A Cool Dark Place to Die is an album by Theatre of Ice

Theatre of Ice

Theatre of Ice were an early Deathrock band that formed in the Nevada desert in December 1978. Initially formed to record a soundtrack for a horror movie, the members instead evolved into what some claim was the first Deathrock band...

, released in 1984.

Initially conceived as a solo project for lead vocalist Brent Johnson, it instead became the band's third album and one of their most critically acclaimed works. Since the band would only reform on condition that they were never asked to perform live again, a commitment they were never able to keep, the songs took on a far more experimental and unearthly quality. Featuring an effective spooky ambiance, they all but totally abandoned their punk rock

Punk rock

Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...

 roots for a far more electronic sound. This time the band chose to record in various ghost town cemeteries located throughout the Nevada

Nevada

Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...

 desert. Perhaps more mood than music, it was still reviewed by almost every music magazine as death rock and acclaimed as being unlike anything heard before.

Track listing

Source: Discogs

1. "Welcome to My World"
2. "A Cool Dark Place to Die"
3. "Radio Has Gone Insane"
4. "Deliverance"
5. "Love"
6. "Twilight Messiah"
7. "Witchcraft"
8. "Circle of Stars"
9. "The Calling"
10. "Rejoice"
11. "Life is a Circus"
12. "Oblivion"
13. "It's All Over Now"
14. "Riding the Nightmare"
15. "Candlemas"
16. "The Murdering Mind"
17. "One Two"
18. "Overcoming Peace of Mind"
19. "The Horror That Comes in the Night"
20. "Death... and Beyond"
21. "The Last"

Musicians

• Brent Johnson – vocals, guitars and effects
• John Johnson – guitar, synthesizer and keyboards
• Mark Johnson – drums and things
• Eric Johnson – invisibility