Theatres Des Vampires
Vampyrìsme...

It seems like an eternity has passed since, after releasing a demo the previous year, Theatres Des Vampires, a band from the Roman underground, debuted with "Vampyrìsme, Nècrophilie, Nècrosadisme, Nècrophagie", an album of melodic black metal (actually, it's more correct to say "The" album because it's their only work dedicated to this genre) full of gothic influences and lyrics related to the world of vampires.

Unfortunately, the production is absolutely terrible and significantly penalized the album. Many compared Theatres Des Vampires to the English band Cradle Of Filth, but the two bands are different, even if occasionally a similar riff pops up.

In the meantime, Theatres Des Vampires grew in fame and personality, becoming the flagship group of their label. Moreover, from their second album on, black metal became a memory: one can only speak of Gothic Metal. To satisfy the band's growing number of fans, in 2003, they released a re-edition of their debut, simply called "Vampirisme..." for convenience. However, it is not just a re-publication but a real re-recording where black is set aside in favor of more gothic sounds (some choirs were also added), modern and immediate.

The songs are not masterpieces; in fact, they have a hardly exciting songwriting: the word originality is unknown in their vocabulary, and the tracks often tend to resemble each other. But despite these limitations, the album manages to recreate decent atmospheres. The CD opens with the introduction "Vampirisme...", a very canonical and classic piece, then moves on to "Twilight", which, thanks to killer riffs and sweet acoustic guitar notes, proves to be a good piece. Then it's the turn of "Beyond The Forest", which opens in an energetic manner before giving way to more tranquil rhythms and more intimate, even desert-like sounds. Firm riffs introduce "In The Wood", a sunny piece, far from black metal, which approaches the sounds of certain Italian power bands, also thanks to the captivating chorus sung by Lord Vamphyr. "Ancient Damned" is a piece that alternates between speed and calm, featuring choirs and keyboards, creating a very particular and esoteric atmosphere.

"Wood Of Walacchia Part I" has a fierce intro in full Black Metal style, but the melody is never set aside. The latter is created with the help of an organ and the bells of a Church, very gothic indeed. Soft keyboards open "The Dark Domain", soon joined by guitars. The whole song is based on a riff. Noteworthy is Lord Vamphyr, here more inspired than usual. "Walpurga's Night" is a hyper-melodic track that manages to recreate truly dark atmospheres, thanks to the keyboards. "The Snow Turns Red" is far too similar to the previous track, whereas "The Impaler" closes the CD with dignity, even though the intro reminds me of a piece by some fellows called Emperor...

In my edition, there are also 4 bonus tracks, featuring stars from music, such as Gian Pyras (Christian Death and ex Cradle Of Filth), Valor (Christian Death), and Francesco Grasso (Room With A View). "Kingdom Of Vampires" is a piece that adds nothing compared to the other tracks, while "The Enchanted Forest" is a superb, vibrant piece, very black, based on the alternation of female and male vocals. Excellent work. "Lucretia" is distant from what the band has previously done: it is a piece that owes much to the 80s dark wave. "Lacrima Christi", a cover of Christian Death, closes the CD with its highly danceable rhythms.

In short, despite several flaws, the CD is recommended to all fans of the band and to all those who love these sounds. You shouldn't be disappointed.