Their second album Beyond the Graves of Passion received much of the
same critical acclaim that their first album received. Simultaneously
scarier and more accessible, the album had the effect of polarizing
their audience into two camps; those that considered the band to be
basically a kitschy novelty act and those that thought Theatre of Ice to
be unholy prophets from the underworld. Ultimately the album failed to
garner the group a wider audience beyond their small, but rabid, cult
following and was considered a major disappointment by their record
company. It was also during this time that groups of devotees began
following the band from show to show often performing bizarre rituals
before, during and after shows. Several altercations between the band
and their devotees, combined with poor album sales, lead the band to
consider disbanding. The most infamous of these altercations occurred in
August 1983 when a group of crazed fans abducted the band for nearly 48
hours before a performance in Reno, Nevada. No arrests were ever made
but the band refused to play live for many years and to this date most
of their performances go unpublicized.
Lynx Rufus Recordings 2023
