LACRIMORTA - One Flesh, One End
Written by Vero Kitsuné
As a follow up to her critically-acclaimed self-titled record, Guam-based American multi-instrumentalist and producer LACRIMORTA (formerly known as Virtual Intelligence) gives us the dark, jeweled, multi-faceted and downright phenomenal gothic LP, One Flesh, One End.
The record starts off with a very bold declaration in the track “Reverend Daughter” — “I deserve to die at your hand… You’re my only friend.” This song plunges deep into the gothic romance and visual kei aesthetic, marrying melodramatic lyrics with a sound that’s both lush and unrelenting. Musically, it evokes a cinematic sense of doom—layers of distorted guitar riffs swirl with eerie crystalline synths. Lacrimorta’s vocals - her most polished and most emotive yet - oscillate between anguished cries and whispered intimacy, amplifying the emotional volatility. Lyrically, it’s a dark love letter from something not quite human—an undead creation and stitched together from sorrow and rage. The overall vibe is tragic and theatrical, equal parts beautiful and grotesque, as if the song itself were a cursed waltz in a crumbling, candlelit cathedral.
“Alectopause (Suffer and Learn)” enters and is perhaps the most unique track in the record. This song blends the romantic melancholy of visual kei with the lush textures of ambient and trance, creating a dreamlike, otherworldly atmosphere. The lush vocal harmonies drift like ghosts through shimmering synths and elegant guitar flourishes, while the pulsating beat gives the track a strangely danceable energy beneath its funereal tone. The lyrics conjure a love that transcends death, distance, and identity—a union haunted by longing and spiritual entrapment. It's both ethereal and intense.
This track careens off the gothic rails and dives headfirst into absurdist electro-metal mayhem entitled “Soup,” delivering a blistering ode to soup-making with the intensity of a divine crusade. Double kicks thunder beneath tantric guitar licks while the vocals swing between sacred incantation and unhinged kitchen meltdown. It’s like a cooking show hosted by a warlock in a mech suit—equal parts chaos, culinary disaster, and cosmic prophecy. The lyrics are deadpan hilarious, turning the humble act of making broth into a mythic saga of bone-stirring, saint-exploding devotion. It shouldn’t work—but it absolutely slaps, and somehow leaves you craving both enlightenment and a bowl of stew. In short: It is absolutely GENIUS!
“Beautiful Labyrinth” drifts through a vast, cosmic dreamscape—where trance-like synths and techno pulses meet the emotional drama of gothic romance. The sound is expansive and celestial, layering airy melodies with deep, driving rhythms that feel like love songs whispered across collapsing stars. Lyrically, it’s a mythic tragedy: divine power, planetary destruction, and the unbearable weight of eternal love. Even as the universe burns and gods fall, a single voice pleads, “Nona don’t go”—a moment of surreal tenderness that hits like starlight through smoke.
“Sweet Sister Lyctor (The First Flower of My House)” hits like a sermon at a nightclub built inside a tomb—ritualistic, feral, and irresistibly danceable. It layers pulsing darkwave tones with trance textures, while the beautiful vocals shift between cold command and raw desperation. The lyrics blur the line between sacred vow and violent intimacy, invoking soul consumption, flesh, and ancient oaths with theatrical conviction. It’s not just a song—it’s a cursed liturgy set to a beat, daring you to move while the world ends around you.
“Prayer to the Locked Tomb” dramatically unfolds like a sacred incantation wrapped in velvet and steel—gothic visual kei at its most meditative and martial. Tantric arpeggiated guitars shimmer with stunning precision over heavy, ritualistic drums, while spectral vocals chant prayers to a silent, undying empire. The repetition of liturgical phrases builds a hypnotic tension, evoking both religious devotion and quiet dread. It feels less like a song and more like a holy rite whispered in the dark—solemn, beautiful, and utterly unrelenting.
“Psycho Shadow Vestal” pulses with a euphoric urgency—trance rhythms and Europop vibrance driving an emotional undercurrent of loss, identity, and cosmic yearning. Delicate piano lines float above the beat, offering moments of fragile beauty between soaring synths and heartfelt vocal harmonies. It’s both dancefloor catharsis and melancholic revelation—a glittering, haunted journey through light, shadow, and the type of self-discovery found in the neon-lit, smokey halls of underground clubs,
The record ends with an instrumental EDM and trance banger “Blood of Eden” that takes audiences deep into the euphoric underground, reminiscent of movies like The Matrix. Pulsating synths and expansive soundscapes create a decadent atmosphere where futuristic textures collide with hypnotic rhythms, propelling listeners into a transcendent state. The track’s relentless energy and cascading layers evoke a digital odyssey, perfectly capturing the tension between technology and humanity. It’s a powerful finale that leaves you both exhilarated and suspended in a cosmic dance beyond time and space.
Lacrimorta’s One Flesh, One End is a true revelation—not only showcasing the artist’s full musical prowess but also delivering a profoundly immersive journey through the many facets of dark gothic romance. From the shadowy depths of necromantic rites and blood-soaked devotion to expansive, trance-like realms where ethereal souls drift beyond time and space, the record masterfully balances brutality with beauty. It fuses cinematic intensity, lush ambient textures, and dancefloor synergy, seamlessly weaving haunting vocals, tantric guitars, and pulsating beats into a rich tapestry of sound. Whether conjuring apocalyptic passion, sacred rituals, or cosmic longing, Lacrimorta invites listeners to surrender to a world where love and darkness are forever intertwined—an evocative odyssey that lingers long after the last note fades.
One Flesh, One End is a triumphant long play that has fixed itself as one of the top records - if not THE BEST - of the year.
For more Lacrimorta, visit: https://lacrimorta.bandcamp.com/
