''A Cool Dark Place to Die'' is an album by
Theatre of Ice
Theatre of Ice was an American early deathrock band that formed in the Nevada desert in December 1978. Initially formed to record a soundtrack for a horror movie, the members instead evolved into what some claim was the first deathrock band. Ow ...
, released in 1984.
Initially conceived as a solo project for lead vocalist Brent Johnson, it instead became the band's third album and one of their most critically acclaimed works. Since the band would only reform on the condition that they were never asked to perform live again, a commitment they were never able to keep, the songs took on a far more experimental and unearthly quality. Featuring an effective spooky ambiance, they all but totally abandoned their
punk rock
Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...
roots for a far more electronic sound. This time the band chose to record in various ghost town cemeteries located throughout the
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...
desert. Perhaps more mood than music, it was still reviewed by almost every music magazine as
death rock
Deathrock (or death rock) is a rock music
Rock is a Music genre, genre of popular music that originated in the United States as "rock and roll" in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of styles from the mid-1960s, prima ...
and acclaimed as being unlike anything heard before.
Track listing
Source: Discogs
# Welcome to My World
# "A Cool Dark Place to Die"
# "Radio Has Gone Insane"
# "Deliverance"
# "Love"
# "Twilight Messiah"
# "Witchcraft"
# "Circle of Stars"
# "The Calling"
# "Rejoice"
# Life is a Circus
# "Oblivion"
# "It's All Over Now"
# "Riding the Nightmare"
# "Candlemas"
# "The Murdering Mind"
# "One Two"
# "Overcoming Peace of Mind"
# "The Horror That Comes in the Night"
# "Death... and Beyond"
# "The Last"
Musicians
* Brent Johnson – vocals, guitars and effects
* John Johnson – guitar, synthesizer and keyboards
* Mark Johnson – drums and things
* Eric Johnson – invisibility
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cool Dark Place To Die, A
Theatre of Ice albums
1984 albums