The band's members expressed a fascination with vampires and anything connected to them, earning themselves and their music the title "vampiric metal" from their contemporaries. The band created a coherent image of vampirism in their stage performance and within the lyrical themes and atmospheres of their music, which contributed heavily to the gaining of their fan-base.
During their career, the band was first primarily influenced by symphonic black metal, but later tended to include differing influences, including: classicalmusic, opera, darkwave, deathrock, gothic rock and several electro-industrial sub-genres. Throughout this stylistic deviation, a few characteristics of the band's music have remained consistent; melancholic atmospheres and lyrics, vocal styles of akin to gothic metal, and their vampiric image.
The band has produced ten albums in ten years with the English label Plastic Head, and has gained more recognition within the metal scene in Europe, South America and Russia, partially due to the band's participation in various festivals around the world. These include: Vampyria III in London in 1999, Gods of Metal in Italy in 2000, Wave-Gotik-Treffen in Leipzig in 2003 and in 2006, Gotham in London in 2004, Female Voices Festival in Wieze, Belgium in 2006.
In 2003, the band toured with Christian Death throughout Europe, and recorded an album with Valor of Christian Death and Gian Pyres of Cradle of Filth as special guests.
The band's shows have always seen a reasonable level of attendance, and have become more dramatic over the band's career, incorporating fireworks and "out of line" appearances by Scarlet.
Since 2004, Sonya Scarlet has remained the solo vocalist and front of the band, replacing her previous role as backing vocals.
Scarlet sometimes cuts herself with razors at performances, freely letting fans drink her blood, promising them the gift of immortality. In 2005 several English clubs forbade her performing the display of bloodletting, because it violates English laws against the incitement to commit suicide.
On 28 November 2005, Aural Music released the album Pleasure and Pain. Distributors throughout Europe bought the album and it was published with permission in Europe, South America, the USA, Russia, and Japan.
On 19 March 2007, they released their album Desire of Damnation. Desire of Damnation is a double CD, with live songs from The Addiction tour 2006 and some new studio songs and remixes.
Guitarist Robert "Morgoth" left the band in 2006 and was replaced by Stephan Benfante.
On 2 May 2008, they released their 8th studio album Anima Noir. With this album their sound evolves once again, taking the route of electronic/industrial gothic metal while still retaining vampiric lyrics.
In November, 2008, Theatres des Vampires announced that they would go on a temporary hiatus due to both personal and health related issued of vocalist Sonya Scarlet.
On 14 January 2011 Aural Music released the album Moonlight Waltz, their ninth studio album. A music video for the song "Carmilla" was filmed on August 28 and 29, directed by David Bracci, who worked on most of Dario Argento's films in the past decade, and has also directed the "Lilith Mater Inferorum" music video.
The name "Théâtre des Vampires" was inspired by a fictional location created by Gothic fantasy writer Anne Rice of the same name. Rice's Théâtre des Vampires is a Parisian theater, in which vampires pretend to be mortal actors, their performances consisting of the feeding on mortals disguised as part of a play and staged in front of human audiences. The location is mentioned in several of Rice's books, including Interview With the Vampire and The Vampire Lestat.
Official site: http://www.theatres-des-vampires.net
Fly Away
Theatres Des Vampires Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We've always been
You know how to pray to see
This surrendered mind
Is learning how to live
In this labyrinth of time
We do not escape
You'll be the next one
To rise up this endless sea
Fly Away
Through this pain
Where nothing seems so real
There is no more time to bleed
There is no more chance to dream
Our distorted eyes are asking to be free
Free from this darkness
All around us
Out of this cage
If you asking
You'll be the next one
To rise up this endless sea
Fly Away
Through this rain
Where things appears unreal
The lyrics of Theatres Des Vampires' "Fly Away" appear to be about a spiritual or existential journey towards freedom. The song starts with a line that speaks to the eternity of existence, "You know what/ We've always been," and suggests that prayer or meditation have come into play in order to alleviate suffering, "You know how to pray to see/ This surrendered mind/ Is learning how to live." This passage seems to echo the human condition of being lost in a maze of life, "In this labyrinth of time/ We do not escape."
The chorus of the song is catchy and memorable. It implores the listener to take risks in order to achieve transcendence, "If you ready/ You'll be the next one/ To rise up this endless sea/ Fly Away/ Through this pain." This appears to be an invitation to the listener to let go of fear or doubt and to dream big. The lyrics suggest that living a life of conformity or stagnancy is no longer an option, "There is no more time to bleed/ There is no more chance to dream."
The second half of the chorus takes on an almost desperate tone. It describes a state of being trapped in disillusionment, "Our distorted eyes are asking to be free." It then goes on to state simply that the way out of this persistent darkness is through flight, "Fly Away."
In all, "Fly Away" throws the listener into a journey of self-discovery and exploration. The lyrics suggest a spiritual release from conformity and a flight towards freedom.
Line by Line Meaning
You know what
We are aware of what is happening
We've always been
We have been conscious for a long time
You know how to pray to see
You are capable of seeking guidance through prayer
This surrendered mind
Our giving up on struggling against the current situation
Is learning how to live
We are adapting to the new circumstances
In this labyrinth of time
Life is a complex maze that we navigate through
We do not escape
We cannot evade our fate
If you ready
If you are prepared
You'll be the next one
You will be the next person
To rise up this endless sea
To overcome this infinite struggle
Fly Away
Escape from the torment and pain
Through this pain
Despite the agony we are feeling
Where nothing seems so real
In an alternate reality that feels unreal
There is no more time to bleed
We cannot afford to continue losing blood
There is no more chance to dream
All hope of pursuing our aspirations is lost
Our distorted eyes are asking to be free
Our vision is impaired and we long for freedom
Free from this darkness
Released from the oppression that surrounds us
All around us
Everywhere we turn
Out of this cage
Escaping the metaphorical prison that confines us
If you asking
If you are inquiring
You'll be the next one
You will be the subsequent person
To rise up this endless sea
To transcend this ceaseless ocean
Fly Away
Be liberated from the suffering
Through this rain
Through the hardships and obstacles
Where things appears unreal
In a place where everything seems fictitious
Contributed by Ethan D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.