Las Cruces return after an absence of over a decade and what a comeback it is! The kings of San Antonio, Texas’s long-awaited follow-up to 2010’s Dusk will land in our universe on June 3rd via the mighty Ripple Music. For the uninitiated, Las Cruces was formed in 1994 by guitarist George Trevino and is an absolute doom powerhouse. Their 1998 album Ringmaster is widely considered to be their masterpiece. This could all change with Cosmic Tears, a concept album about space horrors, Egyptian lore, and mysteries of the occult. Sadly, their drummer Paul De Leon passed away in January 2021. This album will serve as a testament of his skills and gifts on the drums in this uber talented band of musicians. There’s something to be said about bands that still make doom metal in the 21st century but who got started in the ‘90s—they have a very distinct sonic palette than bands from, say, the last decade or so. I really dig the melodic brand of doom and uniqueness of Las Cruces' sound.
If I were to sum up Cosmic Tears in one short sentence, it’d
be: a modern-day doom classic. The opening number, “Altar of the Seven Sorrows”,
is a doomy and sludgy instrumental to whet the listener’s appetite. The title
cut, “Cosmic Tears”, is like a smoldering fire with spellbinding vocals
channeling Candlemass at times. “Stay” has to be the highlight of the album: an
instant classic. The perfect doom metal song. If you still had any doubts about
how phenomenal this album is, "Wizard from the North”, also the first
single of the record, will undoubtedly convince you with its evil, addictive
riff reminiscent of Dio-era Sabbath. “Reverend Trask” is an ominous gem of a
song. “Egyptian Winter” continues the story with a scorching guitar solo. “Holy
Hell” fires on all cylinders, with tolling bells and all. “Terminal Drift” is a
slow, bass-driven instrumental. The aptly-titled “Relentless” has unstoppable riffage
and frenzied rhythms. Track number 10, “The Wraith”, is heavy as hell and an impeccable
closer for this cosmic journey.
In the late ‘80s/early ‘90s when
I was a teenager, I used to go to bed way past my bedtime on school nights and
stay up to watch the Arsenio Hall Show. I’ll always remember in the summer of
1991 when Arnold Schwarzenegger was a guest to promote his new movie, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, he kept
telling Arsenio and the audience that it was gonna be “the biggest movie of the
summer!” He went on and on, hypnotizing the crowd, repeating over and over that
it was the biggest movie of the summer. And you know what? He was absolutely
right. T2 destroyed the competition
at the box-office all summer long and it went on to become a modern-day classic
sci-fi/action movie. I predict the same fate for Las Cruces’ Cosmic Tears: it will be the biggest album
of the summer! If you want earth-shattering riffs, conceptual lyrics, soaring
vocals, and a band that sounds just as tight as they did 20 years ago, then head
over to Ripple’s Bandcamp and pre-order your copy today so you can join the
celebration.
Las Cruces’ Bandcamp page:
https://lascruces.bandcamp.com/releases
Ripple Music’s Bandcamp page for Las Cruces: https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/cosmic-tears
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