▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Black Tears ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Child of the Storm █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 1988 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2018-02-26 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Heavy Metal ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: Steamhammer ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Bootleg Reissue ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ It would be reasonable to assume Black Tears' █ █ debut album Child of the Storm is unburdened by █ █ sophistication and societal norms. It looks like █ █ the type of album that says "I don't care what you █ █ think: we're going to play metal however we like." █ █ And you'd be right. They like to play metal slowly █ █ and lifelessly, without caring what anyone thinks. █ █ While this may seem to contradict what I just █ █ said, Black Tears' primary inspiration seems to be █ █ Motorhead. But please note: Black Tears is, at █ █ best, an ill-advised mimicry of On Parole. Even █ █ impersonating Motorhead's tamest album requires a █ █ lot more passion and effort than what was put into █ █ this anemic drudgery. The surly, working-man's █ █ vocals supplied by Mathias Staub are a good start, █ █ but this gruffness clashes hideously with an █ █ insistence to keep everything at such a safe, █ █ deliberate tempo. I've heard faster sounds come █ █ from continental drift. █ █ Bjorn Greinert is the primary culprit for such █ █ tedium, as his efforts behind the kit were █ █ outmatched by the impatient drumming of my █ █ fingers. Breakdowns - or should I say the █ █ breakdown - is a rare occurrence, as cymbal █ █ splashes are usually deemed sufficient. The first █ █ four tracks feature some extremely similar variant █ █ on a "Boo Bah, Boo-boo bah" beat, which may have a █ █ more dignified name, but I refuse to look it up █ █ and therefore go to more effort than Greinert. █ █ Therefore, besides 'Crown of the Damned' sounding █ █ a bit like Brocas Helm on a bad day, anything even █ █ somewhat noteworthy is located on Side B. Here, █ █ bassist and acoustic guitarist Uwe Kohler is given █ █ some time to shine with energetic, galloping riffs █ █ akin to Blaze Bayley-era Iron Maiden in 'Only █ █ Memories'. This is actually a compliment, since █ █ we're grading on a curve here. More enjoyable █ █ still is 'Dialog Between the Evil and the Good' █ █ breaking into double-time with shredding guitar █ █ solos at the helm. Riffs by Peter Kohler were █ █ engaging and finally made perfect sense alongside █ █ Staub's gravelly, unreserved style. █ █ But alas, a couple of decent tracks cannot save an █ █ album. There really is nothing worse than █ █ time-wasting blandness that doesn't even have the █ █ common courtesy to be categorically bad. Child of █ █ the Storm is a cardboard box, as utilitarian as it █ █ is vapid, as difficult to criticize as it is █ █ difficult to compliment. And by 1985, there really █ █ was no excuse for such a mealy-mouthed metal album █ █ to unceremoniously sputter out of German borders. █ █ Alright, on second thought, it's pretty easy to █ █ criticize. █ █ █ █ Originally released on vinyl in 1984. █ █ This an unofficial CD reissue from 1988. █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ 1. Black Tears 4:24 ░ ░ 2. Crown of the Damned 5:04 ░ ░ 3. Perfect Demon 3:43 ░ ░ 4. Silver Woman 3:47 ░ ░ 5. Child of the Storm 3:51 ░ ░ 6. Rockin' to the Top 3:24 ░ ░ 7. Dialog Between the Evil and the Good 3:14 ░ ░ 8. Only Memories 5:39 ░ ░ 33:06 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░