monti_84's BLOG

Band: Theatre of Tragedy

Albums reviewed: "Musique" (2000), "Assembly" (2002)

Genre: Industrial/Techno

After gaining global respect in the metal scene with their previous three albums and a solid fan base, Theatre of Tragedy took a decision that shocked fans and reviewers alike. In 2000 they released the album "Musique" in which they took an 180 degrees turn in their musical style, experimenting this time with electronic music, specifically a mix of industrial, techno and electro-pop. This period went on for several years with a follow up album called "Assembly", which continued with the same style.

It goes without saying that they lost a lot of fans with that turn but at the same time they gained listeners outside the metal scene. When comparing both albums, it is clear that "Musique" is a rough and not so good experiment with bad male vocals (to the point of being pathetic) and a good performance by Liv Kristine (as always, she is indeed an outstanding vocalist). The electronic elements are simple and uninteresting. On the contrary "Assembly" shows a band more comfortable with the new style, mature and convincing. The LP includes good tunes with an acceptable vocal performance by both singers, standard instrumentation and some good moments in the synthesizers department. The lyrics switched to modern technology and urban life topics instead of the romantic and poetic lyrics on previous releases. 

These albums are not for the metal music purists out there. They may be appealing for persons into industrial metal, electronic music and pop although there is not groundbreaking music to be found here...

Download Theatre of Tragedy´s discography here

Song: "Automatic Lover" from "Assembly"