The most instrumentally dense, musically accomplished release from
Lake of Tears,
Forever Autumn is probably the group's finest accomplishment. With its metal-cum-folk dramatics and melancholy harmonicas,
Lake of Tears draws what must be an unintended comparison to American alt-rock prankster outfit
Ween. It's very doubtful that members of either band even heard of -- much less listened to -- the other, but
Forever Autumn's high-contrast folk/prog/metal (especially the sedate and conversational vocals on tracks like "The Homecoming") bears an eerie comparison to many a
Ween classic. All random musical associations aside, the dense, well-arranged "So Fell Autumn Rain," "Hold on Tight," and "To Blossom Blue" stand out as career bests for
Lake of Tears. Listening to
Lake of Tears' mid-'90s work, it would have been hard to guess that the group could assemble a recording this realized and well-performed by the end of the decade. That said,
Forever Autumn is very far from being a superior rock or metal recording. It is simply a fine effort from a lesser '90s Euro-metal band. ~ Vincent Jeffries