Theater of Tragedy

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Theater of Tragedy
Lettering used by the group on the first three albums and the publications released during this period.

Lettering used by the group on the first three albums and the publications released during this period.
Frank Claussen, Nell Sigland and Raymond István Rohonyi with Theater of Tragedy 2010 in the Teatro Teletón in Santiago de Chile.
Frank Claussen, Nell Sigland and Raymond István Rohonyi with Theater of Tragedy 2010 in the Teatro Teletón in Santiago de Chile .
General information
Genre (s) Gothic Metal , Dark Rock , Electropop
founding 1993
resolution 2010
Website www.theatreoftragedy.com
Founding members
Raymond István Rohonyi
Tommy Lindal
guitar
 Pål Bjåstad
Hein Frode Hansen
Lorentz Aspen
Last occupation
singing
 Nell Sigland
singing
 Raymond Istvàn Rohonyi
guitar
 Frank Claussen
guitar
 Vegard K. Thorsen
Drums
 Hein Frode Hansen
Keyboard
 Lorentz Aspen
former members
singing
 Liv Kristine
Electric bass
 Eirik T. Saltrø
guitar
 Tommy Olsson
guitar
 Geir Flikkeid

Theater of Tragedy was a Norwegian band from Stavanger formed in 1993 . Due to their early work, the band is ascribed a significant role in the popularization of Gothic Metal . In the course of their career, however, the group changed their music style several times. In addition, the cast of Theater of Tragedy was characterized by a sustained change, which was occasionally accompanied by public conflicts. For the last official release of the band, Raymond István Rohonyi, Lorentz Aspen and Hein Frode Hansen remained from the original line-up.

history

Massacre Records

Raymond István Rohonyi, Tommy Lindal, Pål Bjåstad, Hein Frode Hansen and Lorentz Aspen founded Suffering Grief as a band in 1993, whose music was arranged in Death Doom style with early New English lyrics and keyboard passages. After renaming to Le Reine Noir, the name was changed to Theater of Tragedy in April 1994. In the same year Liv Kristine Espenæs joined the band as a permanent singer. Together the group recorded a demo tape and sent it to different labels. The German metal label Massacre Records signed Theater of Tragedy and had them record the self-titled debut album with Dan Swanö . Theater of Tragedy was released in 1995.

The album is seen as an important album in the popularization of Gothic Metal. In addition, it is named as a significant publication for the spread of the vocal pairing of growling and the clear vocals of a woman, which is often presented in Gothic Metal and later in Symphonic Metal . The idea can be traced back to Celtic Frost and Paradise Lost , but they only arranged individual tracks with this vocal pairing and did not build the band concept on this idea. In addition, the Gothic and Into the Pandemonium albums did not achieve the success of the Theater of Tragedy album. Accordingly, Theater of Tragedy in 1995, which later became the label of the band Nuclear Blast , did not embody a new concept, but "every aspect of the burgeoning Gothic Metal scene." Following the release, the band went on a tour with Atrocity and Das Ich .

Immediately after the tour, the group began producing the second album. Velvet Darkness They Fear was recorded with Peter Coleman in the Commusication Studio in Beindersheim . The Moscow string quartet Nedeltcho Boiadjiev was brought in to record four pieces . Geir Flikkeid joined the group as a further guitarist to replace Bjåstad who had left the group. The album was received in two ways by critics, but it reached a large audience. With The Dance of Shadows , Velvet Darkness They Fear contained a hit that was often played in discos of the black scene . Despite divided reviews, the album became one of the most popular and, with over 40,000 copies sold immediately, the most successful Gothic Metal albums of its time. With the success, the group was considered one of the leading bands in the genre at the time. Lindal suffered a stroke shortly after the album was finished and was therefore replaced by Mathias Röderer from Atrocity for the tour planned for 1996 and did not return to the band. Once again, the group toured with Atrocity. In addition, the Theater of Tragedy was part of the Tour Festival Out Of the Dark with Gorefest , Samael and Moonspell .

From two remaining pieces from the recordings of Velvet Darkness They Fear , an English version of Der Tanz der Schatten , a Joy Division cover that the band recorded for a Norwegian tribute album and two remix versions of well-known pieces arranged by Bruno Kramm from Das Ich , the band put together the EP A Rose for the Dead . In the booklet accompanying the 1997 EP, the group announced that they were leaving the Flikkeid Theater of Tragedy at their own request. The release was accompanied by a tour with Heavenwood and Lake of Tears . In particular, the remix versions of the EP were questioned by critics.

Liv Kristine Espenæs performing around 1998

After Espenæs released their solo debut Deus Ex Machina in 1998 and the group lacked two guitarists, rumors briefly arose about a possible separation from the Theater of Tragedy. Nevertheless, in the same year, the group's third studio album, Aégis , was released. The album, recorded with Frank Classen and Tommy Olsson as new guitarists and again produced by Peter Coleman, varied the style known from Theater of Tragedy to dark rock . Aégis 'style, which is more based on the use of the keyboard and Espenæs' voice, was praised by critics as a positive step in the development of the group and honored with chart successes in the Netherlands (21st place) and Germany (40th place). The change in Rohonyi's vocals, which no longer used growling, was also emphasized. Kristin publicly criticized the album and criticized the fact that most of her vocal recordings were not included on the album. Unlike the previous releases , Aégis received mostly positive reviews. After the release, the band played a few festival appearances and concerts.

After the success of the Aégis album , the group was poached by East West Records , an Atlantic sub-company, and Napalm Records. Massacre subsequently published material from the group that remained for a while. So from remaining recordings of the album Aégis which previously appeared on compilations and limited versions, one previously on the compilation New German songs delusion appeared club mix of the play The Dance of the shadows together and three new non-agreed with the band remixes EP Inperspective 2000. The publication of the EP was massively criticized and accused of the label as an attempt to "rake in coal". The following year, with closure: live, a live album was released on Massacre Records, documenting the performance at the Metal Mania Festival 2000 in Katowice .

East West Records

With musique , the group made a radical change in style. Olsson and Saltrø left the band before the recordings and were not replaced. Musical differences were given as the reason for the separation. The new style of the group tended towards synth-rock , took up elements of modern alternative metal and was shaped by the technoid song structures of its time. This change has been sharply criticized by previous supporters of the group. Likewise, the album was mostly judged badly by critics. Despite negative reviews, it reached the German charts (39th place) and the associated European tour was sold out.

The style change initiated by the previous album musique continued in 2002 with Assembly . The group strengthened with Vegard K. Thorsen as the new guitarist increasingly resorted to pop structures on the album. Accordingly, the album was discussed as a reminiscence of the pop music of the 1980s. Unlike musique , Assembly was received positively. Espenæs' singing was particularly praised in discussions.

“Until now she had mostly used the higher octaves for herself, but now she has dropped all restrictions on Assembly in order to enchant the listener sometimes with a deep, lascivious voice (automatic lover), sometimes with subtle nuances to seduce them to listen more closely (Motion). Consequently, this increase is taken into account by more space for Liv's singing. "

- Throat dragons

The album briefly hit the charts, but could not build on the success of the previous works and fell short of expectations.

In 2003 Espenæs, who was now married to Atrocity singer Alexander Krull, helped found the symphonic metal band Leaves' Eyes with members of the Atrocity group. Espenæs, who had previously moved to Germany, increasingly lost contact with the members of the Theater of Tragedy and was informed of her departure from the group by email in 2003. Espenæs named the unsteady band structure for several years as the main problem and reason for a growing resentment in the group, which in their opinion led to their exclusion. The band members, however, told Espenæs that a radical cut was necessary to overcome an acute crisis. Aspen confirmed this aspect as the core motivation behind the separation and also explained further cuts in the group's career, such as the separation from East / West, with the desire to venture a new beginning under one's own control.

“We separated from Liv K. and then from our record company and then from our management. It was time to regain control of our careers and start over. "

- Lorentz Aspen

AFM Records

Nell Sigland, performing in Chile in 2010

In public, the group was perceived as a failure after the separation from their singer, their management and their label. In spring 2006, Theater of Tragedy released their sixth studio album with their new singer Nell Sigland from the dark rock band The Crest , which the band has supported since 2003. The album Storm was highly praised as a comeback. With this album, the band distanced themselves from the course of the two previous albums. The album was released on AFM Records and has mostly been compared to Aégis by reviewers . The bass was played by guest musician Magnus Westgaard. The tour that accompanied the album release was completed without a bass player. Some songs were accompanied by the sound engineer on bass.

The seventh studio album was released in September 2009. Forever Is the World was again positively received by critics and judged a continued return to the strengths of the album Aégis . In some cases, this is how critics judged the reconsideration to go even further. Above all, the fact that Sigland's clear vocals were occasionally opposed to Rohonyi's guttural vocals was seen as a recourse to early publications.

With Addenda an EP was released in March 2010, which was added to the tour album in a limited edition of 2000 copies. At the same time, the Theater of Tragedy officially announced its closure for October of the same year. The reason given was increasing problems in reconciling family and work. The last European tour in March 2010 as well as individual concert and festival commitments were carried out as planned. According to their own information, the group decided to break up while recording Forever Is the World . The group's last concert was subsequently released as a double album and DVD under the title Last Curtain Call 2011.

Cast overview

style

The music of the Theater of Tragedy has undergone several changes in style. The first two albums are considered typical Gothic Metal. With reference to these two albums, Stefan Gnad even judges Theater of Tragedy to be the first music group to see themselves as a Gothic Metal band and to combine all known elements of the style. The band combined slow guitar playing and a riffing established from Death Doom with slow pace and orchestral keyboard passages . In front of this musical framework, the band presented the alternating vocals, often referred to as "Beauty and the Beast", between the male guttural growling Rohonyis and the bright female clear vocals Espenæs'.

With the album Aégis , the sound of the group changed to dark rock. The guitar playing varied between elements of late Gothic Rock and Hard Rock from groups such as Fields of the Nephilim , The Sisters of Mercy . Guttural singing was also no longer used. Rohonyi's voice input has been compared to that of Carl McCoy of Fields of the Nephilim. The use of the keyboard also came to the fore. The later albums Storm and Forever is the World were recorded in the same style. However, guttural singing was used again on Forever is the World .

The two albums between Aégis and Storm , musique and Assembly, correspond primarily to Synth Rock, while musique draws on elements of alternative metal and Assembly has more structures from pop music . The guitar playing presented on musique was based on modern metal and rock bands, while the overall sound was characterized by the use of synthesizers. The metal elements have been reduced for assembly . The guitar playing was increasingly based on popular rock music. Rohonyi's singing was kept to a minimum and Espenæs', now a more complex praised singing, was placed in the foreground of the music.

Discography

Chart positions
Explanation of the data
Albums
Agis
  DE 40 05/25/1998 (4 weeks)
musique
  DE 39 October 16, 2000 (3 weeks)
Assembly
  DE 75 03/11/2002 (1 week)

Albums

  • 1994: Theater of Tragedy Demo (demo, self-published)
  • 1995: Theater of Tragedy (Album, Massacre Records)
  • 1996: Velvet Darkness They Fear (album, Massacre Records)
  • 1998: Aégis (album, Massacre Records)
  • 2000: musique (album, East / West Records)
  • 2001: Closure: live (live album, Massacre Records)
  • 2002: Assembly (Album, East / West Records)
  • 2006: Storm (album, AFM Records)
  • 2009: Forever Is the World (Album, AFM Records)
  • 2011: Last Curtain Call (double album incl.DVD, AFM Records)
  • 2019: Remixed (compilation, AFM Records)

Singles and EPs

  • 1996: The Dance of Shadows (Single, Massacre Records)
  • 1997: A Rose for the Dead (EP, Massacre Records)
  • 1998: Cassandra (single, Massacre Records)
  • 2000: Image (single, East / West Records)
  • 2000: Inperspective (EP, Massacre Records)
  • 2001: Machine (single, East / West Records)
  • 2002: Let You Down (Single, East / West Records)
  • 2006: Storm (single, AFM Records)
  • 2010: Addenda (EP, AFM Records)

literature

  • Garry Sharpe-Young: AZ of Doom, Goth & Stoner Metal . Rockdetector, 2003, ISBN 978-1-901447-14-9 , pp. 406 f . (English).

Web links

Commons : Theater of Tragedy  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l Garry Sharpe-Young: AZ of Doom, Goth & Stoner Metal . Rockdetector, 2003, ISBN 978-1-901447-14-9 , pp. 406 f . (English).
  2. ↑ a b c Stefan Gnad: Gothic Metal . In: Alexander Nym (Ed.): Schillerndes Dunkel . History, development and topics of the Gothic scene. 2010, ISBN 978-3-86211-006-3 , pp. 190 to 199, here p. 195 f .
  3. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Theater of Tragedy. Nuclear Blast, accessed July 13, 2017 .
  4. ↑ a b Torsten Volkmer: Theater of Tragesy: A Rose for the Dead. Be Subjective, accessed July 13, 2017 .
  5. ↑ a b c Theater of Tragedy: Aégis. Metal.de, accessed on July 14, 2017 .
  6. ↑ a b Allen: Theater of Tragedy: Aégis. Metalstorm, accessed July 14, 2017 .
  7. ↑ a b Melanie.Haack: Theater of Tragedy Interview. Metal.de, accessed on July 14, 2017 .
  8. ↑ Theater of Tragedy: Inperspective. Metal.de, accessed on July 14, 2017 .
  9. ↑ Andrea: Theater of Tragedy: Inperspective. Vampster, accessed July 14, 2017 .
  10. ↑ a b c Alchemist: Theater of Tragedy: musique. Metal.de, accessed on July 14, 2017 .
  11. ^ Bettina Doerr: Theater of Tragedy: musique. Laut.de, accessed on July 14, 2017 .
  12. ↑ Jason Anderson: Theater of Tragedy: musique. Allmusic, accessed July 14, 2017 .
  13. ^ A b Brian O'Neill: Theater of Tragedy: Assembly. Allmusic, accessed July 19, 2017 .
  14. ↑ a b c Throat Dragons: Theater of Tragedy: Assembly. Vampster. Retrieved July 19, 2017 .
  15. ↑ John Dunphy: Liv Krull Leaves Eye Interview. MusicTap, accessed July 19, 2017 .
  16. ↑ a b Hellzone: THEATER OF TRAGEDY - Interview with Lorentz Aspen about the album "Storm" March 2006. Hell-Zone, accessed on July 20, 2017 .
  17. ↑ a b Throat Dragons: Theater of Tragedy: Storm. Vampster. Retrieved July 19, 2017 .
  18. ↑ a b DerRozzengarten: Theater Of Tragedy interview (03/2006). Metalstorm, accessed July 20, 2017 .
  19. ↑ a b Ernis: Theater of Tragedy: Forever Is the World. metalstorm, accessed July 20, 2017 .
  20. ↑ a b Alex: Theater of Tragedy: Forever Is the World. metalreviews, accessed July 20, 2017 .
  21. ↑ Dark Lord: Theater of Tragedy: Forever Is the World. stormbringer, accessed July 20, 2017 .
  22. ↑ a b Alexander Eitner: Theater of Tragedy: Forever Is the World. (No longer available online.) Metalnews, archived from the original on July 31, 2012 ; Retrieved July 20, 2017 .
  23. ↑ Fabian: Theater of Tragedy: The curtain falls. Metal.de, accessed on July 20, 2017 .
  24. ↑ Chart sources: DE