User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 23 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 23
  2. Negative: 3 out of 23
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  1. Dec 17, 2012
    10
    When I first this I thought 'What an overproduced monstrosity' after a few listens its 'What a brilliant overproduced monstrosity' Now it is granted that you may have to have a sense of humor to fully appreciate the slanted wonder of this album but individually the songs are strong, memorable and Ms Palmer's delivery perfect.
  2. Sep 17, 2012
    10
    it's worth every penny.
    honestly I didn't expect anything like this at all.I was expecting something familiar like "Dresden Dolls" , a "Liza Minnelli-Dark Cabaret" album,but the songs are well written and moreover perfectly arranged.she tried so hard to de-familiarize her earlier works,and she did it absolutely great. "A Grand Theft Intermission" will be a great surprise for you.be sure
    it's worth every penny.
    honestly I didn't expect anything like this at all.I was expecting something familiar like "Dresden Dolls" , a "Liza Minnelli-Dark Cabaret" album,but the songs are well written and moreover perfectly arranged.she tried so hard to de-familiarize her earlier works,and she did it absolutely great. "A Grand Theft Intermission" will be a great surprise for you.be sure about it.
    in the end,Ben Fold is right; "You're going to **** when you hear it."
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  3. Sep 13, 2012
    10
    this. is. her. best. album. yet. there's so much right with this album that i just can't fathom how anyone can not like this album. from the second track (the first is a silly little intro) to the last, you just cant turn it off. i find myself listening to it and being like "i don't really need to go to class". The melodies are there, the lyrics are brilliant and the band is perfect.
  4. Dec 13, 2019
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Having been a fan of some of her previous work but never actually listening to anything from Theatre is Evil, I didn't know what to expect... I have been listening to this album for the last 3 weeks straight on my 30 minute drives to and from work... It really is THAT good.
    Theatre is Evil is a rollercoaster of screaming ballads and soft and raw emotional pieces. The album is just full of catchy songs that have me singing along and the music composition is just leagues beyond most other artists in recent memory (And yeah, this came out in 2012. Still better than most new stuff).
    Really, this album is just kickin' the entire way through.
    The lyric that hits me the most is from Trout Heart Replica, "Killing things is not so hard. it's hurting that's the hardest part, and when the Wizard gets to me I'm asking for a smaller heart, and if he tells me no, I'll hold my breath until I hit the floor. Eventually I know I'm doomed to get just what I'm asking for." Just. BEAUTIFUL.
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  5. Oct 30, 2013
    10
    Amanda delivers her finest album yet. It covers a wide space, but is consistently great at whatever it tries. The progression of songs is a nicely tuned rollercoaster and while a good chunk of the lyrics are not immediately clear in and of themselves, in combination with the music, delivery, and some introspection, they have more meaning than per syllable than most other albums out there.Amanda delivers her finest album yet. It covers a wide space, but is consistently great at whatever it tries. The progression of songs is a nicely tuned rollercoaster and while a good chunk of the lyrics are not immediately clear in and of themselves, in combination with the music, delivery, and some introspection, they have more meaning than per syllable than most other albums out there.
    Amanda may be the first to admit she does not know how to sing, or at least know how to sing like some specific other people, the style grows on you and does not seem at all amateurish, quite the opposite.
    While I think the album compares favorably to earlier Dresden Dolls fare, be aware that the style has changed and expanded.
    If you buy an album today, let it be this one.
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Awards & Rankings

Metascore
82

Universal acclaim - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 18
  2. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. Nov 8, 2012
    60
    Palmer seems intent on cramming as many ideas and textures into every song as she can, which is exciting at first but exhausting by the halfway point of an excessively long album.
  2. Oct 5, 2012
    60
    Perhaps the best way to approach Theatre Is Evil is not even as an album, but rather a collection of songs--all fairly similar but often good, sometimes very much so.
  3. Oct 5, 2012
    90
    In Theatre Is Evil, Palmer hasn't just topped her best releases to date. She's done it with room to spare.