The tracklist cherry-picks the absolute best songs of each phase of the band’s career, resulting in an irresistible greatest hits collection, featuring 5 tracks from their early doom/death gothic metal albums (their 1995’s debut album, 1996's Velvet Darkness They Fear and the 1997 EP A Rose for the Dead), 1 song from Aégis, 3 songs from their electro-gothic period, and the remaining 7 songs from their two most recent albums (Storm and Forever Is the World). It covers the whole gamut of styles the band experimented with during their career, which is no mean feat given that we are talking about a band that started as a pioneer in the death/doom metal scene, before turning to a leaner, catchier gothic metal style, only to take a further dramatic turn with the release of a couple of industrial / electro-gothic albums. The selection of songs on this live record is absolutely top-notch.

The album is amazing and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to have a proper introduction to the band. The tight rhythm section is comprised of long-time drummer Hein Frode Hansen and session bass player Erik Torp. Singers Nell Sigland and Raymond Rohonyi swap duties behind the mic, Franck Claussen and Vegard Thorsen are responsible for the guitar work and Lorentz Aspen adds some great texture with his keyboards.

The band’s lineup is the same as the one that recorded their last two studio albums. This was the last date of the farewell tour that the band took after announcing their desire to end their glorious 15-year career due to personal reasons. Last Curtain Call immortalizes Theatre of Tragedy’s last ever live performance, which took place on October, 2nd, 2010 in their hometown of Stavanger.

Last curtain call song