Therion - Secret of the Runes
|
Our Price: $15.98 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $7.49 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for Secret of the Runes
Free Music Review: Therion does it again
Hit: 4 Stars
Therion is pure genius. This cd is a stunning (although I think Theli is their best album) example of the 9 worlds of Norse cosmology, along with the self titled song, Secret of The Runes. This cd is full of lore, and I would recommend this to anyone who is a viking at heart.Free Music Review: SECRET OF AWESOME
Hit: 5 Stars
This is by far one of the best symphonic metal albums I have ever heard. Orchestras, choirs, opera, and heavy metal guitars is already a recipe for a great sounding style of music but Therion has all but perfected on this album. I recommend to anyone looking to explore the symphonic metal genre that they buy this album.Free Music Review: Simply beautiful...
Hit: 5 Stars
Metal and symphony; symphony and metal - two disparate musical presentations that are related only in their absolute sincerity and sheer intensity. Yet, there are approximately seventeen bands for every person currently living in Northern Europe that attempt to combine the two into a single entity. Some succeed admirably, others fail miserably, but none seem to capture the true possibilities of such a mix like Therion do on this offering.
As a seemingly perfect setting for such music, Secret of the Runes takes the listener on a majestic journey through the nine worlds of Norse mythology. Ginnungagap, the prologue, which depicts the vast expanse of emptiness that gave birth to the universe; Midgard, the earthly realm of men; Asgard, the heavenly realm of the Gods; Jotunheim, the looming realm of the giants; Schwarzalbenheim, the dark realm of the dwarves; Ljusalfheim, the fair realm of the elves; Muspelheim, the hellish realm of fire and home to the fire giants; Nifelheim, the realm of ice and cold; Vanaheim, home to the Gods alongside Asgard; Helheim, the underworld; and the title track, the epilogue, which depicts the end of Odin's journey and his acquisition of the knowledge of the runes - all are rendered in vivid tapestries of fully realized harmony. In fact, Secret of the Runes is so rich in non-metallic harmony that I hesitate to dub this a metal album so much as an album of traditional Norse songcraft with moments of notable heaviness thrown in for dramatic effect and mood.
Indeed, the most crushing thing to be found here is over and done with at the very beginning. "Ginnungagap" is, from any given angle, a very heavy thing. The riffs are slow, deep, chugging monsters; the drum work is methodical, undeniably impactful, and straightforward; the vocal harmonizations are sinister; and the guitar solo that comes in about halfway through the song is a stunning work of tremolo-heavy melodicism that goes from downright evil in its first half to triumphant and uplifting in its second. There is a sort of low point shortly after which involves a keyboard line reminiscent of Game Boy-era Zelda, but it doesn't last very long. The song fades out as it came in... and then the album begins to reveal its true heart.
Solo violin and oboe. A string ensemble that includes violins, violas, and cellos. A woodwind ensemble that includes flute, piccolo, oboe, bassoon, and contrabassoon. A brass ensemble that includes trumpet, trombone, French horn, Wagner tuba, and Flugelhorn. Solo soprano, alto, and tenor of both the female and male side. A full-fledged choir featuring everything from coloratura soprano to bass-baritone... and the band itself - a quartet of rhythm guitar, lead guitar, bass guitar, and drums that shows commendable restraint throughout. These are the soul of the music that the listener will be subject to over the next forty minutes.
"Midgard" features light, heavenly vocal performances on top of gently strummed background guitar, with a noteworthy double-tapped solo towards the end. "Asgard" bursts with energy from the outset and moves through moderately distorted chord progressions with female solo soprano and male solo tenor trading off in the spotlight, finally finishing with two soaring, melodious guitar solos. "Jotunheim", with its flourishing woodwinds juxtaposed against overdriven guitars, is a brooding track with an outro that sees drummer Sami Karppinen finally having a chance to break out of the box with some absolutely killer fills backing a chanting male vocal - "Thursar! Jotunheimr! Resar! Jotunheimr! Jotnar! Jotunheimr!" Next, we arrive in "Schwarzalbenhelm", which is sung entirely in German and maintains a dark mood throughout up until a beautiful string section, which features a solo violin opposite a solo cello. "Ljusalfheim", ripe with joyous acoustic guitars and soaring choral work, contains a dreamy, whispering vocal in the chorus (performed by guest vocalist Thomas Karlsson) that adds a sense of tranquility to the music. The track comes to a close with another soaring guitar solo, and leads us to what's probably the single most impressive thing to be heard on this journey - "Muspelheim", which is flawed only in its unfortunate brevity. It starts with a gorgeous solo soprano soaring over a male choir, and without warning explodes into a riff that is more than worthy of the hellish inferno that it serves to represent. The performance that follows is extraordinarily striking, as a rippling female vocal (reminiscent of an underwater effect) trades off with a male counterpart, moves into a brief string section, and culminates with an acoustic guitar melody placed against heavily distorted splashes of electric guitar before repeating the cycle from the start. "Nifelheim" enters with a beautiful a capella - bass, tenor, alto, and soprano come together over an airy drum progression, and continue to provide engaging performances through to the end, where the deep intonations of "Jormundgand! Nidhogg!" are uttered over tribal drums. A solo string performance opens up "Vanaheim", and follows through into a weeping duet of woodwinds and acoustic guitars. The song takes on a metallic flavor here, with an excellent central riff and more standout vocal performances from the male side of the fence. Closure comes in the form of upbeat drums and a guitar solo, and the listener is ushered into the final realm - "Helheim". Male chanting accentuated by female soprano kicks things off, and moves into an excellent solo male vocal performance backed by a string ensemble. Overdriven guitars and a solid rhythmic foundation make a smooth transition into the final step of the journey - "Secret of the Runes". Somber interplay between lead and rhythm guitar, solid vocal performances, brooding double bass drums, and prominent brass augmentation signals the end of this magnificent quest and brings the album to its end.
Secret of the Runes is a wonderful show and an accomplished work. Stunning performances and delivery, masterful songwriting and arrangements, and a solid grasp of the concept on display. Highly recommended to all fans of symphonic metal and to those who have always wondered about the potential of such a marriage.
Free Music Review: Therions Best and Worst album
Hit: 5 Stars
There's been a lot of discussion about this album on Therion's band site, with even Christofer Johnson commenting on it himself in interviews.
Basically for the hardcore Therion fans this is usually their favorite album. For most others this is considered the weakest album and actually has the weakest sales. Fans leaning towards classical music preferences tend to favor this album, fans of heavy metal tend to think it is lame, but still worth a listen. I for one love it, but I'm a big Therion fan, and love the classical elements.
The first thing to understand about ALL Therion albums is that you must listen to them several times before it sinks in. They almost always don't sound so good the first listen until you have given it time to sink in.
This album is more opera oriented than any other album, with the vocals being very loud and prominent, while at the same time the symphony is less prominent, in fact the violens and such are played in a more folkish style than classical. You also have some Wagner inspired trumpets and such in a few songs which some fans of classical music really enjoy. The drumming is rather good and very (loud) prominent as well but compliment the vocals very nicely. Likewise some awsome guitar solo's. Musically much more complicated that say Vovin, much less complicated than Deggial.
Overall this album is basically an opera with some folkish inspired classical arrangements and basic rock band backing it up. Along with some awsome guitar solo's. The theme is obviously the nine levels of the world tree yggdrasl in Nordic Mythology, which relates to the Nordic runes.
Free Music Review: Dream Theater and Transiberian Orchestra who? Therion are ingenius!
Hit: 5 Stars
Secret of the runes is one of Therion's greatest masterpeices. You get the full on symphony, a lead spinto soprano's voice soaring over it, choir, and various other awesome instruments added into heavy metallica-esque riffing.
Therion have a truly unique style that is in a big way grander than the likes of Cradle of filth and Dream Theater. The music is technical. The melodies flow perfectly and are often beautiful. The mix and mastering of the CD is great. There is not one dull moment but it may be a challenge to hear if you are not a fan of opera, classical, or heavy progressive metal.