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Tristania Albums Ranked

Beautiful Gothic Metal

By Chloe GilholyPublished 3 years ago 5 min read
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Vibeke Stene's new band, Veil of Secrets dropped a new album in November and I thought it was really good. It reminded me so much of the earlier Tristania albums and I had a list of things I wanted to write and ranking Tristania albums was on there. They're one of my favourite bands and even though they've been on a hiatus for a while, I really hope they release some new music next year.

They hail from Norway, home to many legendary underground metal bands. From the top of my head, I can name Tristania, The Sins of Thy Beloved, Theatre of Tragedy, Trail of Tears, Sirenia, and Dimmu Borgir. Out of all of them, I would say Tristania are my favourite because their songs explore themes of death and gloom and turn it into poetry. I also love all the singers that they've had in the band.

Tristania has had many line-up changes. Only Anders and Einstein remain from the original line-up. They’ve done extremely well to last this long as a band even founding member and chief songwriter, Morten Veland. Then they had another setback when frontwoman, Vibeke Stene left to focus on family and teaching music. Then other musicians followed. Tristania had no choice but to evolve their sound to survive.

I started getting into them whilst I was at college and discovered them through Last.FM radio. This was back when I was looking for more music to get into and was really fascinated by the subgenres of metal music. I was already into Nightwish and Within Temptation and then I discovered Tristania through YouTube and the rest was history.

Ranking Tristania albums are different because I think they’re all good. Some are better than others. At the bottom, there’s the good and at the top it’s outstanding.

Illumination

This was the last album to feature Vibeke’s vocals and she left not long after this album was released. It was my first Tristania album. The vocals are good, but nowhere near the best compared to other albums. I remember listening to this album so much in repeat. I loved Destination Departure, Deadlands and The Ravens. Sanguine Sky is really pleasant to listen to, especially the chorus. The album flows together and I love this album, I just like their other albums better. There was a time when this was one of my favourite albums, but when I got into their older stuff, I loved it. I think this is their most accessible album because it’s lighter. The melodies are gorgeous. I can’t believe the label took this album off Spotify.

Highlights: Destination Departure, Deadlands and The Ravens

Rubicon

Napalm Records must feel like the cat that got the cream with this record. The first album with Mariangela. It is obvious, they were taking a step in another direction. I've got a personal connection with this album. Back when it first came out there were a few fans that were very angry about Vibeke being replaced my Mariangela. I didn't like this album at first, I thought it was rubicrap. It wasn't until I heard Mariangela sing as a featured artist in another song was when I realised: wow, she's good. As soon as I got over Vibeke not being in the band anymore, I fell in love with this album. It's got a lot in common with Illumination, only with a more demonic exorcism to it. Mariangela's voice really compliments Protection and I really like the lyrics in the song.

Highlights: Exile, Protection and Year of the Rat.

Beyond The Veil

Can’t post the album cover on here as it’s NSFW due to the nudity, but it’s a lovely cover. So enjoy a live version of the title track instead. Last album with Morten before he formed Sirenia. This is really an iconic gem. There's a reason this one is considered one of their best and perhaps the most popular. The title track and Angina are amazing. The vocals are really on track, I just wish Vibeke's vocals weren't drowned out in it so much. I wish the album was longer because it's a consistent album. I feel epic just listening to it. The instrumentals feel like filler to me, but I do think they are also beautiful in their own right.

Highlights: Sequal of Decay, Angina and Beyond the Veil.

Darkest White

This was a huge step up from Rubicon. The album really shows their artistry, vision and chemistry they have together. I love how all the songs tell a story and connect to the album cover. It's deliciously dark. This is their most recent album, but with the Latin American tour coming up later this year, I hope that some of these tracks will be performed live again with the edition of new songs.

Highlights: Himmelfall, Scarling and Night on Earth

World of Glass

World of Glass contains a lot of my favourite songs from the band. Deadlocked is enchanting and Vibeke's vocals remind me of Klaus Nomi, an opera singer who is no longer with us. I discovered Tristania and Klaus Nomi around the same time so I always had this feeling that Klaus Nomi's spirit was floating around on this record. It's experimental and has a wide range like him. Wormwood is the song to listen to when it's the end of the world. You'd have to be a Klaus Nomi fan to understand. It's a consistent album that has no real weak links.

Highlights: Deadlocked, Wormwood, World of Glass and Tender Trip on Earth

Widow’s Weeds

Their debut album is the definitive gothic metal album. It's a haunting and chilling record that captures the medeival spirit with the old fashioned English. The lyrics have a Shakespearan vibe to them especially in lyrics: In life I kissed the serpent in thy tears. Looking back on the record now, it's incredible because being from Norway, English isn't going to be their first language. But they have a better grasp at English here, than certain English and Anerician people have today. You can hear the famous beauty and the beast technique mastered wonderfully in Evenfall. The violins are the icing on the cake in Pale Enchantress.

Highlights: Evanfall, My Lost Lenore, Angellore and December Elegy.

Ashes

I'm so gutted not many people talk about this album when it comes to Tristania. This is by far their most underrated album. I like the fact that it doesn't have as many choirs because we can see how beautiful Vibeke's vocals are. It's a nuisance that this and Illumination have been taking off streaming services like Apple Music and Spotify. I think us Tristania fans should ask Napalm Records why. It's their darkest album and I loved how they took risks on this album and I personally think they worked. I know a lot of people missed the choir epicness, but I didn't. I loved the bass and guitar work in Libre and the overall production in the whole album. The second half of the album is where it shines.

Highlights: Shadowman, Bird, Endogenesis and Equilibrium.

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About the Creator

Chloe Gilholy

Former healthcare worker and lab worker from Oxfordshire. Author of ten books including Drinking Poetry and Game of Mass Destruction. Travelled to over 20 countries.

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