THEATER OF TRAGEDY 18.03.10

When you have two concerts on the same day, you come up with a thousand and one ways to decide which one to attend. That was the incognito of many metalheads who love dark sounds: KATATONIA or THEATER OF TRAGEDY? The key factor in my decision was when I read the impending separation of the Norwegians. If TOT is already a difficult group to see, you had to take the opportunity to attend their last tour. At the same time, they also presented their seventh studio album 'Forever Is The Word', released last year, and which, as we are used to, is a work of art.

I came to the room with the last song of the opening act WHERE ANGELS FALL. The name of the group is enough to know what they offer. His proposal is correct but it is more of the same: a copy of groups like WITHIN TEMPTATION or EVANESCENCE, with a girl with a lyrical and angelic voice at the fore. I don't know if it was because of the poor attendance in the room or because it was already the end of her performance, but the only person delivered on stage was the singer Eirin. A correct group that, to get into the atmosphere, does not do anything bad.

With about 120 people in the room, the Norwegians THEATER OF TRAGEDY began their whole performance. The first notes of the song that opens the new album, “Hide And Seek”, made the whole room vibrate, expectant about what their farewell concert would be like. When Raymond came on stage, accustomed to seeing him with long hair and now wearing it cut and with features marked by age, there was a moment of doubt as to whether it was really him or not, although they were dissolved as soon as he began his gutturals. There was also curiosity in hearing Nell Sigland sing and if she could make us forget what has been the voice and image of TOT for so many years, Liv Kristine.

As a good farewell tour worth its salt, it is essential to review what the group's career has been, and they did. Representative songs from their seven albums, except for 'Assembly', sounded on a special night in which more than one of them dropped a tear due to the good concert they offered and the fact that it was the last, in addition to the sensations they convey their songs. The most chanted were “Bring Forth Ye Shadow”, “Lorelei”, “A Rose For The Dead”, “Storm”, “Cassandra” and the final song “Der Tanz der Schatten”. Despite sounding more than one sample, some of them with Liv Kristine's voice, Nell knew how to be more than up to the task when it came to interpreting songs from the first albums, respecting at all times the timbre of voice and Liv's memory. , even sounding very similar to her.

It is a pity that this group is hardly seen live and, now, it is separated. Their live performance is spectacular, and although they barely speak between song and song, their complicity with the audience and the feeling reached all the people present, who came out delighted by the Norwegians' performance.

Attendance is also another negative factor, but it is what was commented previously and what the same group said during a break between songs, KATATONIA is a very strong competition and someone had to be harmed.

There really is little more to add, simply to repeat that it was a great concert with an almost perfect set-list although, from my point of view, they could have played some more of the 'Aegis' that continues to be, for most of the followers of the group. , your key drive.

Set-list

Hide And Seek

Bring Forth Ye Shadow

Lorelei

Frozen

Ashes and Dreams

A Rose For The Dead

Fragment

And When e Falleth

Hollow

Storm

Cassandra

A Hamlet For A Slothful Vassal

Fade

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Machine

Der Tanz Der Schatten

Text and photographs by Xènia Senserrich