Theatre Of Tragedy - Assembly review
| Band: | Theatre Of Tragedy |
| Album: | Assembly |
| Style: | Gothic industrial metal |
| Release date: | 2002 |
| A review by: | Azhidahak |
01. Automatic Lover
02. Universal Race
03. Episode
04. Play
05. Superdrive
06. Let You Down
07. Starlit
08. Envision
09. Flickerlight
10. Liquid Man
11. Motion
Ok first of all I must say I don't even know why I'm writing this review, because this album is far from being metal, but still in most record stores and magazines they are labelled as metal. That makes me wonder what kind of metal I must categorise this into? Techno/Pop metal maybe? Well for me it's not metal and others can categorise this however they want. I think the only reason I decided to write this review was to bash the band because no band have ever made me so disappointed before (thinking of their great old releases like Aegis).
When I first bought this album it coasted me 180kr (kr is the Swedish currency), but it was so extremely disappointing that the next day I went to another second-hand record store and sold it for only 30kr just to get rid of the damned CD.
The album does not have any real guitar solo, the lyrics are very silly, and the male-vocals are very poor. You can also hear how clearly Liv Kristine (female-vocals) tries to imitate pop artists, but she fails even at this. All the depressive atmosphere that the older releases of this band had is now gone, and you can hear how much they have struggled to make a "happy" album this time, but once again, I can guarantee you that this album will not bring the slightest little smile to your face.
I give the album a 2 - 0,5 points because of the occasional guitar riffs that you can hear in some songs, 0,5 points because of the average artwork, and then the other 1 point I don't know why I'm giving it, I think its just because of my generosity.
In the end I would like to recommend this album to everyone that is deaf or anyone that has a plan to collect and make a top list of the worst or most disappointing albums of 2002.
Guest review by
John P. Dunphy
John P. Dunphy
Rating:
8.0
8.0
|
Rating: 8.0 |
We, as a race fear change? vehemently. We as, for lack of a better term, metal heads, are particularly afraid, it seems. Whether or not you want to say that bands like Paradise Lost, Metallica or Ulver 'sold out? or just wanted to try something different, these discussions continue with each subsequent release that does not embody the ?original? or 'srue? sound. Read more ›› |
Comments
Comments: 29
Visited by: 134 users
| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18374  |
woooooow I'm disagree in every point. I know man... this album is NOTHING if you compare it with the first three albums. But this album is all the way better than Musique. This album has some really good songs... really catchy. AND.. WHO FUCKING CARES IF THIS ALBUM IS NOT METAL AT ALL?!  that was stupid man... In that case.. you have to give a big 3 in albums like Paradise Lost's Host.. or the new Anathema. But no.. and do you know why?... because the music still works for many people. It works for me... and not for you, I can understand that. You are very tr00 man... I'm really astonished  ajajjajajajaa
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Lian Account deleted |
Lian
Account deleted Written by X-Ray Rod on 28.12.2007 at 15:21 Wtf... dont compare Anathema with this... they change to some sorth of progressive rock that is AWESOME, they didn't went Electronic/Pop or whatever TOT and PL did.
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18374 |
Written by [user id=27169] on 22.02.2008 at 00:56 The styles are different, I know that... But the thing that many people start to dislike aband only because they chnged their sound. That's the thing I talked about. But I understand what you meaned with your post... In Anathema's case... Their music became better. But in ToT case, their old stuff IS much better...
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| VPeter Posts: 1450  |
I am not really familiar with ToT but after listing to some songs of this album on various myspace's. and I have to say that this album is....pretty good! this review seems more to bash the eletronic sound rather then the real quality of this album. it's not metal but who cares? and about Paradise Lost's Host, stop moaning about it, it is actually a pretty decent album.
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| selken Irreligious Posts: 949  |
I like the album, and I would say "If I say its metal, then its metal" as simple as that. The album really shocked me at the first time, but later I understood its sound. This review is unfair 
---- 
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| Jason W. Razorbliss Staff Posts: 3523  |
I forgot about this review, but I remember commenting on it in the old version of MS... This is possibly the most negatively biased review on this site (there a plenty of positively biased ones too)! This album has some great songs, and being a fan of electronic pop with female vocals, this disc does not disappoint! It's not a 10, but a strong 7.5-8 in my opinion. "Let You Down" is not only a satisfying listen each time, it has great lyrics (for the genre), and the video itself is excellent too. In fact, this CD will go great with the 2007 Roisin Murphy CD I love as well. It's releases like one from ToT that end up victims of terrible marketing and rejection from "fans", which ultimately leads to no one appreciating it. I think an album like this could have sold decently if marketed correctly to clubs. Ahh well. I still love it! 
---- "After silence that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music." - Aldous Huxley
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18374 |
Written by Jason W. on 25.02.2008 at 19:32 Agreed, this album has the potential to be popular. But it doesn't unfortunately. It would be so freaking good to hear songs from this album on a pub or a techno house. Sexy music.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Morphis Posts: 80  |
It makes me puke every time i remember that Theatre Of Tragedy made something like this.
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| Slayer666 Posts: 2466  |
IMO, a completely pointless record. It is absolutely vomit-inducing as a metal/rock album and as a techno/pop album it's just too heavy, not fun or catchy at all. If you're going to record a techno/pop album, do it without the guitars and go heavier on the electronics. The way it is now, it's stuck in the middle and doesn't do anything at all.
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18374 |
Written by Slayer666 on 17.09.2011 at 14:16 Who in their right mind would see this as a metal/rock album? that's just stupid. I personally don't see how it's bad that techno/pop can be heavy. Pop and techno can be heavy without problems just because they are not metal it doesn't mean that they can't have some bite (compared to other artists within the genre), many artist do it... They are not mainstream which is another topic. I'll say this is a great example of how you make perfect party/club music for dancing with guitars. This review in specific is just plain awful because it tries to see this album as metal/rock album.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Slayer666 Posts: 2466 |
Written by X-Ray Rod on 17.09.2011 at 14:37 Why the heck would I want techno/pop to have "bite"? That's like saying you want brutal death metal to be romantic. Different genres serve different purposes, and when you try to mix 'em up, you get... well, this piece of crud. Maybe someone can pull it off well. ToT can't. Quote: I definitely can't see myself dancing to this, and the same goes for pretty much everyone I know, including all the rap, techno, turbo-folk, pop etc. lovers I hang out with. If you played this at a party, you'd have to bring gallons of booze to keep the fun from completely going down the drain.
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18374 |
Written by Slayer666 on 17.09.2011 at 14:47 I'm reading too many "I"'s therefore it's just a matter of opinion. I don't see how techno or electronica in general can't have riffs, that's just silly. Drawing an unnecessary line to what a genre must be or not it's what makes said genre boring and unoriginal, just ask death metal.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071  |
Terrible album, no matter what way you look at it. Like Slayer666 says it's stuck in the middle of nowhere.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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| Slayer666 Posts: 2466 |
Written by X-Ray Rod on 18.09.2011 at 13:49 Dude, if you want to dance and hit on chicks with Obituary in the background, or headbang like crazy to Madonna, go for it. (send pics or a video, please) I, on the other hand, like to "draw my lines" and sort out what goes where and what is appropriate in a given occasion. Mixing genres that are an exact opposite one from another, in purpose, emotion and musical technique is a perfect blueprint for disaster, as this album proves.
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18374 |
Written by Slayer666 on 18.09.2011 at 14:27 If you give me examples of "dancing with Obituary" and "headbanging with Madonna" we are clearly listening to different albums and your way of judging/balancing genres is a bit fucked up. That's (again) plain silly. Use better examples next time, otherwise you'll just end up using the same reductio ad absurdum that definitely doesn't work in a serious discussion. It's just hilarious how you talk about this album like if it was some kind of unique (failed) experiment. Besides from the riffs this is in no way different to lots of dancing music. EBM bands have been doing that for ages and in a much harder way same goes for bands like KMFDM.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Slayer666 Posts: 2466 |
Written by X-Ray Rod on 18.09.2011 at 14:47 I was hoping you'd pick up on the sub-context, but I'll spell out the obvious for you: Assembly is just as pointless as dancing with Obituary or headbanging to Madonna. Except you can dance with Madonna and headbang with Obituary, but can't do either with Assembly. Feel free to disagree, but your opinion is in no way any more valid than mine. Quote: Somehow, this doesn't strike me even the least as EBM. It sounds like your typical sugar-coated pop with completely pointless heaviness thrown in. ToT's attempt to appeal to both groups of listeners? Don't know, don't really care. What's hilarious is the way you keep missing the point.
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18374 |
Written by Slayer666 on 18.09.2011 at 15:03 What point am I missing? I'm not comparing Assembly with EBM. All I'm saying is that both work for dancing yet they have some heaviness here and there. I know it's my opinion but I fail to see how "pointless" you say that it is. It would be pointless if this way an isolated example, but there are loads of bands doing the same thing with a fanbase. Sarcasm doesn't work in a (somewhat) serious discussion unless you are talking, that's why I don't use it that much. sorry if you had to spell it out for me, that's just not the way I roll. I'm too literal  .The botom line is: You dislike it and find it pointless, I don't. It's fair enough and now I see how this discussion was way longer than it should have been and I'm the one to blame. Can we talk about how we agree that striborg is awful and that girls are hot?
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| KwonVerge Odysseus Elite Posts: 5068  |
Damn, don't make me to listen to this again It's been years, it wasn't that awful, but it wasn't that good either, something like a love-it-or-hate-it cute experiment.
---- Dec. 30, 1334. ...And the whiskey and wine entered our veins when blood was too weak to carry on.
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18374 |
Written by KwonVerge on 18.09.2011 at 15:30 That's my problem! I don't see it too much of an experiment, it doesn't sound that alien to me. @___@
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| KwonVerge Odysseus Elite Posts: 5068 |
Written by X-Ray Rod on 18.09.2011 at 15:35 Not in that manner of speaking, something like a personal change of seasons inside the band, it's not that alien at all easy-listening music with a modern approach, at that time.
---- Dec. 30, 1334. ...And the whiskey and wine entered our veins when blood was too weak to carry on.
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18374 |
Written by KwonVerge on 18.09.2011 at 15:38 Yeah I can see that. The weird part is that somehow musique seems the album most people choose between the two electronic albums yet I can't get into that one as much as assembly.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| KwonVerge Odysseus Elite Posts: 5068 |
Written by X-Ray Rod on 18.09.2011 at 15:43 Yep, musique is more appealing, probably because it took off guard the audience that wasn't expecting something like that from theatre of tragedy, assembly was the natural continuation of musique and somehow people couldn't stand two like-minded albums in a row, something like the first one came as a surprise, the second one like a necessary pain in the ass, just the way i see it trying to invade some minds it's something like releasing two Host albums in a row, an album i enjoy a lot.
---- Dec. 30, 1334. ...And the whiskey and wine entered our veins when blood was too weak to carry on.
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18374 |
Written by KwonVerge on 18.09.2011 at 15:47 I wouldn't mind that as I see it as the best of Paradise Lost's no-metal albums.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| KwonVerge Odysseus Elite Posts: 5068 |
Written by X-Ray Rod on 18.09.2011 at 15:49 Personally, me neither Sincere, introvert and bleak in its very own way, Paradise Lost from the inside. And this is the moment Marcel breaks in
---- Dec. 30, 1334. ...And the whiskey and wine entered our veins when blood was too weak to carry on.
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| Slayer666 Posts: 2466 |
Written by X-Ray Rod on 18.09.2011 at 15:18 Actually, I reviewed Striborg's latest full-length, and called it "semi-decent". Once more we disagree.  Ah, well. Cheers and no hard feelings.
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18374 |
Written by Slayer666 on 18.09.2011 at 18:23 The first track was indeed quite "Ok, Striborg is not as awful as I remembered from previous works" but then, yeah. I thought for a second you gave it a 6 or something.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
If the two of you can't even agree on the horrendous Striborg at least agree with me that Gallhammer is some of the worst and most overrated, especially in England, stuff around
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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| fanapathy Posts: 15 |
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306  |
This is a horrible review but it's fitting for such a horrible album. Or maybe that's just me trying to justify my own previous shitshow reviews.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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