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Rating: The Theatre of Tragedy, perhaps the most influential "Beauty and The Beast Metal" band of all time, released their best work in 1996: "Velvet Darkness they Fear," which would increase the Norwegian band's fan base. In 1998, they released an album that diverged from much of what Theatre of Tragedy had previously done, surprising many critics and fans: Aegis, an album dedicated to 9 women of antiquity.
The tracks are streamlined, immediate, and rhythmic, no longer as challenging as before. The atmospheres are less dark and oppressive, and electronics, which would become the cornerstone of their future productions, begin to be used, albeit only marginally. Raymond Rohonyi abandons his growling vocals in favor of a clean but very low voice, while Liv Kristine further enhances the expressiveness of her singing. In short, we are still talking about gothic metal, but a much more dreamy and dynamic gothic. The fans, perhaps puzzled by the change, did not understand the excellent level of inspiration the group achieved on Aegis.
The CD opens with "Cassandra," a monolith, followed by the excellent "Lorelei," a dynamic piece whose strength lies in the keyboard notes and a chorus with a sure impact. "Angelique" is next, an atmospheric, paced, and decadent piece more in line with the canons of classic Gothic metal. Liv sings divinely. "Aoede" is instead a piece with futuristic atmospheres, also thanks to the use of electronic samples. In this track, we find the most successful (and heavy) riffs of the entire work. The fifth track, "Siren," wins the title of the best piece of the album, especially thanks to the beautiful keyboards and the chorus, where the quintessential metal Siren delivers a truly intense and thrilling interpretation. As her vocalizations disperse in the air, the image of a sinuous siren swimming in the depths of the sea appears in my mind. "Samantha" is a truly danceable piece, accompanied by a very catchy chorus, but not for this reason any less successful, on the contrary. Indeed, this piece anticipates what the group would propose in subsequent albums. "Venus" is another peak of the album: the voices of Liv and Raymond intertwine divinely in a dark atmosphere. "Poppea" is a very dreamy and reflective track, depicting landscapes of antiquity. The CD closes with the excellent "Bacchante," which has a truly chilling finale, thanks to a very gothic choir.
If you are looking for quality Gothic Metal, do not fret: you will find what you seek in Aegis.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Cassandra (06:49)
He gave to her, yet tenfold claim'd in return -
She hath no life but the one he for her wrought;
Proffer'd to her his wauking heart - she turn'd it down,
Ripost'd with a tell-tale lore of lies and scorn.
Prophetess or fond?,
Tho' her parle of truth:
"I ken to-morrow - refell me if ye can!",
Yet the kiss and breath - Apollo's bane -
Sëer of the future, not of twain,
"Sicker!", quoth Cassandra.
Still, is she lief and quaint in his eyne, a sight divine? -
A mistress fuell'd by his prest haughtiness -
If he did grant, wherefore then did he not foresee,
Belike egal as it to him might be?!
Prophetess or fond?,
Tho' her parle of truth:
"I ken to-morrow - refell me if ye can!",
Yet the kiss and breath - Apollo's bane -
Sëer of the future, not of twain,
"Sicker!", quoth Cassandra.
'Or was he an éri'd being,
'Or was he weening - alack nay mo;
Her naysay' raught his heart,
Her daffing was the grave of all hope -
She beli'd her own words,
He thought her life, save moreo'er scourge,
She held him august, yet wee;
He left her ne'er without his heart.
02 Lorelei (05:38)
Færie dearest, was it loe soothfast or a façade;
A serenade siren'd to lure - Zounds! not to court me?
A mænad, yet the sweetest colleen -
Certes didst thou me unveil meekly life pristine.
Lorelei,
A poet of tragedies, scribe I lauds to Death,
Yet who the hell was I to dare?
Lorelei,
Canst thou not see thou to me needful art?
Canst thou not see the loss of loe painful is?
Dædally didst thou perform the tragic pasquinade,
For all years a damndest and driegh'd accolade -
Caus'd for all eyes mazéd to behold a mêlée;
In the midst did I swainly cast thee my bouquet:
The one and sole faggot that feedeth the fire,
Bellow´d bidingly by my heart's quailing quire.
Lorelei,
A poet of tragedies, scribe I lauds to Death,
Yet who the hell was I to dare?
Lorelei,
Canst thou not see thou to me needful art?
Canst thou not see the loss of loe painful is?
Perchance author I thee this ikon'd apologue for aught,
Doth the wecht burthen thee?, then bethink thine afterthought:
'Tween Æther and 'Nether art thou the peerless phœnix -
Prithee, darlingmost! - court me rather than the peevish prolix
03 Angélique (05:45)
Thou dawdl'd not bringing me fro Æther to Nether,
Still, duringly cling I on to this heather -
Dew-scentéd blossom; thou wast pristine,
The sweven of thee ne'er will I cede, my colleen.
Drat this creature of memories ill,
Foolhardy and fey I may be, yet him I shall quell.
'Vaunt! — Devil tyne —
Wadst thou wane fore'ermae;
Daunt — sinsyne thence,
Ta'en as a dint, Angélique?
Perforce and grinningly shall I maim in the vie -
Alas dastard! - hanging by the noose die.
'Vaunt! — Devil tyne —
Wadst thou wane fore'ermae;
Daunt — sinsyne thence,
Ta'en as a dint, Angélique?
'Come not wont to this uncouth Devil!
Lest to a Devil thou wilt translate... my Angel.
'Vaunt! — Devil tyne —
Wadst thou wane fore'ermae;
Daunt — sinsyne thence,
Ta'en as a dint, Angélique?
04 Aœde (06:11)
Parch'd of words, parch'd of lauds,
Lorn and tyn'd fro my wame -
'Seech I more perforce indeed:
Lap I of thee: Thou art want.
With dulcet gust thine floret,
Which I yet would not do -
Pray I thee for thine avail -
Lave me in it; I want more!
For my loe, not be adust.
Come see as the wind: Chant -
I let thee come in -
Come see as the wind, Aœde.
As of lote - upon thee dote,
Lowing 'tis, true forsooth,
Tisn't a tongue, nay merely mote,
Thou art grandly mae than couth':
Eft and e'er doth it eke -
I am what I do behold.
For my loe, not be adust.
Come see as the wind: Chant -
I let thee come in -
Come see as the wind, Aœde.
05 Siren (07:30)
-- Haste not thine wisdom, for the hollow is ta'en -
-- By whom, know I not; 'lack! am I of twain -
-- And as a crux - cede I my words -
Fro my heart wilt thou ne'er
-- Have I been 'sooth sinsyne.
Be left without - come!
Thine voice is oh so sweet, -- I speer thine pine,
Ryking for me: -- Ryking for thee;
�List and heed�, thou say'st -- Wistful, whistful -
Chancing to lure -- Chancing to lure,
-- Skirl and skreigh, but for thine ears, aye, lown 'tis -
-- Dodge na 'way herefro, do come here in eath!
-- Mayhap lur�d by the scent of lote -
-- 'Od! - the f�tid - eft hie back I mote;
-- For what I did my soul atrounc�d,
How I wish for thee again,
-- O! do believe me, 'twasn't a frounce.
Will I give thee it: Troth.
Thine voice is oh so sweet, -- I speer thine pine,
Ryking for me: -- Ryking for thee;
�List and heed�, thou say'st -- Wistful, whistful -
Chancing to lure. -- Chancing to lure,
-- Skirl and skreigh, but for thine ears, aye, lown 'tis -
-- Dodge na 'way herefro, do come here in eath!
06 Samantha (04:12)
Cede the wherefores and do na chide,
Maybe I am peenging - ween of joy;
Cede the wherefores and do na chide -
Thrawn and slab of leer I hold thee, and yore was 'gal.
Riddance,
Sith the one.
07 Venus (05:33)
Circa mea pectora multa sunt suspiria
De tua pulchritudine, que me ledunt misere.
Venus! - I trow'd thou wast my friend -
Professed to Heaven thou wouldst send;
As a disciple of a villain
Didst thou act the tragedienne.
Iam amore virginali totus ardeo.
Amor volat undique, captus est libidine.Venus! - I trow'd thou wast my friend -
Professed to Heaven thou wouldst send;
As a disciple of a villain
Didst thou act the tragedienne.
Iam amore virginali totus ardeo.
Circa mea pectora multa sunt suspiria
De tua pulchritudine, que me ledunt misere.
Tui lucent oculi sicut solis radij.
Sicut splendor fulguris, qui lucem donat tenebris.
08 Poppæa (05:49)
Dream of a funeral, blest temptress - behest me! -
A funeral thou'lt hark, swarth murderess - the Devil,
Thine feral grith with me, Poppea, be Hell's hap;
Waylaid the beldame bawd, the niggard: Laughing tragedy.
And the wench doth bawdness to blow,
Stay my adamant -
Suffer me to transfix thee;
And the wench doth bawdness to blow,
Let me dawt thine twain -
And, twine 'hem apart.
Of marrow, do na mell; I am Morelle -
The bosom'd Titivil; travail me; a fבin,
Subdue me with thine lote in oneness - make haste yet,
Displode me in a font - Poppea, do what thou wilt.
And the wench doth bawdness to blow,
Stay my adamant -
Suffer me to transfix thee;
And the wench doth bawdness to blow,
Let me dawt thine twain -
And, twine 'hem apart.
09 Bacchante (06:43)
Ado with a mean woe,
An ado as aglow:
Belying the paynim
Thou rewrot'st the tome -
An ivy-crown'd and dancing,
And fawn'd and trancing -
Espying the surly wud,
And heeding her not.
Celebration
Afear'd of Bacchante,
And dost thou 'hold the yill? -
Behind is the sleepless;
Eyne 'holding na mo.
Celebration
�Onto the paper scribe I the words that fro my heart move -
With every dight letter, with the ebb of ink,
The point of the quill my penmanship doth mirror;
Tales of theft and adultery,
Tales of devilment and witchery -
Tales of me.
Celebration Bacchari
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By Angellore
The opening track, the splendid 'Cassandra,' is a kind of sound manifesto of everything we will find throughout the album.
I consider it a true 'gem' in the metal landscape. Its main asset is its 'modernity': when listening to it, you wouldn't think that it's a work from ten years ago.
