Skadi

Tristania was one of the most solid and recognizable Gothic Metal bands from the late-90s/2000s, but just a couple months ago they announced their complete cease of activity. Tristania is no more. The band was founded in 1996 by Morten Veland, Einar Moen and Kenneth Olsson. Soon after they were joined by Anders Høyvik Hidle, Rune Østerhus and Vibeke Stene. During this time they released Widow's Weeds and Beyond the Veil. I consider this the first era. The second era started with the departure of Morten Veland. Østen Bergøy and Kjetil Ingebrethsen joined the band in 2001. In 2005 Svein Terje Solvang would join the band. Between 2001 and 2007 they released World of Glass, Ashes and Illumination. The third era began with the departure of Vibeke Stene in 2007 followed by Svein Terje Solvang, Rune Østerhus, Kenneth Olson and Østen Bergøy in the following years up to 2010. During this time the band was reformed with Mariangela Demurtas, Ole Vistnes, Gyri Smørdal Losnegaard, Kjetil Nordhus and Tarald Lie. The first release with the new lineup was Rubicon in 2010. Then in 2013 they released Darkest White. I love the first two albums, and I liked the direction they were taking in the early 2000s. I was concerned when Vibeke announced her retirement, and then when Solvang, Olson, Bergøy and Østerhus also left I started to feel disconnected from the band. I tried to be positive but I just couldn't get into the reformed Tristania. The recent announcement about the end of Tristania is sad, but I feel like the band that I loved ended many years ago. I'll rank the albums and link one song from each of them in case you're interested in giving them a listen. 7. Rubicon (2010) Hmm. I don't want to sound harsh but if there's one word I'd use to describe this album it'd be 'unpleasant'. It's like they were trying to sound like Lacuna Coil, I don't know. This song --> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4GTG9L0594 is the one I choose to post here, not because I think it's good but because it encapsulates the many problems I have with this album. 6. Darkest White (2013) This one is better than Rubicon but still... I just can't get into it. I listened to it a handful of times and I just can't remember much of it. It's bland and forgettable but more tolerable than Rubicon. I guess Himmelfall is the best song of Darkest White --> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vfgU1M71CE 5. Ashes (2005) From here on I think all of them are good. To me Ashes sounds very melancholic, as if it's the aftermath to the anger in World of Glass. There's an elegance to the melodies here that I can't forget. Shadowman has a perfect atmosphere, this is my recomendation --> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_r8EBuZs0E4 4. Illumination (2007) I'm probably very biased here, but I love Illumination. Back then I listened to it a lot, almost everyday. I'm not sure why I connected so much with it, many fans considered it the weakest album to date. The production is cleaner, giving an interesting edge to the atmosphere of this album. Very enjoyable. The Ravens has always been my favorite song from Illumination --> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL1jLY9bPXE 3. Beyond the Veil (1999) Absolutely fantastic, you can tell Morten Veland gave it all in this. It's probably the most refined version of the 'old' Tristania, after an amazing first album they went on to make a very solid follow-up. Beyond its veil of darkness there's a soul, something very special. Powerful and unforgettable. I'm probably being predictable here, but Angina is the standout to me --> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lJzFsPiYSM 2. World of Glass (2001) What can I say, I like the direction they took here and how 'modern' (well, for 2001 lol) it sounds. The atmosphere is fantastic, there's anger and melancholy in this album and I love it. It's probably one of my most played albums ever, the first time I listened to it I was fascinated. Crushed Dreams is one of my favorite songs ever --> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n34AMDBu0A 1. Widow's Weeds (1998) A dark and beautiful masterpiece. It definitely stands the test of time, it still sounds amazing. I cannot emphasize enough how much I love this album. It marked a period of my life. My favorite song has always been My Lost Lenore --> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVV7XZIcFiU That'd be all for now. Any Tristania fans around here? I'd love to read your thoughts.

Growing up in the late 90s/early 2000s, Nu Metal was like the "background music" of life to me lol not because I was into Nu Metal but because it was everywhere: Radio, MTV, movies, some of my friends listened to Nu Metal bands, even one of my sisters was a big Linkin Park fan back then. So some Nu Metal songs take me back to those days, and it's a good feeling. But don't ask me to listen to a full Papa Roach album lol however, that song from the Resident Evil movie trailer? Not Listening? I can loop that song for a while. The 2000s certainly were something!

He's a great musician, still producing good quality stuff. I'm mostly a fan of his older works with both Tristania and Sirenia. Timeless classics!

The Sins of Thy Beloved - Worthy of You

I'm having sparkling wine tonight because why not

Tiamat is awesome. My favorite album is Prey, I'm very attached to it because it brings me so many memories. I think it's very good on its own of course. I really like Amanethes, Wildhoney and Clouds too. Recently I listened again to The Astral Sleep and I found it quite enjoyable. But it's been a while since I listened to the other albums, I should rectify that soon!

Theatre of Tragedy - Angélique

Love TON. I've always been more into their 90s stuff, it's just great. Back in high school some of my friends would tease me by singing "black black black number oooone" lol fun times. Bloody Kisses was my first TON album, so I hold it in high regard.

Wow it's really hard to think of just one song that encapsulates all of the Gothic Metal variants that exist. But I'd probably go with Tristania's My Lost Lenore or Paradise Lost's The Painless.

Rotting Christ - Imaginary Zone

I just found this thread by pure luck and I'm so glad I did! You all have shared amazing lists (Saturnus rules), I'm even discovering Virgin Black thanks to this thread. It's nice to see a good discussion on Gothic Metal, something that's been lacking in recent years. Anyway, I just wanted to share my list. I'll follow the rule of one album per band. 10. Tiamat - Prey I was about to put Wildhoney but that album sounds kinda more "avant garde" to me, so I just went for the safe bet. Prey is my second favourite album by Tiamat. It's melancholic and powerful from beginning to end. 9. Theatres des Vampires - Bloody Lunatic Asylum Very dark and interesting. This and Suicide Vampire are probably the best of old TdV. 8. Cradle of Filth - Hammer of the Witches CoF at their best. It's been years since I really enjoyed something made by them, and this album is truly remarkable. 7. Darkwell - Suspiria A haunting masterpiece by this fantastic Austrian band. It will leave an impression! 6. My Dying Bride - A Map of All Our Failures I wasn't sure which MDB album to include, so I choose this beautiful piece of work. It gets very gloomy, and its execution is flawless. 5. Theatre of Tragedy - Velvet Darkness They Fear A solid entry in the Gothic Metal scene. Out of all Theatre of Tragedy albums this is probably the one I listened to the most. Just delightful. 4. Moonspell - Wolfheart Amazing, unforgettable. Irreligious was considered to be here too, but in the end I favoured Wolfheart for its aggressive darkness. 3. Rotting Christ - A Dead Poem This is among my favourite albums ever. It shows how versatile and creative Rotting Christ are. After this they went for an (amazing) blend of Black/Folk/Symphonic Metal, but their late '90s works left a deep impression in me. 2. Paradise Lost - Draconian Times A timeless classic. I enjoyed this one a lot more than Icon and Shades of God. 1. Tristania - Widow's Weeds One of the best albums of all time, hands down. The line-up at this time was perfect, too.