Theatre of Tragedy
Velvet Darkness They Fear

THE REVIEW

Formed in Stavanger (Norway) in 1994, Theatre Of Tragedy are considered the inventors of "beauty and the beast metal," or metal sung by a male growl voice and an ethereal and delicate female voice, which, like a clash between good and evil, duel while complementing each other. In this case, the duel is between the growl of Raymond I. Rohonyi and the stunning voice of the angelic (and historic) Liv Kristine.
The music is characterized by doom metal with strong gothic influences and refined movements, as slow and enveloping in some parts as it is fast in others, but never excessively violent. The lyrics, all written in medieval English, are particularly unique and form beautiful poetry.

The CD opens with the title track, actually an intro of just over a minute, characterized by gloomy piano notes and background screams. Next comes "Fair And 'Guiling Copesmate Death" introduced by Liv's voice dominating against a backdrop of guitar and violin-like keyboards. Raymond's voice comes in, at first clean, slow, and monotone (as the genre requires) before unleashing powerful growls that form a duet with the angelic half. The harpsichord-like keyboard interlude and the sample halfway through the song, taken from some unknown film, are very suggestive. The two singers continue to duel until the end, spurred on by keyboards that actually suggest a string quartet. An acoustic guitar introduces us to "Bring Forth Ye Shadow" with Raymond intent on reciting his verses, soon joined by Liv, fantastic even in her pronunciation. The slow guitars accompanied by the piano paint majestically tragic scenarios. "Seraphic Deviltry" is a track with almost industrial rhythms accompanied by electronic effects that make it very danceable.
A melancholic piano and Liv's voice introduce "And When He Falleth", making space for Raymond's growl trying to overpower the angelic counterpart. The piece is interspersed with Gregorian chants followed by a dialogue from the 1964 film "The Masque Of The Red Death," and it all makes us feel as if we're in an ancient medieval castle. The first single and the only song in German is "Der Tanz Der Schatten" (a hit in many gothic/dark clubs at the time), with mysterious keyboards introducing the guitars to make room for electronically filtered voices and the usual duets. Liv closes by obsessively repeating, almost as if it were a litany, the phrase: "Ich Liebe Dich." "Black As The Devil Painteth" is a distinctly doom piece, really slow alternating between Raymond's solo voice and the overwhelming and melancholic duet between the two. The text, focusing on the figure of the artist, is very beautiful. A decidedly gloomy riff introduces us to "On Whom The Moon Doth Shine", alternating very sweet piano parts with harsher guitar ones to then sublimate everything when Liv's voice rises sovereign, like a cry of innocence, and when the two duet over a backdrop of violins as gentle as the touch of pale roses. The delicate sound of a harp introduces us to "The Masquerader And Phoenix", a masterpiece within a masterpiece. Keyboards follow, and then, more ethereal than ever, the voice of the blonde singer. Then organ, drums with tribal cadences, and guitars as violent as stabs to the heart tear our faces apart while the growl does nothing but pour salt on the wounds. But after the storm comes the calm, and here these two magnificent voices intertwine one last time before fading into nothingness. The end of a masterpiece you would never want to stop listening to.

Even from a graphic point of view, the work stands out, showing a sensual and decadent cover, and overall beautiful artwork despite its simplicity. Let yourself be charmed by the velvety darkness of the Theatre of Tragedy.