Their earlier albums have provided a great deal of influence to the gothic metal genre. The band was one of the first ones who made use of contrasting vocals - male bass vocals and death growls and female soprano singing.
On their first three albums (Theatre of Tragedy, Velvet Darkness They Fear, Aégis) Theatre of Tragedy presented lyrics written predominantly in Early Modern English, a precedent to modern English used in and around Shakespearean times.
Starting from the album Musique, however, the band made drastic changes to their style, which became significantly inspired by electro-rock and electro-pop, abandoning Early Modern English lyrics writing, heavier guitar riffing and death growls in the process. This style change was consequently continued on the following album, Assembly.
After a long break and after changing the female vocalist due to musical differences, and furthermore their management and the record label, Theatre of Tragedy released their new album Storm, the first one with their new singer, Nell Sigland (from The Crest).
On this album, the electronic influences are reduced again in favour of simplicity and naturalism. According to Hein Frode Hansen, Storm is to be seen as the missing link between Aégis and Musique.
The new album Forever is the World, reverts back to the gothic metal roots, but keeps the atmospheric metal styling of Storm. The band said the album was very much written by Nell as well as other band members, moreover it was partially written before Storm was. It is seen to be more organic than their last 3 albums and has been both praised and criticised by fans, though most publications seem to praise it from being different to the symphonic metal that is very much popularised in today's music industry.
The band split on October 2nd, 2010, exactly 17 years after forming. The final curtain show was played in Stavanger, Norway and was recorded live for a later DVD release.
Final lineup:
* Raymond István Rohonyi - Vocals & Programming
* Nell Sigland - Vocals - (The Crest)
* Frank Claussen - Guitars
* Vegard K. Thorsen - Guitars
* Lorentz Aspen - Keyboards
* Hein Frode Hansen - Drums - (ex-Phobia)
Former members:
* Liv Kristine Espenæs Krull - Vocals - (Leaves' Eyes, Liv Kristine, Atrocity (guest), Cradle of Filth (guest))
* Tommy Lindal - Guitars
* Tommy Olsson - Guitars
* Pål Bjåstad - Guitars
* Geir Flikkeid - Guitars
* Eirik T. Saltrø - Bass
Albums:
1995 - Theatre of Tragedy
1996 - Velvet Darkness They Fear
1998 - Aégis
2000 - Musique
2001 - Closure: Live
2002 - Assembly
2003 - Two Originals (Compilation)
2006 - Storm
2009 - Forever is the World
Singles and EPs:
1994 - Theatre of Tragedy Demo (Demo)
1996 - Der Tanz Der Schatten (Single)
1997 - A Rose for the Dead (EP)
1998 - Cassandra (Single)
2000 - Image (Single)
2001 - Machine (Single)
2001 - Inperspective (EP)
2002 - Let You Down (Single)
2002 - Envision (Single)
2006 - Storm (Single)
2010 - Addenda (EP)
Official site: www.theatreoftragedy.com
Bacchante
Theatre of Tragedy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
An ado as aglow:
Belying the paynim
Thou rewrot'st the tome
An ivy-crown'd and dancing,
And fawn'd and trancing
Espying the surly wud,
And heeding her not.
Celebration
Afear'd of Bacchante,
And dost thou 'hold the yill?
Behind is the sleepless;
Eyne 'holding na mo.
Celebration
Onto the paper scribe I the words that fro my heart move
With every dight letter, with the ebb of ink,
The point of the quill my penmanship doth mirror;
Tales of theft and adultery,
Tales of devilment and witchery
Tales of me.
Celebration Bacchari
The lyrics of Theatre of Tragedy's song "Bacchante" evoke a sense of celebration for a wild and passionate deity, Bacchus. The song begins with the lyrics "Ado with a mean woe, An ado as aglow: Belying the paynim Thou rewrot'st the tome", which portrays an energetic and joyful celebration. The word "ado" signifies a commotion, and "as aglow" emphasizes the excitement and passion of the celebration. The line "Belying the paynim, Thou rewrot'st the tome" is a reference to rewriting traditions and norms of the pagan religion, which is often associated with Bacchus.
The lyrics describe the scene of a wild and carefree celebration with an ivy-crowned Bacchus, dancing and celebrating. The line "An ivy-crown'd and dancing, And fawn'd and trancing" portrays the deity's animal-like characteristics and his ability to captivate and entrance his followers. The lyrics "Afear'd of Bacchante, And dost thou 'hold the yill?" suggests that the singer is feared of the Bacchante, who is the female followers of Bacchus. The fear might stem from the uncontrollable and wild nature of the followers, who are often depicted as possessed by the deity during their frenzied rituals.
The song ends with the lyrics "Onto the paper scribe I the words that fro my heart move", which suggests that the singer is chronicling their experiences with Bacchus and his followers. The tales of "devilment and witchery" and "tales of me" suggest that the singer is part of the celebration and has experienced the wild and unpredictable nature of Bacchus and his followers firsthand. The lyrics of "Bacchante" evoke a sense of primal energy and wildness that is often associated with ritualistic celebrations of Bacchus and his followers.
Line by Line Meaning
Ado with a mean woe,
Despite feeling sadness, there is a restless excitement in the air.
An ado as aglow:
The excitement is bright and warm, filling the space.
Belying the paynim
Going against non-believers in the traditional sense.
Thou rewrot'st the tome
Changing what is written in the holy book, going against tradition.
An ivy-crown'd and dancing,
Wearing a crown of ivy and dancing represents the free spirit and joy of the celebration.
And fawn'd and trancing
Being enraptured and entranced, unable to look away from the joyous revelry.
Espying the surly wud,
Not paying attention to the darkness and danger lurking nearby.
And heeding her not.
Ignoring warnings of the danger and continuing with the celebration.
Afear'd of Bacchante,
Feeling afraid of the wild and free Bacchante spirit.
And dost thou 'hold the yill?
Are you still holding onto your fear and inhibitions?
Behind is the sleepless;
The party is so lively that sleep is impossible.
Eyne 'holding na mo.
Eyes are wide open, unable to look away from the celebration.
Onto the paper scribe I the words that fro my heart move
Writing from the heart and expressing emotions through words.
With every dight letter, with the ebb of ink,
Crafting and perfecting each word of the message.
The point of the quill my penmanship doth mirror;
The writing instrument is an extension of the writer's hand and mind.
Tales of theft and adultery,
The stories that are being written about involve immoral acts.
Tales of devilment and witchery
These sins involve dabbling in the occult and the dark arts.
Tales of me.
These immoral acts are told from a personal perspective, as if they are the writer's own experiences.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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