History Music / TheatreOfTragedy

Theatre of Tragedy was a Norwegian metal band originally assembled in 1993 and best known for their earlier albums, which are among the most important albums of the GothicMetal genre. They also helped pioneer the technique of SopranoAndGravel; they were not the first to use it (Music/CelticFrost, Music/ParadiseLost, and Music/TheGathering did it before them), but they were the ones to [[TropeCodifier popularise it]], resulting in the technique being a staple of the genre, possibly to the point of overuse.

Their first three albums featured [[GutturalGrowler growled vocals]] and lyrics written predominantly in Early Modern English. From ''Musique'' onwards, the band switched to industrial rock and abandoned Early Modern English writing and death grunts in the process. They returned to GothicMetal on ''Storm'', though it was LighterAndSofter than their first three albums and still had modern English lyrics.

The band split on October 2nd, 2010, 17 years to the day after forming.

* BreakUpSong: Surprisingly few, considered the genre: just "...A Distance There Is...", "Let You Down", and "Debris".

* ShirtlessScene: Hein has one in the "Image" videoclip.

* ChangedForTheVideo: "Machine". As for radio and the single edits without a video "Der Tanz Der Schatten" has one, and there's the "Cheap Wine Edit" of "Cassandra", which is the version the band has always performed live, including on ''Closure:Live'' and ''Last Curtain Call''. "...A Distance There Is..." also gets a shortened version when played live (such as in ''Closure:Live'').

* GratuitousGerman: "Der Tanz Der Schatten" and "Der Spiegel". Also some bits on "Space Age".

* ContinuityNod: As their final studio album, the cover artwork of ''Forever Is The World'' features visual elements from all the previous ones: the [[TheTragicRose crossed roses]] from the self-titled; velvet from ''Velvet Darkness They Fear''; fire from ''Aégis''; a gas mask from ''Musique''; nautilus shells from ''Assembly''; the stylised logo from ''Storm''.

* HairstyleInertia: Raymond's got a nearly perfect score, being the only male member that kept his hair long and dark, metalhead style, for almost his entire tenue in the band, only [[ImportantHaircut cutting it short]] after shooting the ''Forever Is The World'' promo photos, by which point he couldn't wait for the tour (and the band) to be over. He even kept it long during the ''Musique'' and ''Assembly'' eras, when even Hein first bleached his platinum and then cut it to a [[90sHair Nineties curtain style]]).
** Downplayed with both Liv and Nell. The former changed many styles and lengths, but always kept her trademark platinum blonde colour. The latter has changed colours and worn it down in a few photos, but has often sported her trademark half-up do with a side part and a loose, teased out bun atop her head.

* SelfBackingVocalist: Liv had her moments, Nell ''loved'' having fun with that when writing her own vocal lines.

** According to [[WordOfSaintPaul old-time fans close to the band]] most of ''Velvet Darkness They Fear'' is actually this.

* ChangedForTheVideo: Well, for the radio and the single anyway; "Der Tanz Der Schatten" has one, and there's the "Cheap Wine Edit" of "Cassandra", which is the version the band has always performed live, including on ''Closure:Live'' and ''Last Curtain Call''. "...A Distance There Is..." also gets a shortened version when played live (such as in ''Closure:Live'').

* HellBentForLeather: Many looks of Liv Kristine. Her [[LadyInRed red leather ensemble]] from the ''Musique'' promo pics is particularly iconic.

* Raymond István Rohonyi - Vocals, Programming, lyrics
* Nell Sigland - Vocals, lyrics
* Frank Claussen - Guitar
* Vegard K. Thorsen - Guitar
* Lorentz Aspen - Keyboards
* Hein Frode Hansen - Drums

* Liv Kristine - Vocals
* Tommy Lindal - Guitar
* Tommy Olsson - Guitar
* Pål Bjåstad - Guitar
* Geir Flikkeid - Guitar
* Eirik T. Saltrø - Bass

* Various boxsets, slipcases, combined albums or EPs.

'''Final lineup:'''

'''Former members:'''

'''Studio albums:'''

'''Major studio [=EPs=]:'''

'''Live albums:'''

'''Singles:'''

'''Misc:'''

!!Tropes that apply to Theatre of Tragedy:

** "On Whom The Moon Doth Shine", "The Masquerader And Phoenix" (thou "the masquerader" does), and the title track from ''Velvet Darkness They Fear''. "Der Tanz Der Schatten" and its English counterpart, "As The Shadow Dance", both mention the respective words, but only mixed up in a full sentence.

** Given the use of FloweryElizabethanEnglish, several titles include accents or other special characters and are thus rarely spelled correctly online, epecially in the Anglosphere. These include: "Hollow-Heartéd, Heart-Departéd", "Mïre", "Monotonë", "Angélique", "Aœde", "Poppæa", and ''Aégis'' itself. There are some inconsistencies even on the band's official website!

* TheSeer / TheCassandra: "Cassandra", obviously.

* GratuitousFrench: [[InvokedTrope Deliverbately invoked]] in "Superdrive" with the protagonist's attempts to flirt with the [[EveryoneLooksSexierIfFrench French girl]]. Also, "Image" got a ''version française'' for... reasons.
* GratuitousGerman: "Der Tanz Der Schatten" and "Der Spiegel".

* SopranoAndGravel: The TropeCodifier, with their first two albums popularising this technique. Their later works keep the style, but do it slightly differently: ''Aégis'' alternates it with softly spoken or whispered parts; ''Musique'', ''Assembly'' and ''Storm'' have male vocals which are mostly spoken; ''Forever Is the World'' brings back some growl alongside the spoken parts.

* GratuitousFrench: [[InvokedTrope Deliverbately invoked]] in "Superdrive" with the protagonist's attempts to flirt with the [[EveryoneLooksSexierIfFrench French girl]]. Also, "Image" got a French version for... reasons.

** "SweetSArtThou" from the self-titled; "Monotonë" too, but it's an instrumental, so that's a given.

* LadyInRed: Liv had her iconic [[HellBentForLeather red leather jacket and trousers]] during the ''Musique'' era, Nell her trademark [[OfCorsetsSexy red corset]] during the Forever Is The [==WorldTour==].

---->-- '''"And When He Falleth,"''' from ''Velvet Darkness They Fear''

* ContinuityNod: As their final studio album, the cover artwork of ''Forever Is The World'' features visual elements from all the previous ones: the [[TheTragicRose crossed roses]], one fresh and one withered, from the self-titled; velvet from ''Velvet Darkness They Fear''; fire from ''Aégis''; a gas mask from ''Musique''; nautilus shells from ''Assembly''; the stylised logo from ''Storm''.

* TheTragicRose: A recurring lyrical metaphor in their early releases, most motably "A Rose For The Dead". Also a recurring visual motif on the accompanying artworks, each featuring a variation of two crossed roses, one fresh and one withered.