Creation’s Tears
Encyclopedia
Creation's Tears is a heavy metal music
band based in the Greater Belfast
region of Northern Ireland
, with some members based in England.
The band's personnel includes former members of established heavy metal acts; Lee Morris
ex Paradise Lost
and guest female vocalist Sarah Jezebel Deva
ex Cradle of Filth
. Creation's Tears frontman Brian Eddie Reynolds was one of the earlier pioneers of the death metal
scene in Northern Ireland fronting the band Apathy whose "Lack of Emotion" EP featured in Downtown Radio
presenter Johnny Hero's NI Chart during the early 1990s in Sunday Life
(the biggest-selling Northern Ireland-only Sunday newspaper).
has classified the band as "Brit Goth", akin to a fusion of Lacuna Coil
and Anathema
. Various music publications have also slotted the band into the gothic metal
genre. Germany's Legacy Magazine hears elements of thrash metal
in the mix. USA's Sea of Tranquility suggests that Methods To End It All
has a progressive metal
feel in parts, occasionally hinting towards Symphony X
, a suggestion echoed by some who draw similarities to Dream Theater
. Other publications allude to doom metal
influences like My Dying Bride
, Opeth
, Katatonia
and Paradise Lost
, while Blistering.com heralds it as being "accessibly morose". The UK's Terrorizer magazine surmises in their Goth Metal supplement, Dominion Mag, that Methods To End It All is "dark rock 'n' roll" and long-standing Kerrang!
scribe Steve Beebee
hails it as "Dark Metal." The recurring theme is that it Creation's Tears are "versatile", "melodic" and "metal."
Band frontman Reynolds has been documented in rock music press as saying that Methods To End It All is definitely not a gothic album. Reynolds has been quoted in several interviews as follows: "I think of Creation's Tears as music for the emotionally disturbed, the suicidal and those who have been oppressed by the female of the species".
, Northern Ireland by Reynolds who quickly recruited former Apathy member Ian Coulter to fill the role of bassist. The name Creation's Tears was the title of an Apathy song from their 1995 album entitled Inertia. Joe Gillespie guitars and Jonny Crozet drums completed the first Creation's Tears line-up. The band played their first live gig
in Belfast on the same bill as Vader
, Krisiun
, Decapitated
and Prejudice. The initial Creation's Tears line-up continued to play only a mere handful of gigs thereafter and failed to produce any recorded material at that time. Owing to the relocation of two band members, the band went on hiatus in 2004/2005 until 2009.
In late 2009, around a dozen songs had been completed by Reynolds but the more pressing issue of finding a suitable drummer within Northern Ireland's small local heavy metal music fraternity was persisting.
Having been a fan of the Paradise Lost
album Draconian Times
, Reynolds decided that the former Paradise Lost drummer Morris who first played with Paradise Lost on Draconian Times would be the obvious choice. Methods To End It All would be the first heavy metal music album to feature Morris since his departure from Paradise Lost in 2004.
In a completely unexpected twist and just days before recording commenced, bassist Coulter announced he would be leaving Creation's Tears to concentrate on his new marriage. Coulter did however play bass on the band's Methods To End It All album.
Reynolds played all guitar parts (lead, rhythm and acoustic) on the Methods To End It All album.
Recording sessions for Methods To End It All commenced in January 2010. Creation's Tears employed three producers for different attributes of the recording. Ex Kill II This
member Mark Mynett recorded the drums with Lee Morris in Huddersfield
, England. Producers Jens Bogren (Opeth
, Katatonia
, Soilwork
, Amon Amarth
) and David Castillo (Inme
, Eluveitie
, Katatonia
) recorded all guitars at the famous Fascination Street Studio in Örebro
, Sweden with vocals and bass recorded at Ghost Ward Studios Stockholm
, Sweden where Katatonia recorded Night Is the New Day
.
Deva ex Cradle Of Filth made a guest appearance on Methods To End It All track Creation's Tears. A different version of the same track (written by Reynolds) appeared on Apathy's Inertia album (1995) but featured Laura Reynolds in the female vocal role. The original version of the song had only one verse (as opposed to two as on Methods To End It All) and also featured a long instrumental outro.
The debut Creation's Tears album Methods To End It All had initially been touted for a Spring 2010 release but following the band's vocalist, Reynolds contracting serious food poisoning during the recording sessions in Stockholm, the release was subsequently postponed. Reynolds would finish a small vocal section at his home studio in Ballymena.
The band chronicled the recording process with a series of DIY "Making of" videos on their YouTube channel.
Methods To End It All was eventually released on 4 October 2010 via Cure For Poison Records and distributed through Code 7 / Plastic Head distribution in UK & the Republic of Ireland.
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band based in the Greater Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
region of Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, with some members based in England.
The band's personnel includes former members of established heavy metal acts; Lee Morris
Lee Morris (musician)
Born in 1970 in Wolverhampton, Lee came from a musical family and started playing the drums at six years of age. He learnt his instrument from his dad and spent many hours during his early years playing along with various records from the family record collection...
ex Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost (band)
Paradise Lost are a heavy metal band that formed in 1988 in Halifax, England.-History:Their first three full-length albums are examples of the death/doom style, although the latter two incorporated some melodic and gothic elements...
and guest female vocalist Sarah Jezebel Deva
Sarah Jezebel Deva
Sarah Jane , better known by her stage name Sarah Jezebel Deva, is a British vocalist. She was the female vocalist in Cradle of Filth for 14 years and also fronts her own band, Angtoria. In 2009, Deva started her self-titled solo project. The debut album A Sign of Sublime was released in February...
ex Cradle of Filth
Cradle of Filth
Cradle of Filth are an English extreme metal band, formed in Suffolk in 1991. The band's musical style evolved from black metal to a cleaner and more "produced" amalgam of gothic metal, symphonic black metal, and other extreme metal styles, while their lyrical themes and imagery are heavily...
. Creation's Tears frontman Brian Eddie Reynolds was one of the earlier pioneers of the death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
scene in Northern Ireland fronting the band Apathy whose "Lack of Emotion" EP featured in Downtown Radio
Downtown Radio
Downtown Radio is an Adult Contemporary music radio station based in Newtownards, County Down, that serves all of Northern Ireland using a network of FM and AM transmitters.- History :...
presenter Johnny Hero's NI Chart during the early 1990s in Sunday Life
Sunday Life
The Sunday Life is a Sunday newspaper in Northern Ireland and has been published since October 23, 1988. It is the sister paper of The Belfast Telegraph and is owned by Independent News & Media....
(the biggest-selling Northern Ireland-only Sunday newspaper).
Genre
There is much debate as to the genre of the band. British author, radio DJ and journalist Malcolm DomeMalcolm Dome
Malcolm Dome has been an English writer and journalist about metal since 1979. In addition to writing books, he has been a journalist for Record Mirror, Kerrang!, Metal Hammer and Classic Rock among others. He also co-runs and DJs on the online radio station TotalRock.-Selected books:*Dome, Malcolm...
has classified the band as "Brit Goth", akin to a fusion of Lacuna Coil
Lacuna Coil
Lacuna Coil is an Italian gothic metal band from Milan. Formed in 1994, the group has had two name changes since being previously known as Sleep of Right and Ethereal and was inspired by the combination of gothic imagery and music...
and Anathema
Anathema (band)
Anathema are an English band from Liverpool primarily known for their ever evolving sound. Beginning as pioneers of the death/doom metal sub-genre, their later albums have been associated with genres such as alternative rock, progressive rock, art rock, new prog, and post-rock.-History:Anathema...
. Various music publications have also slotted the band into the gothic metal
Gothic metal
Gothic metal or goth metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that combines the aggression of doom metal with the dark melancholy of gothic rock. The music of gothic metal is diverse with bands known to adopt the gothic approach to different styles of heavy metal music...
genre. Germany's Legacy Magazine hears elements of thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
in the mix. USA's Sea of Tranquility suggests that Methods To End It All
Methods to End It All
Methods To End It All is the debut album of Heavy Metal Music band Creation’s Tears who are based in the Greater Belfast region of Northern Ireland, with some members based in England...
has a progressive metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
feel in parts, occasionally hinting towards Symphony X
Symphony X
Symphony X is an American progressive metal band from Middletown, New Jersey.Founded in 1994 by guitarist Michael Romeo, their albums The Divine Wings of Tragedy and V: The New Mythology Suite have given the band considerable attention within the progressive metal community...
, a suggestion echoed by some who draw similarities to Dream Theater
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
. Other publications allude to doom metal
Doom metal
Doom metal is an extreme form of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other metal genres...
influences like My Dying Bride
My Dying Bride
My Dying Bride are an English doom metal band formed in 1990. To date, My Dying Bride have released eleven full-length studio albums, three EPs, one demo, one box set, four compilation albums, one live album, and one live CD/DVD release. The band released their tenth studio album, For Lies I Sire,...
, Opeth
Opeth
Opeth is a Swedish heavy metal band from Stockholm, formed in 1990. Though the group has been through several personnel changes, singer, guitarist, and songwriter Mikael Åkerfeldt has remained Opeth's driving force throughout the years...
, Katatonia
Katatonia
Katatonia is a Swedish metal band formed in Stockholm in 1991 by Jonas Renkse and Anders Nyström .-1991-1993:The early Katatonia releases, such as the EP Jhva Elohim Meth.....
and Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost (band)
Paradise Lost are a heavy metal band that formed in 1988 in Halifax, England.-History:Their first three full-length albums are examples of the death/doom style, although the latter two incorporated some melodic and gothic elements...
, while Blistering.com heralds it as being "accessibly morose". The UK's Terrorizer magazine surmises in their Goth Metal supplement, Dominion Mag, that Methods To End It All is "dark rock 'n' roll" and long-standing Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
scribe Steve Beebee
Steve Beebee
Steve Beebee is a journalist, author and broadcaster, best known for his work with Kerrang! magazine. Beebee is one of the magazine's longest serving writers. He is known for championing bands for their genuine entertainment qualities as opposed to their tendency to fit in with present fashions and...
hails it as "Dark Metal." The recurring theme is that it Creation's Tears are "versatile", "melodic" and "metal."
Band frontman Reynolds has been documented in rock music press as saying that Methods To End It All is definitely not a gothic album. Reynolds has been quoted in several interviews as follows: "I think of Creation's Tears as music for the emotionally disturbed, the suicidal and those who have been oppressed by the female of the species".
Formation and early career (2002–2005)
Creation's Tears initially formed in the summer of 2002 in BallymenaBallymena
Ballymena is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and the seat of Ballymena Borough Council. Ballymena had a population of 28,717 people in the 2001 Census....
, Northern Ireland by Reynolds who quickly recruited former Apathy member Ian Coulter to fill the role of bassist. The name Creation's Tears was the title of an Apathy song from their 1995 album entitled Inertia. Joe Gillespie guitars and Jonny Crozet drums completed the first Creation's Tears line-up. The band played their first live gig
Gig
Gig or GIG may refer to:* Gig , live performance by a musician or other performer** Temporary work, by extension* Gig , 1993* Gig , 1992...
in Belfast on the same bill as Vader
Vader (band)
Vader is a Polish death metal band from Olsztyn, formed in 1983. According to Piotr Wiwczarek, the band's founding singer and guitar player, the band's name was inspired by Darth Vader from the Star Wars film series. Lyrical themes include stories by H. P. Lovecraft, WW2, horror and anti-christian...
, Krisiun
Krisiun
Krisiun is a Brazilian death metal band, founded by Alex Camargo , Moyses Kolesne , and Max Kolesne . Since its formation, in 1990, the group recorded two demos, Evil Age in 1991, and Curse of the Evil One in 1992, and self-released an extended play titled Unmerciful Order in 1993...
, Decapitated
Decapitated (band)
Decapitated is a death metal band that formed in Krosno, Poland in 1996. The group comprises guitarist, founder and composer Wacław "Vogg" Kiełtyka, vocalist Rafał Piotrowski and Austrian drummer Kerim "Krimh" Lechner. Decapitated have gained recognition as one of the genre's most widely respected...
and Prejudice. The initial Creation's Tears line-up continued to play only a mere handful of gigs thereafter and failed to produce any recorded material at that time. Owing to the relocation of two band members, the band went on hiatus in 2004/2005 until 2009.
Reformation (2009 - present)
Methods To End It All era
In early 2009, Creation's Tears frontman, Reynolds began to pen new material for what would become the Methods To End It All album.In late 2009, around a dozen songs had been completed by Reynolds but the more pressing issue of finding a suitable drummer within Northern Ireland's small local heavy metal music fraternity was persisting.
Having been a fan of the Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost (band)
Paradise Lost are a heavy metal band that formed in 1988 in Halifax, England.-History:Their first three full-length albums are examples of the death/doom style, although the latter two incorporated some melodic and gothic elements...
album Draconian Times
Draconian Times
Draconian Times is the fifth album released by British metal act Paradise Lost.Two tracks from the album, "The Last Time" and "Forever Failure," were released as singles...
, Reynolds decided that the former Paradise Lost drummer Morris who first played with Paradise Lost on Draconian Times would be the obvious choice. Methods To End It All would be the first heavy metal music album to feature Morris since his departure from Paradise Lost in 2004.
In a completely unexpected twist and just days before recording commenced, bassist Coulter announced he would be leaving Creation's Tears to concentrate on his new marriage. Coulter did however play bass on the band's Methods To End It All album.
Reynolds played all guitar parts (lead, rhythm and acoustic) on the Methods To End It All album.
Recording sessions for Methods To End It All commenced in January 2010. Creation's Tears employed three producers for different attributes of the recording. Ex Kill II This
Kill II This
Kill II This were a metal band from Manchester, England.Kill II This achieved some minor cult popularity during their existence. The band emerged from the ashes of China Beach, who split up in late 1994 after one EP and one album at the end of a tour with German Band Running Wild...
member Mark Mynett recorded the drums with Lee Morris in Huddersfield
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
, England. Producers Jens Bogren (Opeth
Opeth
Opeth is a Swedish heavy metal band from Stockholm, formed in 1990. Though the group has been through several personnel changes, singer, guitarist, and songwriter Mikael Åkerfeldt has remained Opeth's driving force throughout the years...
, Katatonia
Katatonia
Katatonia is a Swedish metal band formed in Stockholm in 1991 by Jonas Renkse and Anders Nyström .-1991-1993:The early Katatonia releases, such as the EP Jhva Elohim Meth.....
, Soilwork
Soilwork
Soilwork is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Helsingborg. They are currently signed to Nuclear Blast. Formed in late 1995 by Björn Strid and Peter Wichers, originally under the name Inferior Breed, the band changed their name in late 1996 to Soilwork .Their sound is a fusion of the classic...
, Amon Amarth
Amon Amarth
Amon Amarth is a Swedish viking metal band from Tumba, Sweden founded in 1992, and takes its name from the Sindarin translation of Mount Doom, a location in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. The band comprises vocalist Johan Hegg, guitarists Olavi Mikkonen and Johan Söderberg, bassist Ted Lundström...
) and David Castillo (Inme
InMe
InMe are an English alternative metal band from Brentwood, Essex, who were formed in 1996. To date they have released four studio albums – Overgrown Eden ; White Butterfly ; Daydream Anonymous and Herald Moth and a greatest hits compilation album, Phoenix: The Very Best of InMe...
, Eluveitie
Eluveitie
Eluveitie is a folk metal band from Winterthur, Switzerland. The band formed in 2002 and their first EP, Vên came out in 2003. The band then released a full-length album, Spirit in June 2006. In November 2007, Eluveitie was signed by Nuclear Blast....
, Katatonia
Katatonia
Katatonia is a Swedish metal band formed in Stockholm in 1991 by Jonas Renkse and Anders Nyström .-1991-1993:The early Katatonia releases, such as the EP Jhva Elohim Meth.....
) recorded all guitars at the famous Fascination Street Studio in Örebro
Örebro
-Sites of interest:Örebro's old town Wadköping is located on the banks of Svartån . It contains many 18th and 19th century wooden houses, along with museums and exhibitions....
, Sweden with vocals and bass recorded at Ghost Ward Studios Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden where Katatonia recorded Night Is the New Day
Night Is the New Day
-Chart performance:-Personnel:*Jonas Renkse – vocals, lyrics, production*Anders Nyström – lead guitar, production*Fredrik Norrman – rhythm guitar*Mattias Norrman – bass guitar*Daniel Liljekvist – drumsAdditional Personnel...
.
Deva ex Cradle Of Filth made a guest appearance on Methods To End It All track Creation's Tears. A different version of the same track (written by Reynolds) appeared on Apathy's Inertia album (1995) but featured Laura Reynolds in the female vocal role. The original version of the song had only one verse (as opposed to two as on Methods To End It All) and also featured a long instrumental outro.
The debut Creation's Tears album Methods To End It All had initially been touted for a Spring 2010 release but following the band's vocalist, Reynolds contracting serious food poisoning during the recording sessions in Stockholm, the release was subsequently postponed. Reynolds would finish a small vocal section at his home studio in Ballymena.
The band chronicled the recording process with a series of DIY "Making of" videos on their YouTube channel.
Methods To End It All was eventually released on 4 October 2010 via Cure For Poison Records and distributed through Code 7 / Plastic Head distribution in UK & the Republic of Ireland.
Current members
- Brian Eddie Reynolds - Vocals, Guitars
- Lee MorrisLee Morris (musician)Born in 1970 in Wolverhampton, Lee came from a musical family and started playing the drums at six years of age. He learnt his instrument from his dad and spent many hours during his early years playing along with various records from the family record collection...
- Drums (session) - Ian Coulter - Bass (session)
Methods To End It All
- Brian Eddie Reynolds - Vocals, Guitars
- Ian Coulter - Bass
- Lee Morris - Drums (Methods To End It All album)
- Sarah Jezebel Deva - Guest Vocals (track: "Creation's Tears")
Former members
- Joe Gillespie - Guitars (2002–2005)
- Jonny Crozet - Drums (2002–2004)
- Ian Coulter - Bass (2002–2005, 2009–2010)
- Conor Mullan - Live Drums (2011)
- Steve Emerson - Live Guitars (2011)