Theatres des Vampires

Infobox musical artist
Name = Theatres des Vampires

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Img_size = 250px
Background = group_or_band
Years_active = 1988 (as Sepolcrum) - present
Origin = Rome, Italy
Genre = as Sepolcrum:
Doom metal [cite web |title=Sepolcrum |url=http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=37565 |publisher=Metal Archives |accessdate=2008-08-22]
Gothic metal [cite web |author=Sharpe-Young, Garry |title=Sepolcrum |url=http://www.rockdetector.com/artist,41143.sm |publisher=Rockdetector |accessdate=2008-08-19]
Death metal [cite web |title=Sepolcrum |url=http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=37565 |publisher=Metal Archives |accessdate=2008-08-22]
as Theatres des Vampires:
"early:"
Symphonic black metal [cite web |title=Symphonic black metal artists |url=http://www.last.fm/tag/symphonic%20black%20metal/artists |publisher=Last.fm |accessdate=2008-08-22]
Melodic black metal [cite web |title=Theatres des Vampires |url=http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=5044 |publisher=Metal Archives |accessdate=2008-08-22]
"mid: "
Extreme gothic metal [cite web |title=Extreme gothic metal artists |url=http://www.lastfm.it/tag/extreme%20gothic%20metal |publisher=Last.fm |accessdate=2008-08-22]
Gothic metal [cite web |title=Theatres des Vampires |url=http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=5044 |publisher=Metal Archives |accessdate=2008-08-22]
"late: (Anima Noir era)"
Darkwave [cite web |title=Anima Noir review |url=http://www.gothtronic.com/?page=23&reviews=4823 |publisher=Gothronic |accessdate=2008-08-22]
Gothic rock [cite web |title=Anima Noir review |url=http://www.gothtronic.com/?page=23&reviews=4823 |publisher=Gothronic|accessdate=2008-08-22]

Label = Aural Music/DreamCell 11 Entertainment
Blackend Records/Plastichead
Garden of Grief
Current_members = Fabian Varesi
Gabriel Valerio
Zimon Lijoi
Sonya Scarlet
Stephan Benfante

Theatres des Vampires is an Italian extreme gothic metal / gothic rock band with strong black metal influences [cite web |title=Theatres des Vampires |url=http://www.theatres-des-vampires.com|accessdate=2008-08-22] , mostly noted for the predominant theme of vampirism within their lyrics.

History and Background

Theatres des Vampires was founded as Sepolcrum in 1988 [cite web |title=Sepolcrum |url=http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=37565 |publisher=Metal Archives |accessdate=2008-08-22] . They changed name after the third demo, Gather my blood forever, released under the monicker VII Arcano (totally unrelated to the actual italian band VII Arcano which plays thrash metal).

The band's members expressed a fascination with vampires and anything connected to them, earning themselves and their music the title Vampiric Metal from their contemporaries. [ [http://www.last.fm/tag/vampyric%20metal Last.fm] ] The band created a coherent image of vampirism in their stage performance and within the lyrical themes and atmospheres of their music, which contributed heavily to the gaining of their fanbase.

During their career, the band was first primarily influenced by symphonic black metal, but later tended to include differing influences, including: classical music, opera, darkwave, deathrock, gothic rock and several industrial subgenres.

Throughout this stylistic deviation, a few characteristics of the band's music have remained consistent; Melancholic atmospheres and lyrics, vocal stylings akin to gothic metal, and their Vampiric image.

The band has produced ten albums in ten years with the English label Plastic Head, and has gained more recognition within the metal scene in Europe, South America and Russia, partially due to the band's participation in various festivals around the world. These include: Vampyria III in London in 1999, Gods of Metal in Italy in 2000, Wave-Gotik-Treffen in Leipzig in 2003 and in 2006, Gotham in London in 2004, Female Voices Festival in Wieze, Belgium in 2006.

In 2003 the band toured with Christian Death throughout Europe, and recorded an album with Valor of Christian Death and Gian Pyres of Cradle of Filth as special guests.

The band's shows have always seen a reasonable level of attendance, and have become more dramatic over the band's career, incorporating fireworks and "out of line" appearances by Scarlet.

Since 2004 Sonya Scarlet has remained the solo vocalist and front of the band, replacing her previous role as backing vocals.

Scarlet sometimes cuts herself with razors at performances, freely letting fans drink her blood, promising them the gift of immortality. In 2005 several English clubs forbade her performing the display of bloodletting, because it violates English laws against the incitement to commit suicide. [cite web |title=Interview with Fabian and Sonya Scarlet |url=http://www.rockeyez.com/interviews/int-theatresdesvampires.html |publisher=Rock eyez |accessdate=2008-08-22]

On 28 November 2005 Aural Music released the album "Pleasure and Pain". Distributors throughout Europe bought the album and it was published with permission in Europe, South America, the USA, Russia, and Japan.

On 19 March 2007 they released their latest album "Desire of Damnation". "Desire of Damnation" is a double CD, with live songs from "The Addiction tour 2006" and some new studio songs and remixes.

Guitarist Robert "Morgoth" left the band in 2006 and was replaced by Stephan Benfante.

The name "Theatres des Vampires" was inspired by a fictional location created by Gothic fantasy writer Anne Rice of the same name. Rice's Theatres des Vampires is a Parisian theatre in which vampires pretend to be mortal actors, their performances consisting of the feeding on mortals disguised as part of a play and staged in front of human audiences. The location is mentioned in several of Rice's books, including Interview With the Vampire and The Vampire Lestat.

Musical Style

Theatres des Vampires began as a black metal band. On their early albums they played symphonic black metal, which is actually melodic black metal with symphonic elements. On Nightbreed of Macabria they shifted to gothic metal with deathrock influences and the next album, Pleasure And Pain, also has some Gothic rock influences. Their music is also often termed "Vampyric metal" [ [http://www.last.fm/tag/vampyric%20metal Last.fm] ] due to their Vampiric themes.The new album "Anima Noir" is often reported as a very ebm influenced album, shifting the genre of Theatres des Vampires towards Darkwave, Gothic rock, Deathrock, Industrial and Chamber pop.For sure they have by now earned a reputation for being unclassifiable, and more easily described in terms of lyrical themes than musical direction.

Line-up

Current

* Fabian Varesi - keyboards/backing vocals since 1997
* Gabriel Valerio - drums/backing vocals since 1997
* Zimon Lijoi - bass/backing vocals since 1997
* Sonya Scarlet - vocals since 1999
* Stephan Benfante - guitar since 2006

Former members

* "Lord Vampyr" (Alessandro Nunziati) - vocals from 1996 to 2004 (Now vocalist of Lord Vampyr's Shadowsreign, vocalist and lead guitarist of Cain and vocalist of his own soloist project)
* "Justine" (Consuelo) - female vocals from 1999 "The Vampire Chronicles" to 2002 "Suicide Vampire" (She's returned with the band for a spot date at the Dark Fest in Rome in March 2008)
* "Agaharet" (Enrico De Dominicis) - drums on the first album
* "Incubus" (Alessandro Pallotta) - guitars from 1999 to 2002
* "Strigoi" - guitars from 1999 to 2001
* "Mortifer" - guitars in 2001
* "Morgoth" (Robert Cufaro) - guitars from 2002 to 2006 and session keyboards on the first album

Guest Members

* Gian Pyres (John Piras) - guitar guest on "Vampyrìsme"
* Valor (Christian Death) - male voice on "Vampyrìsme"
* Flegias (Necrodeath, Cadaveria) - male scream on "Pleasure And Pain"
* Dhilorz (Ancient) - male scream on "Pleasure And Pain"
* Nicholas (Ensoph) - male voice on "Pleasure And Pain"
* Giampaolo Caprino (Stormlord) - male clean voice on "Pleasure And Pain"
* Hanna Kej - Female Backing vocals and songwriting on "Anima Noir"
* Luca Bellanova (Luca Bellanova's Project, Starkiller sound) - Male Backing vocals and songwriting on "Anima Noir"
* Christian Ice (Agony, Prophilax, Aborym, Inner Void) - Male Backing vocals, production and songwriting on "Anima Noir"

Discography

* "Nosferatu, eine simphonie des grauens" (Demo, 1995)
* "Vampyrìsme, Nècrophilie, Nècrosadisme, Nècrophagie" (1996)
* "The Vampire Chronicles" (1999)
* "Bloody Lunatic Asylum" (2001)
* "Iubilaeum Anno Dracula 2001" (EP, 2001)
* "Suicide Vampire" (2002)
* "The (Un)Official History 1993-2003" (Bootleg compilation, 2003)
* "Vampyrìsme" (new version of the 1996 album, from 2003)
* "The Blackend Collection" (boxed set, 2004)
* "Nightbreed Of Macabria" (2004)
* "Pleasure And Pain" (2005)
* "The Addiction Tour" (live DVD 2006)
* "Desire Of Damnation" (Double Cd 2007)
* "Anima Noir" (2008)

References

External links

* [http://www.theatres-des-vampires.net/ Official site]
* [http://www.myspace.com/theatresdesvampires Theatres des Vampires] at MySpace
*
* [http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=5044 Theatres des Vampires] at Encyclopaedia Metallum
* [http://vampirefreaks.com/TDV Theatres des Vampires] at [http://www.vampirefreaks.com Vampire Freaks]
* [http://www.last.fm/music/Theatres+des+Vampires Theatres des Vampires] at Last.fm
* [http://www.theatres-des-vampires.siteperso.net Theatres des Vampires in French]