Flowing Tears

2025-09-02T11:32:10Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{short description|German gothic metal band}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Flowing Tears
| image = Flowing Tears live 2004-07-04 (10).jpg
| image_upright = 1.25
| caption = Flowing Tears performing live in 2004. From left to right: [[Benjamin Buss]], Helen Vogt, Stefan Gemballa, Frédéric Lesny.
| alias = Flowing Tears & Withered Flowers
| origin = [[Wadgassen]], Germany
| years_active = 1994–2014
| genre = [[Gothic metal]]
| label = {{hlist|Seven Art|[[Century Media Records|Century Media]]|[[Ascendance Records|Ascendance]]}}
| current_members = Helen Vogt [[Benjamin Buss]] [[David Vogt (musician)|David Vogt]] Stefan Gemballa
| past_members = Manfred Bersin Cristian Zimmer Stefanie Duchêne Eric Hilt Mike Voltz Frédéric Lesny
}}
[[File:Flowing Tears logo.svg|thumb|Flowing Tears' typeface]]

'''Flowing Tears''' was a German [[gothic metal]] band founded in 1993 in [[Wadgassen]]. Their original name was '''Flowing Tears & Withered Flowers''', which they used for their first several releases. The band's final lineup consisted of vocalist Helen Vogt, guitarist/keyboardist [[Benjamin Buss]], bassist [[David Vogt (musician)|David Vogt]] and drummer Stefan Gemballa.

== History ==
=== 1994–1999: Formation and first albums ===
The band formed in 1994 under the moniker Flowing Tears & Withered Flowers. Under the first name, they released a demo called Bijou in 1995, two full-length albums: ''Swansongs'' in 1996 and ''Joy Parade'' in 1998, and an EP named Swallow in 1999.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ice-vajal.com/f/interview/flowingtears.htm|title=Ice Vajal – Music Land – Metal World :: Flowing Tears|first=Gus Rosa|last=Rod Capozzi|date=14 July 2004|website=Ice-vajal.com|access-date=5 October 2020}}</ref> On ''Swansongs'', Manfred Bersin contributed the male vocals. After the EP's release, the band abridged their name to "Flowing Tears".

=== 2002–2004: ''Serpentine'' and vocalist change ===
[[File:The Gathering, Flowing Tears concert during Sleepy Buildings Tour (Passionskirche in Berlin, 2004-03-10)c.JPG|thumb|Flowing Tears concert during Sleepy Buildings Tour ([[Berlin]], 10 March 2004)]]
With the release of ''[[Serpentine (Flowing Tears album)|Serpentine]]'' in 2002, the band would build on the work they did with ''[[Jade (Flowing Tears album)|Jade]]'', adding a slightly more up tempo and a less melancholy sound. After the release of ''Serpentine'', Stefanie Duchêne left the band for personal reasons. The replacement vocalist became Helen Vogt.<ref>[http://www.bravewords.com/news/5448 Flowing Tears Introduce New Singer!] bravewords.com. 20 May 2003. Retrieved on 2010-08-21.</ref> With a sound similar to that of ''Serpentine'', and Vogt's vocal similarities with Stefanie Duchêne's vocals, the band released their fifth studio album, ''[[Razorbliss]]''.

The band toured with [[After Forever]] in April and May 2004.<ref>[http://www.bravewords.com/news/12659 Flowing Tears On Tour With After Forever] bravewords.com. 19 April 2004. Retrieved on 2010-08-21.</ref> On 20 October 2004, just seven months after the release of ''Razorbliss'', two founding members of Flowing Tears, Björn Lorson and Cristian Zimmer (the first of whom was still in the band's lineup at the time), died in a car accident.<ref>[http://www.bravewords.com/news/19543 Founding Members Of Flowing Tears Perish In Car Crash] bravewords.com. 3 November 2004. Retrieved on 2010-08-21.</ref>

=== 2008–2014: ''Thy Kingdom Gone'' and a hiatus ===
October 2008 saw the release of Flowing Tears' sixth full-length album, ''[[Thy Kingdom Gone]]''. It is a concept album containing 12 songs, along with artwork made by [[Seth Siro Anton]], an artist who has done work for [[Moonspell]], [[Soilwork]], and [[Paradise Lost (band)|Paradise Lost]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.metalstorm.net/events/news_comments.php?news_id=6943|title=Flowing Tears – New Album Details – Metal Storm|website=Metalstorm.net|access-date=5 October 2020}}</ref>

The band is on hiatus according to a Facebook status update in January 2013 by Helen Vogt, she expressed that she does wish to record a new album someday.<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/helen.vogt/posts/593480474011359 FLOWING TEARS LAID ON ICE] facebook.com Retrieved on 3 November 2014.</ref> However, she announced in March 2014 that ''Thy Kingdom Gone'' would be the band's final album.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/helen.vogt/posts/853173244708746?stream_ref=10|title=Log In or Sign Up to View|website=Facebook.com|access-date=5 October 2020}}</ref>

== Members ==
<ref>{{Cite web|title=Flowing Tears – Metal Storm|url=http://www.metalstorm.net/bands/band.php?band_id=351&bandname=Flowing+Tears|access-date=5 October 2020|website=Metalstorm.net}}</ref>
[[File:Flowing Tears live 2004-07-04 (7).jpg|thumb|Helen Vogt and Frédéric Lesny (2004)]]
[[File:Flowing Tears live 2004-07-04 (3).jpg|thumb|Stefan Gemballa and Benjamin Buss (2004)]]

=== Final lineup ===
* Helen Vogt – vocals (2003–2014)
* [[Benjamin Buss]] – guitars, programming, keyboards (1994–2014)
* [[David Vogt (musician)|David Vogt]] – bass guitar (2007–2014)
* Stefan Gemballa – drums (2002–2014)

=== Former members ===
* Lena Fischer – keyboards (1994–1995)
* Björn Lorson – guitar (1994–1995) (deceased)
* Manfred Bersin – vocals (1994–1998); guitar (1996–1999)
* Christian Zimmer – drums (1994–1997) (deceased)
* Stefanie Duchêne – vocals (1998–2003)
* Eric Hilt – drums (1998–2000)
* Mike Voltz – keyboards (2000)
* Frédéric Lesny – bass (1994–2007)

=== Timeline ===
{{#tag:timeline|
ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:18
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Alignbars = justify
DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy
Period = from:01/01/1994 till:01/24/2013
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ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:1994
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Colors =
id:vocals value:red legend:Vocals
id:guitar value:green legend:Guitar
id:bass value:blue legend:Bass
id:keys value:purple legend:Keyboards
id:drums value:orange legend:Drums
id:programming value:lavender legend:Programming
id:bars value:gray(0.95)
id:studio value:black legend:Studio_album
id:other value:gray(0.5) legend:Demos/EPs

BackgroundColors = bars:bars

LineData =
at:06/01/1995 color:other layer:back
at:06/01/1996 color:black layer:back
at:06/01/1998 color:black layer:back
at:06/01/1999 color:other layer:back
at:01/21/2000 color:black layer:back
at:04/16/2002 color:black layer:back
at:03/22/2004 color:black layer:back
at:10/20/2008 color:black layer:back

BarData =
bar:Manfred text:"Manfred Bersin"
bar:Stefanie text:"Stefanie Duchêne"
bar:Helen text:"Helen Vogt"
bar:Ben text:"Benjamin Buss"
bar:Bjorn text:"Björn Lorson"
bar:Frederic text:"Frédéric Lesny"
bar:David text:"David Vogt"
bar:Lena text:"Lena Fischer"
bar:Chris text:"Christian Zimmer"
bar:Eric text:"Eric Hilt"
bar:Stefan text:"Stefan Gemballa"

PlotData =
width:11
bar:Manfred from:01/01/1994 till:02/01/1998 color:vocals
bar:Manfred from:10/01/1996 till:02/01/1998 color:guitar width:3
bar:Manfred from:02/01/1998 till:10/01/1999 color:guitar
bar:Stefanie from:02/01/1998 till:01/20/2004 color:vocals
bar:Helen from:01/20/2004 till:end color:vocals
bar:Ben from:01/01/1994 till:end color:guitar
bar:Ben from:01/01/1994 till:end color:programming width:3
bar:Ben from:11/01/1995 till:end color:keys width:7
bar:Bjorn from:01/01/1994 till:10/01/1995 color:guitar
bar:Frederic from:01/01/1994 till:12/01/2007 color:bass
bar:David from:12/01/2007 till:end color:bass
bar:Lena from:01/01/1994 till:11/01/1995 color:keys
bar:Chris from:01/01/1994 till:11/01/1997 color:drums
bar:Eric from:02/01/1998 till:06/01/2000 color:drums
bar:Stefan from:02/01/2002 till:end color:drums
}}

== Discography ==

=== As Flowing Tears & Withered Flowers ===
*''Bijou'' (demo; 1995)
*''Swansongs'' (1996)
*''Joy Parade'' (1998)
*''Swallow'' (EP; 1999)

=== As Flowing Tears ===
*''[[Jade (Flowing Tears album)|Jade]]'' (2000)
*''[[Serpentine (Flowing Tears album)|Serpentine]]'' (2002)
*''[[Razorbliss]]'' (2004)
*''Invanity – Live in Berlin'' (2007)
*''[[Thy Kingdom Gone]]'' (2008)

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* {{allmusic}}
* {{Discogs artist}}

{{Flowing Tears}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Flowing Tears| ]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1994]]
[[Category:German musical quartets]]
[[Category:German gothic metal musical groups]]
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2014]]
[[Category:1994 establishments in Germany]]
[[Category:2014 disestablishments in Germany]]

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Flowing Tears