THEATRE OF TRAGEDY - ASSEMBLY
Nuclear Blast - 2002
By Rodrigo
At first I thought that this album was a joke. I knew that Theatre of Tragedy was a gothic metal band but I had no idea that starting with Aégis and their last album Musique they were becoming a total different entity. So imagine my surprise when I put Assembly on for the first time and I hear this industrial, electronic, dance and pop melodies coming out of my speaker. I double checked the name of the band, yes it is Theatre of Tragedy, as well as making sure that this came from Nuclear Blast, yes that is the familiar logo on the back. Ok, so what the hell is up with this album?
I was about to turn it off and immediately send it to another writer when something strange happened. I started grooving along to the first song "Automatic Lover" and I started to really pay attention to Livs enchanting and sexy singing and before I knew it I was completely hooked by Assembly. I am pretty open to a lot of music. It just happens that metal is the one genre that has touched me the most but that doesnt mean that I put a deaf ear to other genres. So while giving this album more and more listens, I just had to admit that this is a really great release.
Liv mostly handles the vocal duties but Raymond adds the male contrast with a mostly talkative voice, I really like how both of them work throughout the whole album but especially in "Play". The synths and pop melodies (Lorentz Aspen) are really upbeat, fun and happy. "Let You Down" and "Universal Race" are two songs in particular that seriously want to make me dance. I cant deny the great beats and groove that these songs employ. There are guitars (Frank Claussen and Vegard K. Thorsen) to be found in Assembly. While they are not overly complex, they do sound heavy, crunchy and big giving the album some punch. "Envision" and "Flickerlight" are two of the songs that feature some of the heaviest guitars yet they complement the overall sound rather than dominate it.
So by this point you should know if you want to give this album a chance or just totally ignore it. If you are pretty open to other musical genres, especially electronic, then you might want to check out Assembly. You should find yourself with a very fun and upbeat album. Hey at least if you have a girlfriend or boyfriend that doesnt enjoy metal this could be an album that both of you could enjoy. Otherwise I would suggest you stay clear from this release because it definitely is not for the typical metal fan.
Nuclear Blast Website
Theatre of Tragedy Official Website
Nuclear Blast - 2002
By Rodrigo
At first I thought that this album was a joke. I knew that Theatre of Tragedy was a gothic metal band but I had no idea that starting with Aégis and their last album Musique they were becoming a total different entity. So imagine my surprise when I put Assembly on for the first time and I hear this industrial, electronic, dance and pop melodies coming out of my speaker. I double checked the name of the band, yes it is Theatre of Tragedy, as well as making sure that this came from Nuclear Blast, yes that is the familiar logo on the back. Ok, so what the hell is up with this album?
I was about to turn it off and immediately send it to another writer when something strange happened. I started grooving along to the first song "Automatic Lover" and I started to really pay attention to Livs enchanting and sexy singing and before I knew it I was completely hooked by Assembly. I am pretty open to a lot of music. It just happens that metal is the one genre that has touched me the most but that doesnt mean that I put a deaf ear to other genres. So while giving this album more and more listens, I just had to admit that this is a really great release.
Liv mostly handles the vocal duties but Raymond adds the male contrast with a mostly talkative voice, I really like how both of them work throughout the whole album but especially in "Play". The synths and pop melodies (Lorentz Aspen) are really upbeat, fun and happy. "Let You Down" and "Universal Race" are two songs in particular that seriously want to make me dance. I cant deny the great beats and groove that these songs employ. There are guitars (Frank Claussen and Vegard K. Thorsen) to be found in Assembly. While they are not overly complex, they do sound heavy, crunchy and big giving the album some punch. "Envision" and "Flickerlight" are two of the songs that feature some of the heaviest guitars yet they complement the overall sound rather than dominate it.
So by this point you should know if you want to give this album a chance or just totally ignore it. If you are pretty open to other musical genres, especially electronic, then you might want to check out Assembly. You should find yourself with a very fun and upbeat album. Hey at least if you have a girlfriend or boyfriend that doesnt enjoy metal this could be an album that both of you could enjoy. Otherwise I would suggest you stay clear from this release because it definitely is not for the typical metal fan.
Nuclear Blast Website
Theatre of Tragedy Official Website
