Lacrimosa began its goth rock path in 1990, when the duo of Anne Nurmi and Tilo Wolff came together in Switzerland. The duo began their own record label, Hall of Sermon, to release their first album the next year. Angst was the result, and it was a surprising hit for a debut album from a goth group. The band continued to release albums under their own label, building a strong fan base through Europe, and by the late '90s there was really no reason to try and sign to a bigger label. Their music began to move away from goth through time, developing a keyboard-based rock style that bore little resemblance to the Sisters of Mercy. The group continued to release their own material on a regular basis, actively using the Internet and their regular touring schedule to keep themselves active in the scene.
