CoC : Theatre of Tragedy - A Rose for the Dead : Review

Theatre of Tragedy - _A Rose for the Dead_
(Massacre Records, 1997)
by: Pedro Azevedo (7 out of 10)

I really feel bad rating such a good band as ToT 7 out of 10, but I can't help it. _A Rose for the Dead_ is their newest EP, presented on digi-pak, rather long (over 30 minutes), but also a tad overpriced for an EP. So it's basically sort of a 'deluxe EP', even though the artwork's quite simple. It features two new ToT songs, which are responsible for most of this score; there's also a re-recording of "Der Tanz der Schatten" from _Velvet Darkness They Fear_, now sung in English and also with some improvements, which is nice. And that's basically it for me. After these three, there's two remixes done by Bruno Kramm of Das Ich, the second of which even starts out reasonably well, but they just tend to wreck the originals (both taken from _VDTF_) and seem to me totally useless. Finishing up, there's a Joy Division song covered, "Decades", rather long, without Liv Kristine's voice (now that's -bad-), due to 'some problems with the studios'. I consider this song unremarkable - not bad, but not really worth the extra money either - even though I believe their original cover (-with- Liv) must be very interesting. Focusing back on the two new songs, which for me is what's important here, both were supposed to have been recorded for _VDTF_, but were left out due to 'lack of time during the recording session'. The first one (the title track) is an average mid-paced ToT song, not brilliant when compared to some of what they've done before, just average for their talent. The second one, "Der Spiegel" (yes, sung in German again), starts off very well, but tends to lose some quality during its second half. This is an EP for those who have no problem in forking out some extra cash and get about 15 useful minutes, and for those who think they'll enjoy the remixes and the cover. Still, it was nice to hear Liv's voice again (she's my favourite female singer), and the first three songs may make this EP worth it. I just can't help wondering... wouldn't it be so much better if the two 'new' songs would have just been included in _Velvet Darkness They Fear_?

(article published 7/6/1997)

ALBUMS
1/10/1998	A Bromley	5	Theatre of Tragedy - Aegis
4/2/1997	P Azevedo	9	Theatre of Tragedy - Velvet Darkness They Fear