Country Italy

A Tear Beyond formed in Vicenza back in 2008, bringing together six musicians from various backgrounds to create a sound that merges reality with imagination. Their journey began with the debut "Beyond" in 2012, followed by "Maze Of Antipodes" in 2015 and "Humanitales" in 2018. Over the years, they have built a reputation for theatrical live shows, sharing stages with heavyweights like Nightwish, Moonspell, and Septic Flesh. This collective treats their band as a mix of visual art and sonic power, using masks and costumes to represent the balance between elements like fire, wind, and madness. With their latest release, "Afterthought", they conclude a conceptual narrative known as the Forgiveness Saga.

A Tear Beyond is a traveling circus of the macabre coming straight out of Vicenza. With "Afterthought", these Italians continue their obsession with masks and melodrama, blending gothic metal with a heavy dose of industrial noise. If you dig the dark vibes of Moonspell or the electronic pulse of Lord Of The Lost, this stuff hits the right nerves. They aren't interested in playing it safe. They want to drag you into their weird, theatrical world where reality blurs with fantasy and the music serves as the soundtrack to a twisted play.

The sound on this disc is massive. You get crunchy guitars from Ian Vespro and Undesc Grotesque locking horns with Phil's keyboards and orchestral arrangements. It’s a collision of organic instruments and cold, mechanical loops. The rhythm section, with Cance on bass and Skano on drums, keeps the whole machine moving forward without stalling. It’s heavy, catchy, and filled with layers that reveal themselves after a few spins. The electronics drive the songs, giving them a modern edge that keeps the gothic elements from sounding dusty.

Lyrically, this is deep stuff. We are looking at the conclusion of "The Forgiveness Saga," a concept that dives into the mess of human relationships, fear, love, hate, and the struggle to forgive. Tracks like "Deliverance" and "Unravel" pack an emotional punch that matches the heaviness of the riffs. Claude Arcano delivers a vocal performance that captures all that drama, shifting between aggression and melody. The addition of Sara Yuna Gramola’s vocals on a few tracks adds a nice contrast, making the heavier moments hit harder.

This release proves that A Tear Beyond deserves the attention they get. They have shared stages with giants like Nightwish and Septic Flesh, and you can hear that big-stage energy here. "Afterthought" is a cohesive journey through the dark corners of the human mind. It demands your attention. It’s not background music for doing your taxes; it’s music for staring into the abyss and waiting for it to blink.

Score: 7.8

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