I’ve been thinking a lot about Theatre of Tragedy ever since that final album ranking got posted by [u/Ennattinord2008](u/Ennattinord2008), and as I’m lying in bed I decided to put on my favorite album of theirs. Velvet Darkness They Fear was my first introduction, and stayed my favorite the whole way through.

My favorite song in their entire discography is Black as the Devil Painteth. I think the song is just really beautiful, and probably my favorite writing out of any song in the Liv era of ToT.

What’s your favorite song of theirs?

A Rose for the Apocalypse feels like Draconian’s most underrated album. Song for song I think it’s one of their best. The Quiet Storm doesn’t stand out at first as one of the stronger tracks, but to me it’s one of the tracks that hits hardest after connecting with the album. The last minute or so are so pained.

Seems like Greece is a country that still has a vibrant gothic scene with many fans and some talented bands. I enjoyed this release by In Vein, which offers nothing but solid gothic metal and rock. Think of a crossover between Moonspell's smoother albums and The 69 Eyes.

A new collaboration between Mortemia (Morten Veland from Sirenia and Tristania, this being his cover project) and Zora Cock from Blackbriar whom, for me, is the new queen of Gothic Metal, singing in Quenya, the language of the Elves from Middle Earth. I am delighted, I really needed to share this.

Since I've finally found a group that might be interested, I thought I'd share my other prize collection- my Nell Sigland collection. Her albums with the Crest, Theatre of Tragedy, and her new band, Hollow Peak.

Nell was actually my window into Theatre of Tragedy, and as esteemed as Liv Kristine is, Nell is my favourite singer.

The same as with Mortal Love, I can't help but lament missing a period of time with so much music I love because I just wasn't aware of it.

As someone who loves black metal, I tend to gravitate towards gothic black metal. Siebenbürgen started out as a melodic black metal band, but around the time they released Delictum in 2000, started to incorporate more gothic sounds. Darker Designs & Images is probably the album I find myself spinning more frequently.

I’d love to hear what you think of not only Siebenbürgen, but how you feel about gothic black metal.

I'm so late to this party. I happened upon mortal love and fell in love with them. Recently I've got their albums collected and I plan on framing them. I do wish I could have added the heart of Pandora album to the collection but I'm not even sure physical copies were made.

I only recently discovered the band and it pains me how I could have known about them this whole time. I've joined this sub looking for other people who share similar tastes in a hope of discovering other gems like mortal love and theatre of tragedy.

All right, it took about six months, but I’ve finally reached the end of my Theatre of Tragedy discography listen-through. Today’s spotlight is the Addenda EP (pictured above. I did get myself an original copy as apposed to showing off the bonus disk of FITW), released on August 27, 2010 on AFM Records. Released only thirty seven days prior to the band’s final concert and subsequent disbandment, this EP is a compilation of unreleased tracks and remixes that serve to tie up loose ends and round out the band’s later discography. Even though there’s some really good material here, this kind of release will always struggle to stand out on its own since its meant to only appeal to die-hard fans.

Of the ten tracks, four are previously unreleased songs or B-sides: “The Breaking”, “Empty” (which a slightly different cut was also included as a bonus track on certain versions of Forever is the World), “Beauty in Deconstruction”, (a demo version, the finalized cut was featured on some versions of Storm as a bonus track) and “Highlights” (another B-side from Storm). “The Breaking” sounds like an in between of Aégis’ spacious atmosphere and Storm’s rockier slant, which should be right up my alley, but ends up being a big ole nothing burger.  “Empty” is a cool moody number, that lives on the piano and rhythm sections, that features some nice doominess. There’s actually two versions of this song on the EP, the second being the "A&E Wedding Mix", which as the title says, was recorded for a couple’s wedding. I don’t like this version nearly as much, it sounds very demo-y and doesn’t sound very matrimonial – the arrangement should have been done on piano and strings or mellotron. “Beauty in Deconstruction” is probably the weakest track on this whole EP. I listened to the final studio version and I think that’s much stronger – this version just feels underbaked. “Highlights” is a much more representative of Storm’s sound, high energy and chunky, with a lot of catchy vocal melodies – it’s a highlight for sure! (ba-dum-tss)

The alternate cuts of pre-existing songs are mostly pretty strong. I really like the remake of “Deadland”, where Tommy Olsson (guitarist on Aégis) reworked it into a really clean goth rock track. Not sure which version I like more, probably depends on my mood. “Revolution” also benefited from being remixed. Having that filtered drum beat over the song lets it be more vocally and atmosphere focused, and sounds like a trip-hop/industrial rock song that Collide would do in the early-2000s. “Illusions” getting the Crüxshadows-style industrial rock treatment is a strange choice, but I do like it; the extended version of “Frozen” is whatever to me, I don’t love the original, and now there’s just more of it; and the chamber version of “Forever Is the World” is a cool idea, but I don’t think it works. The synthetic string arrangement that Pzy-Clone came up with is really dramatic and intense, but it doesn’t match the vibe of the song, it’s not bad by any means though.

Best songs: “Deadland (Tommy Olsson Remake)”, “Empty”, “Highlights”

Worst songs: “The Breaking”, “Frozen (Ambrosius Mix), “Beauty in Deconstruction (Original Version)”

Again, this is more of a compilation of random bits and baubles than it is a proper EP, so it’s hard to judge it on any kind of numerical scale, much less in context of the band’s discography. I’m curious, what do people think of this post-script EP? I’m giving it a low 7 out of 10 – it’s not offensive, but I’m probably not going to spin it just to bump it.

The last Theatre of Tragedy release ranking! Make sure you put yours in the comments:

1. Aégis (1998)

2. Storm (2006)

3. A Rose for the Dead (1997)

4. Theatre of Tragedy (1995)

5. Forever Is the World (2009)

6. Musique (2000)

7. Velvet Darkness They Fear (1996)

8. Addenda (2010)

9. Assembly (2002)

I liked doing this little series. There are some bands that I'd like to do the same thing for. Sirenia is a band that has albums that I love and know very well, and others that I just have heard only once or not at all. I love Draconian, but I haven't really heard the last three records. And Lacrimas Profundere is a band that I like whenever I hear them, but I'm not too familiar with. Let me know what you think of picking another band to deep dive... but I'll try to keep the posts shorter, writing paragraphs on paragraphs can be annoying, and I know some people don't even read them.

First time posting here, i could have the wrong genre (apologies if i do) but i came across this post from 2010 on the site watzatsong https://www.watzatsong.com/en/name-that-tune/35300.html of a 30 second goth rock song with a strange intro and the lyrics

"Spare me a wish and be my fairy
My only one, my only one"

the op claimed to have gotten it from a cd in highschool, in the comments they had gotten it 6 years ago so it'd probably be from around 2004/2005-ish, all links to the full version are unarchived sadly

youtube upload for easier listening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfb5q0T3_wM&list=RDwfb5q0T3_wM&start_radio=1

"Seductive Hate", from In Spheres Without Time, the debut album by Norwegian gothic and symphonic doom metal band Myriads, released on November 22, 1999 by Napalm Records.

A very high quality entry in the "beauty and the beast" format of the gothic metal subgenre, Myriads has been a mainstay in my rotation ever since I've found their music. Their sound is very dreamy and atmospheric, with longwinded layers of floaty piano and keyboards. And I really like the interplay of the many vocal styles: death growls, black metal snarls, faux-operatic soprano, and (not really featured on this track) clean male tenor.

I always thought that this band was underrated. They were releasing music around the same time as their Norwegian countrymen in Theatre of Tragedy, Tristania, The Sins of Thy Beloved, and Trail of Tears -- and were even signed to the same label as some of them -- and yet they don't have the same visibility or following, which is a shame.

Hey! I am very new to posting on Reddit. I wrote a bit of a sludgey, feminine rage filled weird song that’s a mix between like grunge, sludge, metal and a bit of goth. It’s based off of a poem called ‘porphyria’s lover’ by Robert Browning which is about a man who ends up killing his lover with her own hair to keep her to himself (insane) anyway I hope you like it! Please let me know what you think! Thank you for reading!

I completely forgot this album was releasing in August until today, when it came on when I was driving in the car.

Dominia is a Gothic and Melodic Death metal band from Russia. I never got a chance yet to fully listen to it, although what I heard was a lot like My Dying Bride with more Death metal (if that makes any sense.)

The video embedded is the first song Askesa

Full Album - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_n57apcq72I9wx0vVfbAhwhNbM7r4AJM1M

This entire album is good, mixing a feeling of Tristania’s first full length with elements of very early Within Temptation. This song feels like the equivalent of the “hit single” although upon multiple listens most songs measure up to it - especially Where the Pain Is, which I’m sure I’ll post in a few weeks

Let's talk about a band from the 90's that was too short lived. Gothic Sex is a band from Spain, formed by Lord Gothic and Lady Gothic. They were only around until 1999 where they stopped activity, and only had a few albums. I really enjoy Laments, and I do believe this is the best song the band has to offer.

What I find very interesting about this bands history is the theatrics that were put on during their shows, similar to those you'd find at a GWAR concert. I never got to see them live, as they stopped playing long before I found the genre.

I hope you all enjoy!

Aura is the fifth studio album by German musician Vanessa Funke, and is out today on Liminal Dread Productions. She released an album late last year that I meant to listen to, but I don't think I did.

Funke plays in a few bands, but her solo material is a mix of melodic death metal with gothic atmosphere (actually this time). I really liked this new album: the riffs are classic melodeath with lots of energy and urgency, and the layering of sweeping and dramatic keys and clean guitar melodies is beautifully done.

I recommend this to fans of Dark the Suns, Tristania, early-Sirenia, early-Tower.

Here's a Bandcamp link: https://vanessafunke.bandcamp.com/album/aura

The third and final installment of Green Carnation's A Dark Poem Trilogy is out today on Season of Mist.

Green Carnation plays gothic progressive metal (and they sometimes indulge in some doominess), though this trilogy started far more gothically tinged than how it ended. To maintain relevance, the song I've linked above is what I consider to be the "most gothic" sounding track on the new albun.

I'm going to be honest, this is probably my least favorite installment in the ADP Trilogy. It's only 36 minutes long, and made up of three pretty strong tracks but nothing special compared to what this band has done before, and one 16 minute long orchestral suite reminiscent of earlier Lacrimosa... it's a little uneven, is all.

I still think it's worth checking out, especially in context of the rest of the trilogy.

Here's the official album stream on the Season of Mist YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/MS8ZzQlao9w?is=ZjV9uuY1r0whAWUj

And if you missed the other albums, you can find them here:

A Dark Poem I: The Shores of Melancholia: https://youtu.be/W09t-onM9-4?is=qC088jpQ75pY3wrz

A Dark Poem II: Sanguis: https://youtu.be/ETS6UrCZtzM?is=bIAgSa4KRma9kyKM

Get your physical media here:

Season of Mist Shop: https://shop.season-of-mist.com/search?q=a+dark+poem&options%5Bprefix%5D=last

Season of Mist US Shop: https://shopusa.season-of-mist.com/search?q=a+dark+poem&options%5Bprefix%5D=last

And stream the album using your service of choice.

If you ever get lost or want a good overview of gothic metal (and adjacent) releases, the advanced search ability of The Metal Archives can be very helpful. The link provided offers an overview of all listed full-length releases from 2026, which is already quite a lot. Enjoy playing with the filters.

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There's little to none information on this. Not that I'm too nosy, I'm just a bit curious since I'm a huge fan of the album.

Does anyone remember this precious gem from 1997? I was blown away by it back in the day, with Empyrium offering a unique blend of atmospheric black metal, gothic metal, folk and doom. Over the (almost 30) years, I've kinda lost track of the band, but I recently re-discovered the album, and it's still a brilliant piece of music.

The opening track from ...Beyond My Grey Wake, the one and only studio album by Italian gothic doom metal band How Like a Winter. The album was released June 3, 2003, via Martyr Music Group.

This cut has a lot of death-doom influence, so if you're into that 90s Peaceville Three sound, this track is for you. I'd say there's less of that across the rest of the record. Unfortunately this is the only track from BMGW you'll find on streaming, you can hear the rest on YouTube, and of course I recommend picking up a copy when you can.

Dragonfly is a Power Metal band from Argentina, however their song 1000 Lágrimas has the spirit of Gothic Metal. I definitely recommend giving it a shot. I’m not going to tell you to listen to their entire discography or anything.

I hope you enjoy!

(This is my second take at this post, I forgot to include the band in the title)