- Oct 22, 2006
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Therion – Gothic Kabbalah
Nuclear Blast – barcode unknown - January 15th
By Dan Fisher
Here’s a recipe that all you metal chefs out there might like to try: take one part of power metal, one part Iron Maiden and two parts symphonic prog and blend together on a CD. Any CD will do. Gently sift the sound through the eyes of a visionary master of structure and orchestration and you may end up with a tasty little dish like Therion.
Therion, by rights, should be deader than platform shoes by now. Most bands, metal or otherwise, would struggle to keep going for what is now twenty years in the industry. Yet Therion seem to be still learning and going from strength to strength. With their latest offering Gothic Kabbalah, the Christofer Johnsson led group flexes its creative muscles again with a dazzling double album of mystery and dark romance. Swirling textures jostle impatiently to be allowed out by the subtle time signature shifts while the beautiful voice of Mats Leven provides eddies of ethereal majesty to the mix.
There are many parts to this album that may take a while for the listener to fully digest. The first half begins with a musical confrontation of sorts; all heavy guitars, stabbing strings and phantom of the opera-esque vocals by Johnsson. At times I found this style of delivery irritating but I think, on reflection, it does suit the style of music. I also have a problem with the mystical lyrics in that the music is so emotive that the lyrics almost jar the experience for me. The vocals have more resonance when the female lead was singing about her character’s pain and torment. Stand out tracks include ’The Perennial Sophia’, ’The Wisdom and the Cage’ and ’Trul’, the latter having harmonies that will blow your mind with their pomp and valour. The second half shows a more reflective side, culminating in the brilliant ’Adulruna Redivivia’. This track has everything: suspense, drama, quiet moments, purely orchestral passages leading to lush vocals harmonies and more. One thing I would say against this album is the way each track is faded out rather than the ending being carefully crafted. It seems a bit odd that with all the talent Johnsson has, he can’t think up decent endings to his songs!
Well, as Lloyd Grossman says on Masterchef: ‘we have cogitated, digested and discussed. And the winner is…..’. Well Therion really. This album is wonderful and I would describe it as a near essential purchase for fans of the ingredients listed in the introduction.
Official Therion Website
Official Nuclear Blast Website
Nuclear Blast – barcode unknown - January 15th
By Dan Fisher
Here’s a recipe that all you metal chefs out there might like to try: take one part of power metal, one part Iron Maiden and two parts symphonic prog and blend together on a CD. Any CD will do. Gently sift the sound through the eyes of a visionary master of structure and orchestration and you may end up with a tasty little dish like Therion.
Therion, by rights, should be deader than platform shoes by now. Most bands, metal or otherwise, would struggle to keep going for what is now twenty years in the industry. Yet Therion seem to be still learning and going from strength to strength. With their latest offering Gothic Kabbalah, the Christofer Johnsson led group flexes its creative muscles again with a dazzling double album of mystery and dark romance. Swirling textures jostle impatiently to be allowed out by the subtle time signature shifts while the beautiful voice of Mats Leven provides eddies of ethereal majesty to the mix.
There are many parts to this album that may take a while for the listener to fully digest. The first half begins with a musical confrontation of sorts; all heavy guitars, stabbing strings and phantom of the opera-esque vocals by Johnsson. At times I found this style of delivery irritating but I think, on reflection, it does suit the style of music. I also have a problem with the mystical lyrics in that the music is so emotive that the lyrics almost jar the experience for me. The vocals have more resonance when the female lead was singing about her character’s pain and torment. Stand out tracks include ’The Perennial Sophia’, ’The Wisdom and the Cage’ and ’Trul’, the latter having harmonies that will blow your mind with their pomp and valour. The second half shows a more reflective side, culminating in the brilliant ’Adulruna Redivivia’. This track has everything: suspense, drama, quiet moments, purely orchestral passages leading to lush vocals harmonies and more. One thing I would say against this album is the way each track is faded out rather than the ending being carefully crafted. It seems a bit odd that with all the talent Johnsson has, he can’t think up decent endings to his songs!
Well, as Lloyd Grossman says on Masterchef: ‘we have cogitated, digested and discussed. And the winner is…..’. Well Therion really. This album is wonderful and I would describe it as a near essential purchase for fans of the ingredients listed in the introduction.
Official Therion Website
Official Nuclear Blast Website
I think Gothic Kaballah is incredible... I hate Lacuna Coil with a passion and see no comparisons. I did draw a slight comparison to Sirenia at one point (the verse of The Perennial Sophia with the male and female trade-offs) but that's a good comparison methinks. Songs like the aforementioned and the couple that follow it are pretty damn awesome. It's already my favorite of 2007 - there seems to be a lot of disappointments already but Therion is keeping the flame alive.
