Theatre Of Tragedy - Assembly
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Automatic Lover* |
| Genre | Gothic/Industrial Metal |
Liv Kristine Espenaes
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Vocals
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| Tracks | 12 |
Raymond I. Rohonniy
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Vocals
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| Runningtime | 46 Min. |
Frank Claussen
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Guitar
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| Label | Nuclear Blast |
Vegard K. Thorsen
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Guitar
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| Release | 22 April 2002 |
Hein Frode Hansen
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Drums
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| Country | Norway |
Lorentz Aspen
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Keyboards
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| Similar artists | Rammstein, Depeche Mode | ||
Norway's pride Theatre of Tragedy are back with their
6th fullength release(11th if you count all minicd's and singles), and
by now they doesn't sound anything like they did back in the mid 90's
when they had their breakthrough with their melancholic, soft and crisp
gothic metal with female vocals that counteracted with Raymond's growling.
The gothic elements are practically gone, and by now it's in the industrial/electronic
realms they are moving, with a very good result I might add.
Nowadays they mix all kinds of styles, and it almost becomes
too much from time to time, when we are being thrown between nearly
punk-esque tunes one minute and ambient gothsongs the next, to be caugth
in an almost U2-like song later on.
But after a few listenings you really manage to see the genius in this,
as they manage to keep the core of metal intact - and I don't hink they
will lose many metalfans with this music, but instead only gaining new
fans that before are more into electronica and equal music.
The opener Automatic Lover spins off with a heavy pounding
rif, and the more aggresssive side of Liv Kristine's singing without
much of a chorus, but instead an ongoing groove.
The follower Universal Race a is a powerful and heavy track that oozes
Rammstein in the verse, and has a killerrefrain, and are already a prospect
for one of this year's better and catchiest songs if you ask me.
Furthermore, songs like Superdrive, Let You Down and Envision
are really killers that hit you like a smack in the face, and has a
great groove and a great soundpicture with really fat guitars.
Liv Kristine shows that she is a very talanted singer, and captures
every mood in every song with perfection, and plays a bit on sexyness
in some parts too, and she does that job good.
The overall guitarsound is heavy and compact, and are
contributing a great deal to the fact that this sounds like music with
pondus and power.
The album is produced by Hiili Hiilismaa (HIM, Apocalyptica, Moonspell,
69 Eyes), and the sound is really good and leaves not much to complain
about.
The electronic elements are overwhelming nowadays, with
a lot of loops, samples and spacy sounds that bring your thoughts outside
the realms of metal when listening to this, and if Kraftwerk would have
put heavy guitars on some of their tunes back in the days - than it
might have sounded something like this.
As earlier said, in some songs they make a turn for the more softer
side, and then it gets almost a touch of U2 and Pet Shop Boys(!) over
it, but it's of course still dark, powerful and much more metal than
that over it.
If you appreciate their two latest albums, than this should
definitly be something for you, but if you instead wants metal to the
bone - then I suggest you look elsewhere.
Then this probably is too deep and spacy for you, even though you should
at least be able to enjoy the guitars in most of the songs.
This is damn good, and they make me feel very good listening to this, at the same time as the headbanging nerve make itself constantly reminded and wants to get busy.
I am already looking forward to their next album - and that is a good sign.
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Production
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Vocals
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Compositions
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9 |
9 |
8 |
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Summary
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8,5 chalices of 10 - Tommy |
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