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
The Jesters Shadow
Theatres Des Vampires Lyrics
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The night reflects the game of the jester, a crazy shadow that plays with rays of moonlight
He has a great hat with little bells on his head. Their sound reveals the end of another life
On the walls of the cemeteries you can see his shadow, while the eternal night calls another creature of God
The shadow during his eternal dance shows sharp claws that scratch the night and she bleeds
He jumps and runs without truce in Macabria... waits... and is licking tears of buried humanity
Of the forgotten... the night of resurrection shadows... Green flames on the graves are dancing with the jester
You are a shadow that in life is looking for man light but you are sentenced to eternal darkness and pain
Shadows are waiting your unholy-ness The Jester
Like humanity the night of resurrection is near: tears... you will descend on this lost place
The lyrics of The Jester's Shadow by Theatres Des Vampires is ominous and evocative. The song is about the titular Jester, a shadowy figure who plays a game with the light of the moon. The Jester is associated with death since the sound of the bells on his hat signifies the end of a life. His shadow appears on cemetery walls, and he waits for the resurrection of the dead. The lyrics describe Macabria, where the Jester runs and jumps without rest.
The Jester's Shadow is a manifestation of eternal darkness and pain with sharp claws that scratch through the night. He relishes the tears of buried humanity and is accompanied by green flames that dance on graves. The Jester is a shadow that seeks light in life but is sentenced to eternal darkness. Blood and screams become his melody, and shadows wait for his unholy presence. Humanity is on the verge of the Night of Resurrection, and the Jester awaits its arrival.
The lyrics of The Jester's Shadow describe a realm of darkness and death, where a spectral figure known as the Jester stalks the night. The song's imagery, including cemetery walls, green flames, and resurrection, creates a vivid and unsettling atmosphere, reinforced by the driving rhythm of the music. The lyrics speak of the human fascination with death and the afterlife, reminding listeners that death is an ever-present specter.
* The song is featured on Theatres Des Vampires' 2004 album, "Nightbreed of Macabria."
* Theatres Des Vampires is an Italian gothic metal band.
* The band is known for their vampiric image and lyrical themes.
* The lyrics of the song are written by R. Sciamanna, while the music is composed by Robert.
* The band takes inspiration from horror movies and literature in their music.
* The album "Nightbreed of Macabria" is a concept album about a vampire love story.
* The band uses a lot of symphonic elements in their music.
* Theatres Des Vampires' appearance and music have influenced the Italian horror punk scene.
* The band has gone through several lineup changes throughout its history.
* The band's name references a 1960s Italian horror movie.
Chords: Unfortunately, the chords for The Jester's Shadow are not available.
Line by Line Meaning
The night reflects the game of the jester, a crazy shadow that plays with rays of moonlight
The darkness mirrors the antics of the Jester, whose deranged silhouette gambols with the moonbeams
He has a great hat with little bells on his head. Their sound reveals the end of another life
He dons a vast headgear adorned with tinkling bells. Their jingle signals the termination of yet another existence
On the walls of the cemeteries you can see his shadow, while the eternal night calls another creature of God
His profile looms on the grave walls, while the unending darkness beckons unto another of God's creatures
The shadow during his eternal dance shows sharp claws that scratch the night and she bleeds
His incessant dance unleashes cruel talons that lacerate the night, making her bleed
He jumps and runs without truce in Macabria... waits... and is licking tears of buried humanity
He leaps and races unceasingly in Macabria, pausing only to imbibe the tears of humanity long buried
Of the forgotten... the night of resurrection shadows... Green flames on the graves are dancing with the jester
The forgotten underlie Macabria's soil; their specters at the night's resurrection dance amidst the green flames blazing on the graves with the Jester
You are a shadow that in life is looking for man light but you are sentenced to eternal darkness and pain
You are a being who, while living, sought light of mankind but is now doomed to suffer eternal agony in pitch darkness
Your blood is our life and your screams are a sweet melody for us
Your blood serves as our sustenance while the sound of your screams provides a dulcet melody for us
Shadows are waiting your unholy-ness The Jester
Shadows patiently await the coming of the Jester, a being unclean
Like humanity the night of resurrection is near: tears... you will descend on this lost place
As humanity approaches the hour of reawakening, so the Jester shall visit this place of despair
Contributed by Hailey J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.