Ronny definitely has an ear for the female vocal. Fer Christ sake, even Helena Iren Michaelsen got her start with the band and proudly points to that fact on her own material. On this release, that vocal is provided by Catherine Paulsen, a former vocalist with the band who replaces the French singer Emmanuelle Zoldan who performed on the release Existentia. I wouldn’t say there is a drop off but I truly loved the occasional forays into the operatic provided by Zoldan, especially on Poisonous Tongues. Paulsen occasionally approaches the operatic but her vocals are less thunderous than those of Zoldan, although she can kick up the noise level when the pace quickens as well as anyone.

Trail of Tears originated, as mentioned earlier, as one of the original Scandinavian Gothic sounds. That sound was given life by bands like Sins of Thy Beloved and the original Morton Veland band Tristania. The sound features a solid death metal vocal, provided by Thorsen, positioned against the featured female vocalist of the moment. However, this latest release is a bit heavier on the female vocals and somewhat lighter on the harsh death metal sound. It also travels in some other relatively new directions for the band. There is a bit more use of choirs, for instance, on the first cut, The Feverish Alliance. Additionally, there is the use of some additional featured instruments throughout the CD, for instance, the violin solo heard on the self-titled track. All in all, this is a somewhat softer version of Trail of Tears, assuming you are comfortable with the term softer being a relative term. And much of that softer is the vocals of Paulsen whose warm and intelligent sound is the driving force behind much of the music. That is, when she’s not taking it downtown with a screaming vocal from hell.

Another reason for the somewhat new sound found on this production is the inclusion of a largely new set of performers. Guitarist Pal Olsen and bass player Endre Moe come from a somewhat more trash metal background and the tempo shows, they provide a somewhat more aggressive direction with a more complex interaction to the overall sound. Cato Jensen is the stick man and provides a varied approach to the percussion with a style that reflects his somewhat eclectic musical background. This more stylized and up-tempo sound drives the music on most titles with a series of strong guitar riffs over a typically strong arrangement and vocals.

Lyrically, it can be argued that the aggressive, no holds bared sound is a reflection on the disaster of 2oo6 in Mexico where most of the band left leaving Ronny high and dry. Clearly, that experience has left its scars and Ronny has taken this opportunity to air his thoughts and address his demons. Many of those bone-jarring, subtlety melodic riffs found in the music can be found accompanying equally harsh lyrics in titles like In The Valley of Ashes and Take Aim. Reclaim. Prevail. The former begins with a strong symphonic melody that leads to the Paulsen vocal, over a choral background. Thorsen adds the death metal component over a driving metal, the trademark of the Trail of Tears motif. Those lyrics take an even darker direction in Take Aim as Ronny growls:

Paulsen attacks the chorus with unbridled viciousness singing

A Storm at Will is the album’s ballad and it’s almost Nightwish like. Paulsen may not be Tarja but her vocal style is delightful here, as are the lush symphonic backgrounds and the overlaid choral sounds. I haven’t heard this previously on Trail of Tears, it’s something of a new direction, but the production, the song writing, and the strong vocals of Paulsen make this a classic. Lyrically the song mirrors the Nightwish ethereal message in spirit as well as musically. Paulsen sings

It’s not that Trail of Tears haven’t done ballads before, they have. But this one is different, a softer style, a more lush carpet upon which to ride. And a nice break between the more driving music that makes up the rest of the CD.

The CD uses a variety of musical styles and often intertwines them within a single title. One of the best is Farewell to Sanity, which begins as a trance like dirge that evolves into a metal direction complete with both vocal styles played off against one another. The instruments are also given opportunity to shine individually. Both lead guitarists, Bjorn Erik Naess and Olsen take turns flashing their individual styles against the percussion background. Again, the message is harsh.

Trail of Tears is not lightweight, happy music. It is hard, driven metal, with all the sound and fury we expect from the Norwegian Gothic environment . . . even if there is a heavy dose of the lovely female vocal. You get this kick from the beginning, and it carries through. Once Kissed by the Serpent introduces the full devastation of this direction early in the CD. There is a bit more of the symphonic here, and a bit more of the female vocal. But that vocal howls, it rips at the soul, it screams for recognition, it overpowers the death vocals of Ronny no matter how hard he tries.

The direction softens with the self-titled Bloodstained Endurance; here we explore the violin as a device to drive the vocal into a more ethereal realm. But Paulsen never looses her grip on our soul, she churns and twists, leaving us gasping for air. Ronny keeps up the pressure, it is darkness at it’s most intense; the guitars hold the line as the drums pound. This is Trail of Tears, this is Norwegian Gothic at its finest.

Ronny Thorsen has delivered a masterpiece here. This is where the Gothic sound began, and Thorsen has returned us to its roots. The message is darkness, the death vocals are from beyond the grave, and the Paulsen vocals are as good as any from the North in a generation. If you value this form of music, this is as good as it gets.