Theatres des Vampires
Pleasure And Pain

After a partnership lasting about two decades with the co-founder and leader of the group, the charismatic Lord Vampyr, our vampires return just one year after the release of the loved-hated "Nightbreed of Macabria" with a new album, which takes us on a path quite different from what the band had accustomed us to with their previous works. Listening to this album, many will be disappointed (I'm clearly referring to long-time fans, attached to masterpieces like "Bloody Lunatic Asylum"), many will appreciate it (the less uncompromising listeners and those who have always supported them), and many will love it (the new crowd of gothic-metal kids). The fact remains that no one can accuse the band of repeating themselves work after work (as many of their peers are used to doing) by clinging to themes that have become stale over the years.

Our group is surely still tied to gothic-vampire themes, but these are presented to us in a different attire: an even more romantic, sophisticated, and passionate attire. The sensual charge that the songs emit is definitely due to the vocal abilities of Sonya Scarlet (the only singer and songwriter after Lord Vampyr's departure), accompanied in all tracks by illustrious guests.
The sound of the band has completely detached from the gothic/black metal of their beginnings and the horror atmospheres of "Nightbreed of Macabria", to dive into the electronics and dark-wave of the 80s. Keyboards are omnipresent, the bass and drums are good, the guitars are a bit subdued (more powerful sounds would certainly have clashed with the rest). The contributions of the male guest vocals are appreciable, although with this operation it seems that the band tried to fill the absence of a true leading voice, as Lord Vampyr was known to be. This is not meant as a criticism of Sonya's voice, which perfectly adapts to semi-operatic parts ("Solitude"), to others obsessive and almost screamed ("Pleasure And Pain"), and in others vaguely reminiscent of the style of the former colleague. If I have to nitpick, it seems to me that everything lacks depth (I particularly notice this in the lyrics and the not overly complex structures). It seems our artists forced themselves to compose an album in a short time (although this is nothing new for TDV), to do the assignment and offer something new as soon as possible, without letting something truly heartfelt mature.

In conclusion, "Pleasure And Pain" is an album that definitively marks the departure from the past and opens the doors to what will be the future (with these assumptions certainly rosy) of Theatres Des Vampires, which in itself does not present many weak points, but neither does it have very high peaks (I bitterly miss the good old times of "Bloody Lunatic Asylum"). However, I cannot refrain from expressing a positive judgment, which is probably due to my great admiration for these people and my total support for any of their choices.