No tragedy in the theatre

I first encountered the band Theatre Of Tragedy when my friend PG was DJing at a community radio station. During a long song (it was a progressive rock show), we were exploring the CD library when I noticed a compilation with a track entitled "A Hamlet For A Slothful Vassal". The contrast of traditional death metal and a guttural male vocal with orchestral interludes and a beautiful, operatic female vocal blew me away. (The mad, faux-medieval lyrics also helped.) I've since purchased the band's entire output and watched them evolve into what I'd describe as sexy techno metal (with lyrics that now make sense!). Recently, they released an album called "Storm", with a new female singer, packaged like some Wild West preacher's worn copy of the Good Book. Rumours said they'd gone back to their black beginnings and I was a bit worried as I love the present direction. Thankfully, the rumours were wrong. "Storm" is in the same pulse-racing, catchy and endlessly listenable vein as T/O/T's previous two albums, "Assembly" and "Musique". Even better, new vocalist Nell Sigland sounds almost exactly like her predecessor, Liv Kristine Espenaes.