THERION SECRET OF THE RUNES
Nuclear Blast 2001
By Rodrigo
The latest fusion of classic and heavy metal music by Therion is presented with the new album Secret of the Runes. This new release marks a change of direction in many ways for Christofer Johnson especially by comparing this release with last years Deggial. First, the eastern themes of previous albums are gone. Instead Christofer delves into Nordic mythology. While the lyrics maybe in different languages there are synopsis for what each song is about and it has definitely made me very interested in this mythology of which I know little about.
The second change is there is less use of the classical elements. Deggial was the first Therion album to use authentic instruments and seeing the possibilities Christofer came up with an extremely complex, dark and engaging album that was hard to get into but ultimately it was very rewarding. That albums closer "Via Nocturna" was an amazing journey into the world of classical music. Secret of the Runes could be described as Deggial-lite. There is less use of classical elements and more of metal elements. Real instruments are still used but they are not as prominent in this album. Instead we see more of the metal approach from earlier Therion albums. But dont think this means that Christofer is trying to relieve the past. Secret of the Runes is nothing like Lepaca Kliffoth or even Theli.
The overall pace and mood is slow. This is not the album that you want to head bang to (there are already plenty of those). Instead Secret of the Runes is an atmospheric and epic journey meant to be soothing and tranquil. The acoustic guitars of "Ljusalfheim" reflect this tranquility I am talking about. Even when there are faster paced guitar driven sections it doesnt feel like a metal album instead more like a fast symphony piece. "Musphelheim" which is just longer than 2 minutes is one of these faster songs but it really doesnt feel heavy.
Unlike the past two albums there is no famous metal singer taking lead in some of the songs as Hansi Kurch and Ralf Scheepers have done. Grand female and male choirs sing lead in all the songs. With the way the music is played and the lyrical themes present in Secret of the Runes I really couldnt even see a voice of metal taking lead in one of the songs. There is no song that I can picture that happening. One of the best songs "Midgard" uses very well the male and female voices to interpret the moods and what each sex is talking to. I especially enjoy the chorus section where only the female voices are heard with the bass line and drums in the background. The pace of the song is overall slow until the last minute when the guitars take lead and there is actually a very cool guitar solo in this part. "Ginungagap", the albums opening track is another excellent offering from Therion. One of the coolest parts of the entire album is present in this song right at 1:08 into the song. This horn section with the female chanting choir is absolutely stunning.
So whats the overall verdict of Secret of the Runes. For those of you who might have felt that Deggial was too hard to get into then this is a better album for you. Its more straightforward approach will appeal to more fans this time around. However, I miss that complexity and I while I do enjoy the overall mood of the album I would have preferred faster sections like in Theli. Secret of the Runes is a good album but Christofer has shown that he can come up with material much better than what is found in this album.
Nuclear Blast Website
Therion Official Website
Nuclear Blast 2001
By Rodrigo
The latest fusion of classic and heavy metal music by Therion is presented with the new album Secret of the Runes. This new release marks a change of direction in many ways for Christofer Johnson especially by comparing this release with last years Deggial. First, the eastern themes of previous albums are gone. Instead Christofer delves into Nordic mythology. While the lyrics maybe in different languages there are synopsis for what each song is about and it has definitely made me very interested in this mythology of which I know little about.
The second change is there is less use of the classical elements. Deggial was the first Therion album to use authentic instruments and seeing the possibilities Christofer came up with an extremely complex, dark and engaging album that was hard to get into but ultimately it was very rewarding. That albums closer "Via Nocturna" was an amazing journey into the world of classical music. Secret of the Runes could be described as Deggial-lite. There is less use of classical elements and more of metal elements. Real instruments are still used but they are not as prominent in this album. Instead we see more of the metal approach from earlier Therion albums. But dont think this means that Christofer is trying to relieve the past. Secret of the Runes is nothing like Lepaca Kliffoth or even Theli.
The overall pace and mood is slow. This is not the album that you want to head bang to (there are already plenty of those). Instead Secret of the Runes is an atmospheric and epic journey meant to be soothing and tranquil. The acoustic guitars of "Ljusalfheim" reflect this tranquility I am talking about. Even when there are faster paced guitar driven sections it doesnt feel like a metal album instead more like a fast symphony piece. "Musphelheim" which is just longer than 2 minutes is one of these faster songs but it really doesnt feel heavy.
Unlike the past two albums there is no famous metal singer taking lead in some of the songs as Hansi Kurch and Ralf Scheepers have done. Grand female and male choirs sing lead in all the songs. With the way the music is played and the lyrical themes present in Secret of the Runes I really couldnt even see a voice of metal taking lead in one of the songs. There is no song that I can picture that happening. One of the best songs "Midgard" uses very well the male and female voices to interpret the moods and what each sex is talking to. I especially enjoy the chorus section where only the female voices are heard with the bass line and drums in the background. The pace of the song is overall slow until the last minute when the guitars take lead and there is actually a very cool guitar solo in this part. "Ginungagap", the albums opening track is another excellent offering from Therion. One of the coolest parts of the entire album is present in this song right at 1:08 into the song. This horn section with the female chanting choir is absolutely stunning.
So whats the overall verdict of Secret of the Runes. For those of you who might have felt that Deggial was too hard to get into then this is a better album for you. Its more straightforward approach will appeal to more fans this time around. However, I miss that complexity and I while I do enjoy the overall mood of the album I would have preferred faster sections like in Theli. Secret of the Runes is a good album but Christofer has shown that he can come up with material much better than what is found in this album.
Nuclear Blast Website
Therion Official Website
