THEATRES DES VAMPIRES – Candyland
- Posted on 19-10-2016
Inspired by the fictional location of a Parisian theatre in which vampires pretend to be mortal actors, Italian gothic metal/ rock band Theatres des Vampires have been together since 1994, as "Candyland" is their tenth studio album. Stylistically transforming themselves from a melodic black metal band in their earliest years, there’s a strong sense of darkwave keyboards and melancholic nature to the melodies throughout these 11 tracks while still being focused and heavy in their own right.
"Resurrection Mary" for instance relies on the swirling keyboard hook and depressive nature to Sonya Scarlet’s vocals, almost an alternate being to Cyndi Lauper at times – while the follow up "Delusional Denial" has an industrial pulse in terms of the drumming and eerie chord constructions. The guitar work of Giorgio Ferrante lends itself to the metallic attack – offering the contrast against the synth/keyboard parts to make "Your Ragdoll" and the more modern "Seventh Room" two highlights that showcase all facets to the Theatres des Vampires platform. Keeping the material at a comfortable 3:15-4:23 timeframe allows the musicians to stay sharp in terms of transitions and ideas – plus averts any sort of boredom that could take place as they quickly develop their next song.
The cover art with a child holding a stuffed animal in the air as a woman strides by certainly gives the listeners a photo to talk about – and for my first exposure to the band, Theatres des Vampires has a lot to bring to the table in the gothic metal, darkwave, and rock fields. As a result, "Candyland" has multi-level appeal and should satisfy the long-timers while hopefully attain some new followers along the way.
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