Velvet Darkness They Fear
Encyclopedia
Velvet Darkness They Fear is the second album of Norwegian
metal
band Theatre of Tragedy
. It was released in 1996 through Massacre Records
.
Velvet Darkness They Fear also continued the use of Raymond Rohonyi's Early Modern English
lyrics. "Der Tanz der Schatten" is the exception, which is written in German
. The songs themselves rarely have a clear story, but death
, undeath, demons and similar supernatural
elements are all prominent. The lyrics to the songs are referred to within the sleeve notes as 'plays
', 'poems' and one 'soliloquy
', depending on the parts the singers play.
The fifth track, "And When He Falleth," includes a section of Jane Asher
and Vincent Price
's dialogue from the film The Masque of the Red Death
.
The album sold over 125,000 copies.
" as the only single from the record.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Theatre of Tragedy
Theatre of Tragedy
Theatre of Tragedy was a Norwegian band from Stavanger, active between 1993 and 2010. They are best known for their earlier albums, which provided a great deal of influence to the gothic metal genre.-Biography:...
. It was released in 1996 through Massacre Records
Massacre Records
Massacre Records is an independent record label based in Abstatt, Germany.The label was founded in 1991 by Torsten Hartmann. The label is specialized on bands of the harder varieties of metal...
.
Music
Velvet Darkness continued Theatre of Tragedy's particular brand of gothic metal, first featured in their self-titled debut album, defined by alternating and occasionally overlapping male death grunts and sung female vocals; a style which was copied later by many metal bands and known generally as 'Beauty and the Beast'.Velvet Darkness They Fear also continued the use of Raymond Rohonyi's Early Modern English
Early Modern English
Early Modern English is the stage of the English language used from about the end of the Middle English period to 1650. Thus, the first edition of the King James Bible and the works of William Shakespeare both belong to the late phase of Early Modern English...
lyrics. "Der Tanz der Schatten" is the exception, which is written in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
. The songs themselves rarely have a clear story, but death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
, undeath, demons and similar supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
elements are all prominent. The lyrics to the songs are referred to within the sleeve notes as 'plays
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
', 'poems' and one 'soliloquy
Soliloquy
A soliloquy is a device often used in drama whereby a character relates his or her thoughts and feelings to him/herself and to the audience without addressing any of the other characters, and is delivered often when they are alone or think they are alone. Soliloquy is distinct from monologue and...
', depending on the parts the singers play.
The fifth track, "And When He Falleth," includes a section of Jane Asher
Jane Asher
Jane Asher is an English actress. She has also developed a second career as a cake decorator and cake shop proprietor.-Early life:...
and Vincent Price
Vincent Price
Vincent Leonard Price, Jr. was an American actor, well known for his distinctive voice and serio-comic attitude in a series of horror films made in the latter part of his career.-Early life and career:Price was born in St...
's dialogue from the film The Masque of the Red Death
The Masque of the Red Death (film)
The Masque of the Red Death is a 1964 British horror film starring Vincent Price in a tale about a prince who terrorizes a plague-ridden peasantry while merrymaking in a lonely castle with his jaded courtiers. The film was directed by Roger Corman; the screenplay by Charles Beaumont and R...
.
The album sold over 125,000 copies.
Track listing
- "Velvet Darkness They Fear" – 1:05
- "Fair and 'Guiling Copesmate Death" – 7:05
- "Bring Forth Ye Shadow" – 6:49
- "Seraphic Deviltry" – 5:17
- "And When He Falleth" – 7:08
- "Der Tanz Der Schatten" – 5:29
- "Black as the Devil Painteth" – 5:26
- "On Whom the Moon Doth Shine" – 6:15
- "The Masquerader and Phoenix" – 7:35
Singles
On September 16th 1996, the band released "Der Tanz Der SchattenDer Tanz Der Schatten (single)
-History:The single was released on September 16, 1996. It was the only single to be released from the album Velvet Darkness They Fear.-Tracklist:#"Der Tanz der Schatten" 05:13#"Black as the Devil Painteth" 05:26...
" as the only single from the record.
- "Der Tanz Der Schatten" (Club Mix) - 5:13
- "Black As The Devil Painteth" - 5:26
- "A Hamlet for a Slothful Vassal" - 4:05
- "Der Tanz Der Schatten" (Album Version) - 5:28
Personnel
- Raymond RohonyiRaymond RohonyiRaymond István Rohonyi is a Norwegian heavy metal singer.-Biography:He is one of the founders of Theatre of Tragedy and with them he has released six studio albums, a live album and one studio EP...
- vocals, lyrics - Liv KristineLiv KristineLiv Kristine Espenæs Krull , better known as Liv Kristine, is the former vocalist for the band Theatre of Tragedy and current vocalist for the band Leaves' Eyes.- Career :...
- vocals - Geir Flikkeid - guitars
- Tommy Lindal - guitars
- Eirik T. Saltrø - bass
- Hein Frode HansenHein Frode HansenHein Frode Hansen is a Norwegian heavy metal drummer. He was the original vocalist of the power metal band Serpent, formed in 1989. In 1990 he started playing drums in the death metal band Phobia. Both bands broke up in 1991...
- drums - Lorentz AspenLorentz AspenLorentz Aspen is a Norwegian heavy metal pianist and keyboardist. He played in Theatre of Tragedy from October 2, 1993 to October 2, 2010 and with them he released seven studio albums, one live album and five EP's...
- piano, synthesizer
Production
- Produced by Pete Coleman.
- Engineered by Gerhard Magin.
- Recorded and mixed at Commusication Studios.
External links
- Discography at Theatre of TragedyTheatre of TragedyTheatre of Tragedy was a Norwegian band from Stavanger, active between 1993 and 2010. They are best known for their earlier albums, which provided a great deal of influence to the gothic metal genre.-Biography:...
's official website