Pleasure and Pain (Theatres des Vampires album)

Pleasure and Pain
Studio album by
Released 10 November 2005
18 November 2005
28 November 2005
6 December 2005
GenreGothic metal
Length44:44
LabelDreamcell11/Aural Music
Theatres des Vampires chronology
Nightbreed of Macabria
(2004)
Pleasure and Pain
(2005)
Anima Noir
(2008)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Desibeli.net3.5/5[1]
Metal.de5/10[2]
Metalitalia.com6.5/10[3]
Noise.fi1/5[4]

Pleasure and Pain is the seventh studio album by the Italian gothic metal band Theatres des Vampires. It is the first album after Lord Vampyr's departure, and the first to feature Sonya Scarlet as the main vocalist of the band as well as being the last to feature Robert Cufaro on guitar.

Critical reception

Powermetal.de called it a very solid and sophisticated record that have to be re-listened several times to appreciate.[5] Noise.fi said the band doesn't manage to build a gothic atmosphere and called the songs weak.[4] Metalitalia.com liked the singer's performance but said the album lacks aggression and gothic atmosphere. Desibeli.net noted the album as an improvement over the previous one and highlighted the tracks "Pleasure and Pain", "Solitude", "Forever in Death", and "Mater Tenebrarum".[1] Metal.de gave a negative review and said the album doesn't offer anything new to the genre but manages to have a dark atmosphere.[2]

Track listing

No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."Pleasure and Pain"Sonya ScarletFabian Varesi4:04
2."Never Again"Sonya ScarletRobert Cufaro3:26
3."Rosa Mistero"Sonya ScarletFabian Varesi4:04
4."Solitude"Sonya ScarletRobert Cufaro3:37
5."My Lullaby"Sonya Scarlet
with quotes from Novalis
Robert Cufaro4:02
6."Forever in Death"Sonya ScarletRobert Cufaro3:49
7."Let Me Die"Sonya ScarletFabian Varesi4:44
8."Black Mirror"Sonya ScarletFabian Varesi3:32
9."Reason and Sense"Sonya Scarlet
with quotes from Giosuè Carducci
Fabian Varesi5:32
Total length:44:44

Bonus Tracks

No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
10."Mater Tenebrarum" (Keith Emerson cover, from the soundtrack of the film Inferno by Dario Argento)Keith Emerson, Salmon
with quotes from Thomas de Quincey
Keith Emerson3:54
11."Pleasure and Pain" (Remixed by B. Kramm of Das Ich)Sonya ScarletFabian Varesi, B. Kramm3:59
Total length:44:44

Line-Up

Guest Members

  • Flegias (Necrodeath) − male scream on "Forever in Death"
  • Dhilorz (Ancient) − male scream on "Black Mirror"
  • Nicholas (Ensoph) − male clean voice on "Pleasure and Pain"
  • Giampaolo Caprino (Stormlord) − male clean voice on all tracks.

References

  1. ^ a b Roth, Mika (14 November 2005). "Levyarvio - Theatres Des Vampires: Pleasure And Pain". Desibeli.net (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 9 October 2006. Retrieved 28 September 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Theatres Des Vampires - Pleasure And Pain Review". Metal.de (in German). 7 December 2005. Archived from the original on 4 December 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2025.
  3. ^ Vidmar, Paolo (13 March 2006). "THEATRES DES VAMPIRES – Pleasure And Pain". Metalitalia.com (in Italian). Archived from the original on 16 October 2012. Retrieved 28 September 2025.
  4. ^ a b Hytönen, Sini (31 January 2006). "Levyarvostelut - Theatres Des Vampires - Pleasure And Pain (Albumi)". Noise.fi (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 12 February 2006. Retrieved 28 September 2025.
  5. ^ Kayser, Stefan (20 November 2005). "Review - THEATRES DES VAMPIRES - Pleasure And Pain". Powermetal.de (in German). Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2025.