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Therion - Secret Of The Runes


*
=Staff's pick

Ginnungagap (Prologue)
Midgard
Asgard
Jotunheim
Schwarzalbenheim (Svartalfheim)
Ljusalfheim*
Muspelheim*
Nifelheim
Vanaheim*
Helheim
Secret of the Runes (Epilogue)
Crying Days (remixed)
Summer Night City (remixed)


Genre Heavy Metal
-
Vocals
Tracks 11
Kristian Niemann
Guitar
Runningtime 59 Min.
Christofer Johnsson
Guitar
Label Nuclear Blast
Johan Niemann
Bass
Release 08 Oct. 2001
Sami Karppinen
Drums
Country Sweden
Christofer Johnsson
Keyboards
Similar artists ---

Many roads and obstacles has been passed for Therion since the early days, when they dwelled in the realms of pure death metal, but since mid 90's and forward they have been productive and rather succesful outside their homecountry with their operametal. This is a conceptalbum, which is based on the ancient Nordic tradition. In this tradition exists a world tree called Yggrasil, and this tree consists of nine worlds on which the album is focused around - the songs describe each of the worlds.

The vocals and choirs are beeing performed by various swedish choirs and female and male vocal solists, and they do it with honours as usual on Therion albums. I counted to 37 additional musicians on the album besides the 4 members in the group. There are various choirs, vocal and string solists, string and brass ensablems and woodwinds. A major part of the lyrics are also originally enough sung in the swedish language - due to the story that the album deals with - which I as a swede must say doesn't sound so weird or bad as I might have thought ahead.
But for the non-swedish speaking part of the world this probably passes unnoticed, exept for the fact that it is an exotic tounge that is spoken.

I can clearly understand what Christoffer Johnsson want to say and achieve with this, but it's not enough to become either this or that - it stays in some sort of gray zone in the middle. Even though I know C. Johnsson is an extremely talanted man, which has written filmmusic, composing operas/symphonies, it doesn't show in Therion, and that is a pity. Christoffer Johnsson has worked many years in the shadow of the big names, and have recieved little or no response in his native country. I have liked Therion from the very beginning - from the early year's deathmetal growls and grinding drums, up to the last years operametalreleases, but for each and every one of the past albums more and more bits and pieces has been missing. The catchy riffs, the tempo, and most important: the melodies - I don't feel much is left since for example the Theli or Vovin-albumera, which I consider beeing Therion's peakperformance so far. Up to the Deggial album it was still acceptable, but now most is lost. If he insists on continuing on this road he travels, I have a hard time seeing that he gains any new fans - only losing the old ones.

A group like Nightwish (which I don't really like to compare to, but I have to since I can't really find an alternative) are moving in the same area as this, and are lightyears ahead of Therion. This basically goes on pretty unnoticed at least for me, while the finnish counterpart has got the melodies, the catches and the groove and heavinesss that Therion lack. It just goes on for an hour here without leaving many marks in the listeners head - it feels mostly like a big "oh well"-experience.

This release has been praised in at least swedish press, and have achevied mostly roses instead instead of rise even abroad, but I have a very hard time understanding why. Even though I have red the explanations for it - it's supposed to be a masterpiece in heaviness and riffing, but my face basically takes the form of a questionmark when hearing that and listening to the album. Perhaps I don't know where to look for it....perhaps it is hidden between the lines/notes somewhere? If anyone has any tip of where to find the brilliance in this album, then feel free to mail me.

This is well-played compositions by skilled musicians, but I think Mr. Johnsson should decide on one direction for his music. I know he would do a great job either way he chooses, but as it is now it doesn't lead nowhere.

See also review of: Gothic Kabbalah , Lemuria/Sirius B

Production
Vocals
Compositions

8

7,5

4

 
Summary



4,5 chalices of 10 - Tommy

Related links:

www.megatherion.com