First off, tell us the history of Theatre of Tragedy. (When the band was formed, who founded it, release history, etc.) The band was formed in the winter of 1993 by me, Raymond, and Paal. Later Liv, Lorentz, Eirik, and Hein were submitted. We made a demo called "Demo 94" the next winter, and tried to get a deal with a label. We got a lot of responses, and chose Massacre Records.

What is the current line-up of band members? The current line-up is: Liv (vocals), Raymond (vocals), Eirik (bass), me (guitar), Frank (guitar), Tommy (guitar), Hein Frode (drums), Lorentz (synth/keyboard).

How did you decide on the name "Theatre of Tragedy?" Is there any special meaning behind it? No, we thought it was a name that went along well with the music.

What bands from the past have influenced you? What are your favorites of the bands of today? My Dying Bride, Anathema, and Immortal are my influences. Today my favorites are Satyricon, old Darkthrone, Dissection, In Flames, a lot of BM.

With such a contrast of vocals– the elegant, light, female vocals of Liv's, to Raymond's deep, harsher, masculine vocals– the band seems to have no problem creating perfect harmony. Is this a difficult task? No, not really. We just make the music, and Liv and Raymond make the arrangement for the vocals. I don't hear them complain!!

How would you consider this music scene today? Do you feel, as so many others, that the scene is dying? Not at all, I feel the scene is getting bigger. There are so "many" great bands coming out now.

What do you foresee in the future for Theatre of Tragedy? I don't know, but I hope we will sell a lot of records and tour many countries. But it will happen only with the fan's help.

What, in particular, would the band like to portray to the listener? I guess nothing other than good music, and I hope they enjoy it. I do.

What would you say sets Theatre of Tragedy apart from all other bands? I think that there is no band who sounds like us. So maybe we have made what we wanted.

The band seems to have stayed true to its original sound, do you foresee any changes for the future? I hope not, the only thing is that it is possible to be more gothic sounding while I'm away for my treatment. You can all read about it at this address: http://www.darkwood.com/tragedy/ (news section).

For those who have not had the opportunity to hear your music, can you explain what your lyrics deal with? Well, our lyrics are very inspired by Shakespeare, and they are very theatrical. Read 'em and you will see.

What inspires the band musically and in life in general? Has religion been an inspiration? No, there is no religion in our music. We just question it, since everyone of us has different beliefs, we don't mix them with the music.

On the verge of a new millennium, what changes in the future do you foresee? Is there hope for a brighter tomorrow? No, I guess it will be worse. More violence, wars, and theft.

What are the goals that you hope to achieve through Theatre of Tragedy? Nothing, I just play for my own interest in the music. I feel that I have something to say, and I do it.

Has the band done any touring or live performances? There is a tour in August. You can read more on .

Having just released Velvet Darkness They Fear, are there already ideas for a next release? If so, what can we expect? We have just released a mini-CD called "A Rose for the Dead," which is a thanks to our fans. It contains two new songs: one English version of Der Tanz..., two remixes, and one cover version.

Any final thoughts or comments? I just want to say a big thanks to everybody who supports us. Thanx a lot...