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Rating: It's pointless to retell the story of Theatre Of Tragedy; you already know it. However, a review of their e.p. "A Rose For The Dead" is essential, marking the transition from the atmospheric doom of "Velvet Darkness They Fear" to the gothic rock of "Aégis". It begins with the title track, characterized by a one-minute doom introduction featuring both acoustic and electric guitars. It truly comes alive only when Liv's angelic voice and Raymond's clean vocals appear, covering ever-changing rhythms that remain somber and funereal. The voices intertwine at times and simultaneously seem to recite mild soliloquies. Then Raymond unleashes his growl, and the sound intensifies to a gloomy and anguished climax. Introduced by electronics, "Der Spiegel" picks up where "Der Tanz Der Schatten" left off, another ideal track for dancing in dark clubs. Here, the metal element is slightly diminished to create a nearly electro-goth piece reminiscent of L'Åme Immortelle. A very gothic organ introduces "As The Shadows Dance", the English version of "Der Tanz Der Schatten", enriched with a few more electronic effects. In my opinion, the track loses much of its impact without the German vocals. The iconic phrase "Ich Liebe Dich" is blandly replaced with "I love thee" here. Following are the remixes of two tracks from the previous album, namely "And When He Falleth" and "Black As The Devil Painteth". The first is really bad, and the dark melody that permeated the original has been largely lost, although not completely. The second, however, enhances the beauty of the original by enriching it with a catchy groove, supported by keyboards and beats with an almost industrial flavor. It closes with the Joy Division cover "Decades", a commendable song, a gothic rock with calm tones, clean and lamenting vocals, and a beautiful piano ending.
The work is good but not excellent, I would recommend it primarily to fans of the band who certainly won't miss it. For others, I would say that those who love experimentation won't be disappointed.
Tracklist and Lyrics
01 A Rose for the Dead (05:11)
-- oh - my dearest; the sweet music in the ear -
-- albeit, daresay I, the lullaby of an everso dark sleep.
my precious,
likest thou what emergeth yon the distant?
the throbbing and breathing of life's machinery!
-- wanion its oh so damndest soul!
-- with the devil-instrument it we shall reap,
-- after the banquet obscur'd in our thole,
-- its blood so lovingly across our faces smear
-- lord of carnage,
lady of carnage,
-- one funeral maketh many,
swarm god's acres;
-- two indeed more:
-- blest treat of delight -
give praise for the blood it bled,
grant a rose for the dead! -- grant a rose for the dead!
enraptur'd by the timeless beauty of the
shadowsphere,
we two abide the overlook'd time of the watch.
-- make this cherish'd feast last
-- but until the new dawn ascendeth.
be still - harken the lure of night!
bale in each its damndest shadow,
cloth me in night, ne'er fell rue,
in its face, behold! naught save grue.
pray, ne'er come hither daylight! -- wane to dust the wight,
velvet darkness, thee we ourselves bestow! -- misery it in velvet fright
02 Der Spiegel (05:17)
der spiegel,
in dem ich die schatten seh';
das schwarze licht, welches mein schlo' verschlie�t
und drau�en, der teufel und die schwarze hexe:
singendes, tanzendes ihm verfallenes wesen.
h�rst du denn nicht wie der wolf heult?!,
doch das blut sprengt meine adern -
jeder strahl f�hrt mich dem untergang n�her:
ich sp�re, wie berauscht ich bin,
die sonne scheint nie wieder diesem spiegel,
der mond aber leuchtet meinem k�rper;
staub - ich trinke das verfluchte wasser,
blut - ich liebte diesen rosengarten,
ich krieche durch diese spitzen dornen,
mein geist lebt in der dunkelheit -
schwarz; - das nichts; - unendlich;
erbe des b�sen -
gott klopft an meine t�r,
und der spiegel
zerbricht.
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