Theatre of Tragedy
Forever Is The World
CD. Jewelcase. 2009.

After Liv Kristine's departure in 2003 and a change of management and record label, the band introduced Nell Sigland as their new singer in 2006. That same year, they released the album "Storm," which was generally well-received. In 2009, they released "Forever Is The World," another album that solidified their return to their gothic metal and dark rock roots. Although Nell Sigland didn't quite measure up to Liv Kristine in my opinion, she was deservedly well-received. "Forever Is The World" (FTW) was also well-received, yet Theatre of Tragedy disbanded in October 2010. Their final album, the live album "Last Curtain Call," was released in 2011. Internal differences likely played a role in the breakup. Whatever the reason, I mourn the loss of one of my favorite bands. Whether it was Gothic metal, dark rock, synth, or even the change of the female singer, the music always appealed to me.

"Act as if there's no Tomorrow," this line can be found in the magnificent opener "Hide and Seek." Raymond István Rohonyi gets to growl again, and Nell Sigland's voice provides a bright contrast. "A Nine Days Wonder," "Revolution," and "Transition" are easy on the ears. "Hollow" and "Astray" linger longer, with "Hollow" being my second highlight; Sigland's voice is a perfect fit for both tracks. "Frozen" and "Illusions," on the other hand, are more like background tracks for me, but they don't really grab me. "Deadland" picks up the pace again, my third highlight, and "Forever is the World" follows as highlight number four, a well-crafted ballad.

Overall, it's more dark rock than gothic metal. There aren't any real lows. Sigland's voice is pleasant and suits the songs, most of which she sings alone. And that makes ToT sound more generic on this album. "Hide and Seek," in particular, is a prime example for me of how well the modernized, sing-song vocals between Nell and Raymond work. This CD finds its way into my player quite often, and apart from a few harsh sibilant sounds, I can't understand the criticism of the mastering. The CD design is well done. It's a shame that this overall good album was the band's last. R.I.P. Theatre of Tragedy.

Nell Sigland – Vocals
Raymond Istvàn Rohonyi  – Vocals
Frank Claussen – Guitar
Vegard K. Thorsen – Guitar
Hein Frode Hansen – Drums
Lorentz Aspen – Keyboards

Theatre of Tragedy 1995
Velvet Darkness They Fear 1996
A Rose for the Dead (EP) 1997
Aegis 1998
Musique 2000
Assembly 2002
Storm 2006
Forever is the World 2009
Remixed 2019 (only Remixes)

The photos are all from my CD. The rights to all motifs, logos, texts and fonts that can be seen in the photos are of course owned by the copyright holder.

TheProgThief
©22.12.2024
Mk 2