Flowing Tears
„Jade“
Dark/Gothic-Rock

• Black Vinyl, 2021 (2000)
• Reissue
• Transcending Records
• TR098V
• new

Flowing Tears was a German gothic rock/metal band that existed in various lineups from 1994 to 2008. I will focus on the period from 1997 to 2008. In my opinion, the two frontwomen, Stefanie Duchêne (1997–2002) and Helen Vogt (2003–2008), with their warm and dark voices, were the faces of the band.

 "Jade" was the band's third album and their second with Stefanie Duchêne. Since affordable used CDs aren't easy to find, I was all the more delighted when Transcending Records reissued "Jade" on 180g vinyl in 2021.

Flowing Tears were neither innovative nor a new form of gothic rock/metal. Of course, music doesn't have to be innovative to be good. What made the difference for me was Stefanie's darker voice. Not a sweet, bright voice like Liv Kristine's (Theatre Of Tragedy). And that's precisely what immediately captivated me. She gives gothic a completely different tone. Liv Kristine and Theatre Of Tragedy did that too, just in their own unique way.

I would not classify "Jade" as Gothic metal – unlike the later album "Thy Kingdom Gone". It's more of a quiet dark/gothic rock album, driven by Stefanie's vocals. In contrast to other, considerably more kitschy gothic bands (which I also enjoy), Flowing Tears and Stefanie presented everything with a more mature feel. In 2000, she was only 20. There's no pervasive depression here; hope and light shine through again and again. That's what I mean by mature gothic, as opposed to teenybopper heartbreak gothic, which, of course, has its place.

The short, rocking song "Godless" thrives on Stefanie's versatile vocals. Fragile at the beginning, stronger as it progresses. A simple rhythm, so what? The song is good. However, "Sistersun" tops that. For me, it's about growing older and preparing for one's own death. Clichéd? Yes. Well-performed? Yes. “Swallow”, on the other hand, is an earworm that doesn’t work for me at all. Too much repetition. For me, the weakest track. However, it's not a song to skip. The sad song "Lovesong For A Dead Child" deals with the end of a relationship, but it also leaves room for hope. "Under The Red" makes my heart beat faster. Alternating between rocking and quiet passages. Superbly sung. For me, it's the heart of this album. No broad keyboard passages typical of some gothic bands. On this album, they support the guitars, and I really like that.

“Turpentine” is a short instrumental “nightcap” before “The One I Drowned” begins. Even though the lyrics are quite repetitive, it's Stefanie's vocal delivery that wins me over. The band is good, no doubt. But I think the album wouldn't work as well without Stefanie. For me, she's what sets them apart from many other gothic bands. "Vanity" features male spoken word, accompanied by piano/keyboard. A good break, though also very dark: "Does it really take dying children, to see what makes the world go round?" I have to especially highlight "Radio Heroine", a song full of longing that begins gently and builds to a furious finale. My criticism? It's too short. "Coma Garden" is very subdued and, for me, also too short. "Jade" begins quietly but ends with a wall of rock guitars. "White Horses": Again, male spoken word, short lyrics, and the rest is rock instrumental.

Conclusion

It's a shame Flowing Tears is no more. Stefanie Duchêne's voice left its mark on more than just "Jade." There's very little downtime, even though the songs are simply structured. For me, gothic music is all about the atmosphere it conveys, and Flowing Tears achieves that impressively. Especially because of Stefanie's voice.

Bass – Frederic Lesny
Drums – Eric Hilt
Guitar – Benjamin Buss, Manfred Bersin
Keyboards – Mike Volz
Mastered By – Siggi Bemm
Mixed By – Waldemar Sorychta
Music By, Lyrics By – Flowing Tears
Producer – Waldemar Sorychta
Vocals – Stefanie Duchêne

The photos are all from my LP. The rights to all designs, logos, texts and fonts that can be seen in the photos are of course owned by the copyright holder.

TheProgThief
©31.August.2026
Mk 3