Opheliac

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Not to be confused with the Shakespeare character Ophelia.

Opheliac
Opheliac cover.jpg
Studio album by
Emilie Autumn
ReleasedSeptember 1, 2006 (2006-09-01)[1]
RecordedMad Villain Studios, Chicago
GenreDark cabaret, electronica, classical, electro-industrial
Length86:30
LabelTrisol Music Group
Emilie Autumn chronology
Enchant
(2003) 		Opheliac
(2006) 		Liar / Dead is the New Alive
(2007)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic3.5/5 stars[2]
Sputnikmusic3.5/5 stars[3]

Opheliac is the second studio album by Emilie Autumn. Originally released on September 1, 2006 by Trisol Music Group, and recorded at Mad Villain Studios in Chicago, Illinois,[2] it was the first album by the artist to receive widespread distribution around the world.

Release and promotion[]

The album Opheliac was preceded by the Opheliac EP, released in Spring 2006.[4] Released through Autumn's own independent label, Traitor Records, this was a preview of the full-length album, and featured the first six tracks plus "Marry Me" and "Thank God I'm Pretty", the latter as a hidden track following the former. However, track 5 "I Want My Innocence Back" does not play on any copies of the EP, due to a manufacturing error. Earlier that year, on January 12, Autumn appeared on the WGN Chicago Morning Show to promote the album,[5] and on January 13 performed an "Opheliac album preview show" at the Double Door in Chicago.[6][7][8]

Opheliac was originally released as a limited edition digipak in Europe on September 1, 2006, and worldwide on September 22, 2006, to coincide with Autumn's birthday. [1]

As of August 6, 2008, Autumn announced that she would be releasing Opheliac Nationwide in music stores across the US on October 7, 2008.[9] The US release features exclusive tracks, such as "The Art of Suicide - Acoustic" and out-takes from the Opheliac recording sessions.

After Autumn parted ways with Trisol, a third issuing of Opheliac, entitled The Deluxe Edition, was released by The End Records on October 27, 2009 to coincide with her first American tour.[10]

Critical reception[]

The album received mixed to positive reviews. Greg Prato of AllMusic commented, "It's easy to detect similarities at times between Autumn and such renowned female artists as Kate Bush and Tori Amos [...], but when you come across the electronic/symphonic "Gothic Lolita" and the swirling "Let the Record Show," Autumn sheds her influences and finds her own original voice."[2] Alissa Ordabai of HardRockHaven.net said of the album, "[...]Autumn’s voice is alternately sweetly pitch-perfect and ruggedly punky, mirroring perfectly the conflict between chaos and order that’s at the centre of her act", and, "After all, under all of her grotesque buffoonery and a desire to shock hides a shrewd knack for writing a perfect pop song and vocal chops that can carry through and deliver any message she chooses – from deliberately neurotic to artfully vacuous."[11]

Lyrics and themes[]

Autumn performing a song from "Opheliac" in Germany, 2007.


The album, largely written and recorded in the wake of Autumn's hospitalization due to bipolar disorder,[12] touches on themes ranging from mental illness, suicide, and child abuse, to societal expectations of women and misogyny.[13] Autumn also makes frequent use of literary allusions. The word Opheliac is derived from the character Ophelia from the Shakespeare play Hamlet. Autumn explained:

"Opheliac" is word I childishly made up to explain the condition of a person having the characteristics of "Ophelia" and the "Ophelia" archetype. While the original Ophelia did indeed go "mad", it was not primarily caused by her boyfriend knocking off her dad, but rather by not only Hamlet but also all the men in her life manipulating and pushing her to the point of no alternative. I didn't exactly name the album after her as much as I named it after myself. As the truest "Opheliac" I know, this album is my story from beginning to end. Listen thoroughly and you'll know more about me than my closest friends, this being because I generally write songs about things I would never tell a living soul.[14]

"The Art of Suicide" critiques the popular song "Gloomy Sunday"; specifically the fact that some English versions of the song have a "second ending", in which the protagonist wakes up from a bad dream and no longer wants to commit suicide.[15][16]

The song "Shalott" is based on the poem "The Lady of Shalott" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

Track listing[]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Opheliac"Emilie Autumn5:33
2."Swallow"Emilie Autumn6:15
3."Liar"Emilie Autumn6:01
4."The Art of Suicide"Emilie Autumn5:32
5."I Want My Innocence Back"Emilie Autumn3:48
6."Misery Loves Company"Emilie Autumn4:28
7."God Help Me"Emilie Autumn5:58
8."Shalott"Emilie Autumn4:04
9."Gothic Lolita"Emilie Autumn6:03
10."Dead Is the New Alive"Emilie Autumn5:04
11."I Know Where You Sleep"Emilie Autumn3:15
12."Let the Record Show"Emilie Autumn3:54
Total length:59:55
Bonus Disc
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Dominant"Emilie Autumn3:47
2."306"Emilie Autumn5:36
3."Thank God I'm Pretty"Emilie Autumn4:01
4."Marry Me"Emilie Autumn4:50
5."Largo for Violin"Johann Sebastian Bach4:06
6."Poem: How to Break a Heart"Emilie Autumn1:01
7."Poem: Ghost"Emilie Autumn2:38
8."Poem: At What Point Does a Shakespeare Say?"Emilie Autumn0:36
Total length:26:35

In addition to the audio tracks, Opheliac features live concert footage, clips from her performance of "Misery Loves Company" on the WGN Morning Show on January 12, 2006, and four short video clips entitled "Inside the Asylum: Lessons in Being a Wayward Victorian Girl".

Opheliac: The Deluxe Edition[]

Opheliac (The Deluxe Edition)
Opheliac Deluxe Edition.jpg
Studio album by
Emilie Autumn
ReleasedOctober 27, 2009 (2009-10-27)
RecordedMad Villain Studios, Chicago
GenreDark cabaret, electronica, classical, electro-industrial
Length1:58:14
LabelThe End Records
Emilie Autumn chronology
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun & Bohemian Rhapsody
(2008) 		Opheliac (The Deluxe Edition)
(2009) 		Fight Like a Girl
(2012)

Track listing[]

The Deluxe Edition: Disc One
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Opheliac"Emilie Autumn5:33
2."Swallow"Emilie Autumn6:15
3."Liar"Emilie Autumn6:01
4."The Art of Suicide"Emilie Autumn5:32
5."I Want My Innocence Back"Emilie Autumn3:48
6."Misery Loves Company"Emilie Autumn4:28
7."God Help Me"Emilie Autumn5:58
8."Shalott"Emilie Autumn4:04
9."Gothic Lolita"Emilie Autumn6:03
10."Dead Is the New Alive"Emilie Autumn5:04
11."I Know Where You Sleep"Emilie Autumn3:15
12."Let the Record Show"Emilie Autumn3:54
13.""Opheliac" Recording Out-Takes"Emilie Autumn4:11
Total length:64:06
The Deluxe Edition: Disc Two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Thank God I'm Pretty"Emilie Autumn4:01
2."Dominant"Emilie Autumn3:47
3."306"Emilie Autumn5:36
4."Gloomy Sunday"Rezső Seress3:22
5."Asleep" (The Smiths Cover)Morrissey, Johnny Marr2:26
6."Mad Girl" (Acoustic Version)Emilie Autumn3:50
7."The Art of Suicide" (Acoustic Version)Emilie Autumn5:45
8."Thank God I'm Pretty" (Shoegaze Version)Emilie Autumn4:29
9."Largo for Violin"Johann Sebastian Bach4:06
10."Marry Me"Emilie Autumn4:50
11."Excerpt from The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls"Emilie Autumn1:40
12."Interview with EA"Emilie Autumn4:46
13."Poem: How to Break a Heart"Emilie Autumn1:01
14."Miss Lucy Had Some Leeches"Emilie Autumn2:20
Total length:51:59

Album Credits[]

  • Emilie Autumn - Vocals, Violin, Audio Production
  • Inkydust - Audio Engineer, Mixing

The Opheliac Companion[]

The Opheliac Companion
Opheliac Companion Cover.jpg
Studio album (commentary) by
Emilie Autumn
ReleasedAugust 2009 (2009-08)[17]
RecordedMad Villain Studios, Chicago
GenreCommentary
Length7:29:24

In August 2009, Emilie released a companion "album" to Opheliac, consisting of a director's commentary style interview/chat between Emilie and her "sound guy" Inkydust. The discussion covers everything from the equipment used during production, to musical composition, to Autumn's writing process and inspirations behind the lyrics. Containing 15 tracks at a length of approximately 8 hours,[18] the album is currently available from Emilie's official store, AmazonMP3, Spotify, and iTunes.

Track listing[]

The Opheliac Companion
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Intro"Emilie Autumn, Inkydust4:49
2."Opheliac"Emilie Autumn, Inkydust1:06:04
3."Swallow"Emilie Autumn, Inkydust34:10
4."Liar"Emilie Autumn, Inkydust47:03
5."The Art of Suicide"Emilie Autumn, Inkydust46:04
6."I Want My Innocence Back"Emilie Autumn, Inkydust29:53
7."Interlude"Emilie Autumn, Inkydust16:34
8."Misery Loves Company"Emilie Autumn, Inkydust14:08
9."God Help Me"Emilie Autumn, Inkydust17:07
10."Shalott"Emilie Autumn, Inkydust16:32
11."Gothic Lolita"Emilie Autumn, Inkydust1:36:04
12."Dead Is the New Alive"Emilie Autumn, Inkydust20:59
13."I Know Where You Sleep"Emilie Autumn, Inkydust14:21
14."Let the Record Show"Emilie Autumn, Inkydust23:17
15."Ending"Emilie Autumn, Inkydust2:19
Total length:7:29:24

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "Latest News". Emilie Autumn Online. September 1, 2006. Archived from the original on November 9, 2006. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c Prato, Greg. "Review: Opheliac". Allmusic. Retrieved October 25, 2009.
  3. ^ https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/14669/Emilie-Autumn-Opheliac//
  4. ^ "Opheliac EP". Traitor Records. Archived from the original on April 19, 2006. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  5. ^ "Emilie Autumn & The Bloody Crumpets on the WGN Morning Show". WGN. January 13, 2006. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  6. ^ "Dates". Emilie Autumn Online. Archived from the original on November 13, 2006. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  7. ^ "Upcoming Shows". Double Door. Archived from the original on January 3, 2006. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  8. ^ "Tours". Traitor Records. Archived from the original on December 28, 2007. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  9. ^ "OPHELIAC RELEASE IN NORTH AMERICA on October 7th 2008". THE ASYLUM - Emilie Autumn's Official Forum. August 6, 2008. Archived from the original on September 6, 2008. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  10. ^ "The Asylum Emporium - Music". Welcome To The Asylum. Archived from the original on September 21, 2010. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  11. ^ Ordabai, Alissa. "Emilie Autumn Opheliac The Deluxe Edition". HardRockHaven. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  12. ^ Mickie, Naughty (2011). "Emile Autumn serving up insanity with love". DaBelly Magazine. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  13. ^ Reesman, Bryan (November 30, 2009). "Emilie Autumn's Personal Asylum". Attention Deficit Delirium. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  14. ^ Morris, Kevin (Spring 2006). "The World According To Emilie Autumn" (PDF). TWF Magazine. p. 31. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  15. ^ Van Muylem, Filip (December 29, 2011). "Emilie Autumn - interview". Peek-A-Boo Magazine. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  16. ^ "Emilie Autumn". The Dose Magazine. April 2007. Archived from the original on July 15, 2010. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  17. ^ "THE ASYLUM - Emilie Autumn's Official Forum". Archived from the original on August 13, 2009. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  18. ^ "The Opheliac Companion". The Asylum Emporium. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
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