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Thrash metal band from the US Not with the same status as Slayer or Metallica, and I can understand that cause this isn´t so good......Even so, the band have many fans through out the world. But who cares about that? I dont like this album. Thats it!
Ranking: 3 / 10
THEATRE OF TRAGEDY
Theatre of Tragedy
The first album from this gothic metal group who sat the standard how great goth should sound like (even if the band have fail on later albums....). With Mr. Raymonds "deep-down-from-hell" voice and Liv Kristin´s beautiful voice, this is a album with many contrasts. The music is slow and with heavy guitars and piano, and sometimes violins. The highlight of the album are "...a distance there is...", when Liv Kristin sings all by her self, with just a a piano and the sorrowful sound of rain in the background......great!
Ranking: 7 / 10
THEATRE OF TRAGEDY
Velvet Darkness They Fear
This is a masterpiece, with a big M! Maybe one of the greatest gothic metal album of all times. The sound and feeling are almost the same as the debut album, but on this one, the song material are much better. All the songs are stocked in your mind for a couple of hours after the listening. And that is always the sign of a good album, or...?
It is very hard to pick out some highlights of this album, but the song "Der Tanz der Shatten" (Dance of the Shadows) are incredible! And I think, since that song are in German (the only one, the rest are in English) it gives the song a deeper atmosphere.
And Raymond´s voice are deeper than ever before, and I like the parts
when Liv Kristin and him are singing at the same time: heaven and hell!
Ranking: 10 / 10
THEATRE OF TRAGEDY
Aegis
The expectations for this album was very big, at least for me. And maybe some people was disappointed. I was at first, but after a few listening, or more, I like this album.
It differs a lot from the previous ones: it´s not that heavy and dark anymore. This is soft and sometimes catchy, but with the same sorrowful beautiful feeling. Liv Kristin is as great as before, but Raymond sings with a clean voice now. Well, he almost whispers, all the album through. The songs are also more complicated, with much more sounds like keyboards and effects, but at the same time you get a "clean" feeling of it. Well, it is hard to describe, but this is an album when you should grab your girlfriend (or boyfriend) and shut the lights in the room, lit some candles and just start kissing......yes, it is a love album: soft and slow.
Ranking: 5 / 10
THEATRE OF TRAGEDY
Musique
If ToT made a big changed on the last album, this is an even bigger change. And it sucks. Tot have buried them self in a big ugly grave......And that is very sad, cause they can really made good music, but that era is over. At least for now. One can hope that they return with a "back to the roots" thing on the next album.
This on is en electronic album, and it seems like every band must go through that phase nowadays. A few band are very successful in that change, and some are not. Tot are not.
Liv Kristin sings like before, and Raymond are sounding like E-type (a Swedish dance artist). The music are (my own words) techno-rock. The lyrics are about computers, the future, radios and other things that have to do with electronic.......
Play Gothic metal again on the next album, or at least something that sounds nice....
Ranking: - / 10
THEATRE OF TRAGEDY
Assembly
Theatre of Tragedy goes on and explores the disgusting ways of synth and weird effects on their latest release. Which means in the same vein as "Musique". I hated that album and longed for ToT to dress in velvet clothes again. I still do that, but this time I cant help to like this.....Yes, call me a traitor, retard or whatever, but I cant help like this album. Maybe I, in a distant place in my mind, learned to accept Tot´s new way of making music. I dont know....
Since I am not so familiar with this kind of music, I cant not say if this music is good in it´s style. I must ask my synth-friends for their opinion. But as far as I know, the music is built from a well tried formula: verse, catchy chorus. And Liv "Sugar voice" Kristine is the highlight of the album. Without her Tot wouldn´t be anything. The male singer, Raymond, still sounds like the Swedish anti-hero E-type. But as I said: I think I am used to that terrible voice, so I accept it.
Their are still some metal in the music though, even if it´s not much left now. But with some nice hard riffs and keyboard tunes, this album is the perfect party album. A straight forward one, that dont will bore you.
Now I must listen to "Musique" again to see if that album sucks, as I thought it did for not so long ago.
So tell me, am I evil?
Ranking: 6 / 10
Therion is a band I like very much, at least since they gave the "Theli" album out. This one, from 1993, is a little taste for what to come. But not much. I would best describe it as death/thrash metal with symphonic influences. But since I heard this album after "Theli", I cant find this album good. It is not even worth listen at if you only have the later ones. Only to fill the collection maybe.....
Ranking: 2 / 10
THERION
Theli
A great album. And I think it is the best Therion album to date. Choirs (big one, not just a single girl that sings. We are talking big choirs here...), violins, pianos, guitars and drums in a perfect harmony. Okay, you think, the usual Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir thing. But no, this is symphonic metal at it´s best. The only thing that disturbs me are the male main singer: he doesn´t sing with a clean voice, and he doesn´t sing with the death metal voice. It is something in between. But besides of that, this is a great album.
The lyrics are, I think, about some Egyptian things, like ancient Gods. And there are some Egypt influences in the music as well.
Buy this album if you want music that sounds big and fat, with many, many instruments, and some beautiful choirs.
Ranking: 8 / 10
THERION
A´Arab Zaraq Lucid Dreaming
Not a "real" Therion album, but a soundtrack the main man behind Therion wrote for a low-budget movie, and on this album that soundtrack appears. The other half are the Therion versions of that songs, which means: the symphony are spiced up with some guitars. Thats about it. But the nice thing is the covers: Some old heavy metal songs in Therion versions ("Children of the Damned", "Under Jolly Roger", "Here comes the Tears" and more).
Ranking: 6 / 10
THERION
Vovin
The "Theli" sound is almost gone by now: There are almost only choirs on the album, and when it´s not, one single girl sings. The music isn´t that symphonic now, instead they build the music on guitar riffs, but there are of course violins and cellos, or whatever it is. And I must say that I liked the "Theli" sound better. But still this is amore than a nice album. Very original to say the least. Beautiful and powerful.
Ranking: 6 / 10
THERION
Crowning of Atlantis
Just a year after "Vovin", this album appears (1999). And it´s sounding exactly the same as the previous one, and I think this material was from the "Vovin" recording, but it didn´t fit on that album.
Well, to fill the space up, they added two covers and three live recording songs.....So, beware of this album if you are looking for serious Therion album.
Ranking: 5 / 10
THERION
Deggial
I waited for this album, and they havn´t changed a bit since "Vovin". Maybe the songs are more varying on this album, and if it comes to which album you should buy if it stands between these two, I would say: this album. And thats because what I just wrote. Nothing more.
I hope that Therion, on the next album, will go one step forward. I think it is about time, cause the last three album are sounding the same. Otherwise people will get bored. Or maybe they already are.....
Ranking: 7 / 10
THERION
Secret of the Runes
Nothing new. Not this time either. This album just drowns together with the last three or four albums. Well, somw things have changed in fact: The sound. It is not the clean "Therion sound" on this album, it sounds rougher and not so clinical anymore. Thats about it. So if Therion want to surprice me they must change more than the sound......
But lets look at this from another view: Christopher (the front man, song writer) is a genious in music, everybody knows that. If this album was the first Therion album ever, it would probablly been a worldwide masterpiece, but since the last album (and the one before that, and before that...) sounded exactly the same, I can made this conclusion: Therion is not fun to listen to anymore.
As I ended the "Deggial" review": I hope Therion will take one (big) step forward on the next album......But maybe that day never will come.
Ranking: 7 / 10
The only Therapy? album I have heard. And I dont think they need a presentation. Okay, they are playing radio-friendly rock, but with some weird lyrics sometimes.
I dont know if this album is below or over their standard, but I love this album. There are some great rock songs and ballads, and the lyrics are sometimes very fun to read. The highlight is the ballad "Diane" at the end of the album, with a cello, instead of the usual guitars, they tell the story about how Diane dies in the hand of a madman.
Ranking: 8 / 10
A new black metal release from Norway. Some people will be extremely happy,
some will hate it all, and some don't care... I'm in between these three alternatives.
Since I'm weak for Norwegian metal I just can't throw this away. And since Frost
(Satyricon) are behind the drums I just have to listen to this. Well, Frost
will make every black metal wannabe out there more than happy. I just can't
understand how someone are able to play so f**king fast!?
So, what about the rest? This is not the standard Norwegian black metal album
I think. But at the same time I can't figure out at which point it differs....
But my first impression was that it sounds like Darkthrone at high speed. But
with more atmosphere... yeah.. Anyway, this album are not bad at all. And it
is nice to hear a black metal album from 2003 that are new but still old (?).
The songs "Legion" and "Pitch Black" are very nice ones.
And 1349 version of Mayhem's "Buried by time and dust" are also worth
listen to.
A cult black metal band from Norway (where else?). This is actually the first album release from this one-man band (well, I think it´s a one man band). They released a demo for more than ten years ago and since then Thorns have been on ice...or something.
Well, the expactations was very high before the release cause Thorn´s music have allways been classed as something great (I dont agree, but it is not bad). This album sounds abit like the demo did, but with, ofcourse, a better production.
Thorns is very hard to describe. It is not like the ordinary balck metal, not at all, except for the voice. It is quite original and thats not a common things nowadays. The guitars are distorted, but sounding very clean. Some industrial influences are sneeking in here and there, but the ground that Thorns stands on are Metal, so dont be afraid. The music is in fact very simple: no fuzzy keyboards, no unnecessary sounds. Just guitars, bass, drums and a voice (plus some effects). Simple, but made with some excellent skill! This is very nice music!
You have to hear this for your self, cause I cant describe it, but it is clearly woth the money.....
Ranking: 7 / 10
THY SERPENT
Forests of Witchery
One of the first Finnish black metal band, or dark metal as they call it. This is slow music build on guitar melodies and keyboards (yes, the usual stuff). They singer sings with the usual black metal voice. This is just another "evil" metal album. And Thy Serpent belongs not to the elite, but not in the bottom either. Again: just a ordinary black (dark) metal album.
Ranking: 4 / 10
THY SERPENT
Christchrusher
Sounding like the previous one, but on this the songs are a bit shorter. Same guitar melodies bring the songs forward, and there are keyboards here and there. Rather boring actually (just like the debut). Probably you (the same as myself) will like the album the first time you listen to it, but you will forget it after a few days. Fun, isn´t it?
Ranking: 4 / 10
Tiamat didn´t made a name of them self of this album, thats for sure......This is early Tiamat, when they were (tried to be) a death/black metal band. The debut album (Summerian Cry) is even worse......Well, a few good songs passes actually by on this one. And Edlund´s voice are not that good either.......The songs are mid-paced and quite good, but I think that Edlund`s voice destroys all of it when he tries to sing with a dark voice.......
Ranking: 3 / 10
TIAMAT
Clouds
This is a little better. But Edlund still, in some songs, sing with that annoying voice. But he also sings with a clean voice, and that is much better. The songs are almost the same as on "Astral...", but on this album the song are more simple. It seems like they made it too complicated before. This is a step in the right direction I think.
Ranking: 4 / 10
TIAMAT
Wildhoney
A completely different sound! Slow, long songs with a lot of keyboards, acoustics and guitars. And when Johan Edlund tries to sing "dark", he actually make it! I dont know what he have done to his voice......On the other songs, he more like whispers, and it gives the songs a creepy atmosphere.
This is the first Tiamat worth buying. The older ones belongs in a museum, or if you are a great Tiamat fan you should buy them....if you can find them.
Ranking: 7 / 10
TIAMAT
Skeleton Skeletron
Tiamat goes Sisters of Mercy. Not electronic as everybody else......A they made a very good album. It is hard to believe that Tiamat started as a death metal band when you hear this......And this album brought Tiamat to the audience.
As I said, this is sounding like Sisters, so it isn´t necessary to describe the music. But one thing is strange: I listened on this album alot after I bought it, but after a while you get pretty bored. Maybe because the songs are too simple: a verse, a chorus, a verse, and then the song is over......The song structure from "Wildhoney" are completely gone.
Ranking: 6 / 10
TIAMAT
Judas Christ
Tiamat continues to walk the Goth-road....but this time with more rock influences, and maybe a more mainstream song writing. It would not surprise me if this album takes Tiamat out to the big world. The last album was a huge step for them, but this album, which is better all the way through, simply can not fail!
The songs are so professional done, and the production is big, fat and great. The first track to be released is "Vote for Love" (as a CD single), and that song is the big proof of how big Tiamat will become. A simple song with a great verse, and a catchy chorus. It sound so simple, but still great.
Tiamat shows that one dont have to make music complicated to make it sound good. No, sometimes the short and tried road is the best, and Tiamat are for sure kings of that road!
Ranking: 9 / 10
TIAMAT
Prey
Death/black metal, goth/death metal, psychedelic goth metal, goth/rock. These styles are what Tiamat managed to accomplish during more than 10 years. Listening to their debut "Summerian Cry" today and one will wonder if it's the same band.
The last three, maybe four, albums are very much alike, even if "Judas Christ" beat the pervious "A deeper kind..." and "Skeleton Skeletron". This time, 2003, Tiamat returns in the same footsteps as "Judas Christ". Nothing is really new. I guess Tiamat are happy with the sound they created during the last years, so a new "Wildhoney" are probably far away, and so are surprises like "A deeper kind..". Tiamat have found them self's as a goth/rock group and I don't think they will change that for a long time.
"Prey" are a fine album. Just as, yes, the previous albums. Even
if "Prey" feels more professional and more well done, the Tiamat feeling
is all there. The opener "Cain" are this albums highlight. The start
with the bird song, and the following guitar are great! And there is a "Judas
Christ" all over that song. But there are in fact some elements that surprise
me. Specially the song "Divided", which reminds me of "Wildhoney".
The title song gives also a big "Wildhoney" feeling. But it all ends
right there. The rest, well we have heard it all before...
But, even so, it's still a great album. Very easy, very dark and sad, and with
very strong songs. With those elements one just can't fail. But the next time
I would like to see a new Tiamat, or I am afraid that some people out there
will get tired. Some might already me tired, but not me. Not jet...
Ranking: 7 / 10
Another one of those HIM-sounding bands from Finland. At the first look, yes. But after listen this CD through a couple of times, I just say: Stjärt! This is really good! But the thing is; this is not so original or new at all: standard gothic pop/rock (like HIM, but more melody and not so slow). The singer sings with a clean and sometimes strange deep voice (sometimes he sounds a bit like the good old Ozzy).
The lyrics are nothing to be upset about: the ordinary gothic-redroses-my beloved-tears-thing we all know about. The only song I found sad is the last one, "Garden of Stones".
I cant really say why I find this album so incredible good, but the melancholy, the melodies, the female voice which appears here and there, and the overall feeling is great (just listen to the song "Hollow Heart" and "Immortal Love" and you will understand), that this album will be in my player for a long time!
Ranking: 9 / 10
TRAIL OF TEARS
Disclosure in Red
A gothic metal band from Norway, riding on the winds after Theatre of Tragedy and Tristania, but not reaching up to their level. But it´s not far. The guys in this band can really play, and the male singer sing with a wonderful deep voice. The female (yes, of course) sings also great, with a high, mirror cracking voice. The music is a little different from their friends in Tristania and Tot: a bit faster and more varied. If those mention bands haven´t exist, Trail of Tears would probably been a great band, but since it is hard to not compare bands, they fail cause those band are simple better......But I will look for this band in the future, thats for sure.
Ranking: 6 / 10
Their debut album, or mini album, cause it only contain four songs, or just two real songs. The other two are just intros and outros. And the two real songs you can find on their first real album.
Well, this EP was just a taste for what to come, so you better read the review below.
Ranking: 5 / 10
TRISTANIA
Widow´s Weed
Yeees! A real classic gothic album (like "Velvet Darkness They Fear"). This ones starts up with the bombastic "Evenfall": a great song with Vibeke Stene´s beautiful voice and Morten Veland....heavy guitars, symphonic keyboards....Well, you have probably heard it before, but this band knows how to make good music. Together with early Theatre of Tragedy, Tristania belongs to the elite, at least with this Masterpiece.
Ranking: 9 / 10
TRISTANIA
Beyond the Veil
This album was a disappointment. They have changed their sound abit. The sound isn´t as big and fat anymore. It is weaker simple. Maybe it is the production that makes it that way, or if the band it to sound this way? Well, what I liked about "Widow´s Weeds" was that thing, and of course the great songs, which is something "Beyond the Veil" is missing. There are a few great songs which could be from the previous album, but the rest aren´t that great.
But if I just see this album and forget "Widow´s Weeds" for a moment, this is of course a nice album. But sometimes it is very hard to forget........
Ranking: 6 / 10
TRISTANIA
World of Glass
A very nice cover meets me, and so does the music. When I hear the first song I think:"Woh! They have returned to the old sound again. Yes!" But thats not the truth. Well, some songs reminds a bit of "Widow´s weeds", but the whole album itself starts where "Beyond the veil" ended. I had some problem with "Beyond...", so you might think that this one will give me more problems. But that not true. This is a better album, more technical, more effects and more of everything. So after listen the whole album through I must say that this is as far away from "Widow´s.." that Tristania can get.
They have added some clean male voclas on this album, which sounds really great. And Viebeke haven´t change at all. Just as we want it. The sound is pretty much the same as on "Beyond...": guitars buzzing in the background.
Well. I am very happy with this one!
Ranking: 8 / 10
TROLL
Trollstorm Over Nidingjuv
Nagash´s(from The Kovenant and Dimmu Borgir) solo project Troll is a piece of dirty Norwegian black metal. This sounds a bit like early Darkthrone, and I think Nagash thought of that group while recording this. But of course he didn´t reach up to the mighty Darkthrone´s level.......
This is in fact a EP, containing 4 songs, so dont pay the full price for this. But if you like some old, evil and dirty straight-to-the-point black metal, this is something for you.
Ranking: 6 / 10
This is a band that have reached out to a big audience, but I have never liked them so much (but I haven´t heard them so much either). This album contains a few good songs, and thats it. The rest one can forget.
And what makes Type O so special? Well, the voice I think. Peter Steele´s incredible deep and dark voice. He can really sing (in my opinion, some think it sounds like shit). Thats what makes this group worth listening to.
Ranking: 5 / 10
TWIN PEAKS - Original Soundtrack
Twin Peaks
Since Twin Peaks was and is the best thing ever made on this planet, one simple
must have the soundtrack. Angelo Badalamenti have written most of these creepy-jazz
songs.
A must have!
Ranking: 10 / 10
