:::Vomits::: Sorry the new CD, Illumination is nothing compared to their older ones. I love Tristania, but after listening to this, I realized they're nothing without Morten (now in Sirenia). This album was way too Doomish for me. It lacks intensity and yeah. It's just quite weak compared to their older material. Ashes was weak as well, but it had a few good songs.

I heard the album since now 6 times and i can say that it is great...there are some very good songs in it...Also the guitar work is very carefully written and is something more than the classical guitars played in Gothic Metal...well done Anders..
Einar Moen keyboard melodies are great giving the music the atmosphaire needed adding another piece to the puzzle...

Drumming is very good although this time there are less doublekicks and etc
It is though very good,i find it in some points like Mercyside exceptional

Basslines are classic i can say...the bassist in the band i play says that the older albums like Widows Weed's(notice Pale Enchantress and My Lost Lenore) and Beyond the Veil were melodicer...

Vibeke's and Osten's vocals are amazing...god damn perfekt...sounding full
of feelings...

Generall great album...

Written by Lord Grim on 28.01.2007 at 17:40

after listening to this, I realized they're nothing without Morten (now in Sirenia).

Have you listened to the new Sirenia's opus?
Sirenia nowadays are nothing... and curiously Morten is an active part of the band.
I don't think your message has any sense, truly.

Illumination, it wasn´t really bad , though nothing like the old stuff, i´d keep with Beyond The Veil

Well guys indeed Morten Veland gave Tristania some seriously masterpieces...Widow's Weeds and Beyond the Veil will always be two of the greatest Gothic Metal albums ever but these days are over...

Sirenia released two great albums to make it shit on the new one...i feel really sad because i never thought that Morten would write commercial stuff...i will always though respect him for the old stuff...

Tristania continues withouy him for a lot of years...dont you find it normal that the music will be different when the music writer is other person??Dont expect Tristania to write what Morten wrote at the 1996-1999 years...

I'm being "Illuminated" right now for the first time! This music is really really lovely. I am baffled by the people who do not like it and/or are still talking about Morten.

This music makes me respect Tristania even more. They, more than many other bands, are fearless about exploring new sounds and musical ideas. That said, this is a logical next step from Ashes, I can hear the evolutionary path clearly. Granted I haven't let this album "sink in" yet but I'm really enjoying it now and have a feeling I'll continue to!
Another great album from the masters

Well Lurinan i wont disagree that "Illumination"is a killer album but really now,dont you think that the older albums had something very unique inside the music?For example i havent met the haunting atmosphaire of "Widow's Weeds"at Ashes or Illumination...mabye World of Glass had something of the older style but still
it was a big change and i find it logic cuz the composers are Einar and Anders...sorry for the off topic post

I think that after a few listens to some songs like Mercyside, you can get used to the album. If we compare Illumination to the new Sirenia's album, obviously Illumination is much better. Vibeke's vocals are great, not that operatic but still melodic and very enjoyable. The production is ok, but I'm still one of those who think that a darker sound would be better.

Written by Susan on 01.02.2007 at 06:41

I'm being "Illuminated" right now for the first time! This music is really really lovely. I am baffled by the people who do not like it and/or are still talking about Morten.

This music makes me respect Tristania even more. They, more than many other bands, are fearless about exploring new sounds and musical ideas. That said, this is a logical next step from Ashes, I can hear the evolutionary path clearly. Granted I haven't let this album "sink in" yet but I'm really enjoying it now and have a feeling I'll continue to!
Another great album from the masters

Evolutionary path? Gothic Metal came out of Doom Metal. This is not Gothic Metal anymore. It's now Doom Metal, so if anything, they regressed.

"Illumination" doom metal??

Written by Bitch Boy on 04.02.2007 at 21:03

"Illumination" doom metal??

Yes. When the guy sings, it's usually monotone, there are more acoustic parts, and it not that upbeat at all. To be honest, it makes me want to fall asleep.

So sleepy music equals doom metal?
...Doom metal never made ME want to fall asleep... ambient music usually does that

Tristania has always had elements of doom in their gothic music but I don't feel this is any more of a doom release than the others. Regarding your other post: it's an "evolution" if a band does something that's new to them and different from what they've done before; it's a regression if they go backwards and do what they've already done. So yes, Illumination is definitely an evolution!

Written by Lord Grim on 04.02.2007 at 17:34

Evolutionary path? Gothic Metal came out of Doom Metal. This is not Gothic Metal anymore. It's now Doom Metal, so if anything, they regressed.

gothic metal comes out of where?! please please please think before you post such nonsense! gothic metal was born when Paradise Lost decided to combine elements of the gothic scene (such as goth rock, Sisters of Mercy were a huge inspiration for them, or dark wave, etc) with metal elements. they also used doom metal elements because, after all, they were a doom metal band. conclusion? gothic metal comes out of gothic music, absolutely not out of doom metal! doom metal is just another element that bands use to make it more attractive. about Illumination being doom metal.. are you sure? i can sincerely find much more goth rock elements (see those guitar riffs in Mercyside) than doom elements. Illumination is definitely gothic metal; gothic metal at its best if you ask me!

Written by [user id=19568] on 29.01.2007 at 23:50

Well guys indeed Morten Veland gave Tristania some seriously masterpieces...Widow's Weeds and Beyond the Veil will always be two of the greatest Gothic Metal albums ever but these days are over...

Sirenia released two great albums to make it shit on the new one...i feel really sad because i never thought that Morten would write commercial stuff...i will always though respect him for the old stuff...

Tristania continues withouy him for a lot of years...dont you find it normal that the music will be different when the music writer is other person??Dont expect Tristania to write what Morten wrote at the 1996-1999 years...

not to be rude or anything but Morten Veland DIDN'T give Tristania no masterpieces! he just helped. Einar and Anders had a huge contribution in the making of Widow's Weeds and Beyond the Veil. they wrote those songs TOGHETER which means Morten was just a mere part of old Tristania, not the genius behind it. why do you think Sirenia never managed to write an album as majestic as WW or BTV? because Einar and Anders were missing. when i listen to Sirenia's albums i only hear weaker variants of Beyond the Veil. don't get me wrong, i really like Sirenia's old stuff but no one will ever change my opinion: Morten was just another Tristania member. they're just fine without him. and, sincerely, after seeing how many line up changes occured in Sirenia i'm damn glad he was kicked out!

Yo hackers, code-crackers, yackers!!! What do I see, what do I see, you still haven't got over the Tristania/Morten thingie? Soooo ghei. Look: you have new Tristania with minimized growls, new Sirenia with minimized growls, go listen to black for that

Anyway, Illumination, that is why I art here I got to listen it to several times and I gotta say I'm fairly pleased. I won't look back and compare it to nothing else than Ashes, since Illumination gave me an impression as a successor to Ashes, and a good one I must say. The winner song is definately Destination Departure - a real tristanian tune, beautiful melody, beautiful vocal lines and beautiful Vibeke's vocals as it should be. Actually the whole first half of the album is very good, the second half kinda misses me, but still. Therre are some elements that remind me of first two works of Tristania momentarily, and that is what calms me down. More growls would make me listen to this album more often, but hey, what's done is done. Vibeke however sounds better than on Ashes, more haunting and profound, she found herself much more in this stlye on Illumination than on Ashes.

For conclusion, this album is probably not gonna hist my playlists daily, but it's a solid album that refreshens my listenings from time to time. Tristania has proven that they are indeed very capable musicians, but still I have the feeling they could do much more. Ana a - in my eyes are also lyrics, I'm really sorry, but Osten is just not my style of lyricist. But let's stay on Illumination level for now.

Written by Susan on 05.02.2007 at 07:20

So sleepy music equals doom metal?
...Doom metal never made ME want to fall asleep... ambient music usually does that

Tristania has always had elements of doom in their gothic music but I don't feel this is any more of a doom release than the others. Regarding your other post: it's an "evolution" if a band does something that's new to them and different from what they've done before; it's a regression if they go backwards and do what they've already done. So yes, Illumination is definitely an evolution!

You're completely right (except in the ambient music part but that's another discussion). Illumination could never be considered a regression because it has nothing to do with the first releases. And has no doom metal in it. It's more atmospheric, but not for making me fall asleep.

It's not a matter if they have regessed or not. I think the big complain is why there is so few growls and of course we have those who still jacking about Morten's depature. I'm neither of those catagories. I can live without growls and I found World of Glass and Ashes pretty good. The reason why I don't really like this album is that they are leaning further away from metal and more towards the gothic rock movement. (Nothing wrong with gothic rock, but I prefer gothic/doom metal). Ok, a band should envolve but it shouldn't lose its carisma. The album fail to reach the heart and the music is rather forgettable IMO, also the lyrics are alot weaker then the previous album. It's not a bad album,but nor is it great one either. Just....unintresting.

Well guyz indeed Gothic Metal is based upon Doom/Death music style but this doesnt not mean that Gothic Metal is Doom Metal...With time
it has become a genre of its own and has created its own sound
and character...

Lord Grim if you really believe tha Illumination is Doom Metal
then i am deeply sorry but you have absolutely no idea what is
doom metal

Zeraphine i have sent you a PM but i want to write some stuff for the rest of the people who read here

Widow's Weeds

At the backward of the Cd it says that Music composed by Tristania...if you want to know most of the songs were completely composed by M.Veland,Einar Moen wrote the neoclassical piano at Midwintertears and the f***great piano Melody of My Lost Lenore...all the others were completely composed by M.Veland as the lyric also...

Beyond the Veil

Here the main composers are M.Veland and Einar Moen,Anders didnt write a lot stuff...

What i wanted to say above is that M.Veland gave great stuff to Gothic Metal...this however doesnt not mean that Tristania is not good without him...Read first what i wrote above and then start the blaming...

I would also like to add to what CoffinSpirit said about the doom metal, The Illuminatus album is different from what they have done previously but it can't be said to be doom metal.
I have also heard the new sirenia song and perhaps more now there is a bigger difference between the two bands than what there was.
However i really like Sangine Sky off this album and it probably the direction they want to take musically

Written by [user id=19568] on 08.02.2007 at 15:39

Zeraphine i have sent you a PM but i want to write some stuff for the rest of the people who read here

Widow's Weeds

At the backward of the Cd it says that Music composed by Tristania...if you want to know most of the songs were completely composed by M.Veland,Einar Moen wrote the neoclassical piano at Midwintertears and the f***great piano Melody of My Lost Lenore...all the others were completely composed by M.Veland as the lyric also...

Beyond the Veil

Here the main composers are M.Veland and Einar Moen,Anders didnt write a lot stuff...

What i wanted to say above is that M.Veland gave great stuff to Gothic Metal...this however doesnt not mean that Tristania is not good without him...Read first what i wrote above and then start the blaming...

and yet again, don't give me Tristania lectures, they're one of my favourite bands and i actually know more about them than you think. do you actually think i started listening to them yesterday? come on.. i never blamed you of anything. if you feel attacked then that's your problem. all i did is writting down my opinion.

i'm sorry for the offtopic.

Zeraphine is right - early Tristanian compositions were a team effort just as they are today. Admittedly Morten did a lot of the work and probably had a lot more say but he was never alone with it. If you've ever attempted composing music you'll know just a tiny suggestion from someone can completely alter the course of a song

Well Lyrinan i know first hand for the composement story as i am writting most of the stuff in the band i play(music only cuz i cant express through lyric dunno why)and i always give the bassist to make some changes and the song...FIOU is suddenly different most times in a better way...

Anyway,sorry for the posts about Veland i have not any mood for arguing and Ok sorry for the off topic

Tristania are great... I only have Beyond The Veil.
It's too bad that Morten Veland left the band. His vocals were great.

Yeah but he's with Sirenia now - i listened to Sirenia's newest video at you tube ---great work---

But nevertheless Illumination is the best album by tristania - i heard it over 10 times from beginning to end and it's soooo great!

I am starting to agree that Illumination is their best yet It's so complete and the most "focused" album since Widow's Weeds. Since I bought it it has seriously not left my cd-player; yet each time I listen there is a new wonderful thing to hear.

Yes indeed Illumination has really something new...It has a lot of fresh ideas and the result is a great album truly...And it is different from the old ones at the vocals...
For example at the previous albums brutal vocals had a basic role along with female soprano vocals,in this album there are mainly clean male and female(not soprano at some songs)...and something i really missed in the new one(this of course does not change anything)is the classic Tristania choirs which at Illuminaton do not exist...
Musically there is much influence from gothic rock music(if you listen the guitar work at Mercyside you will understand what i mean)than the "doom/death"style they used to have...

(I put this commentary here because I can't create a new topic xP)

There's an instrumental song of Tristania that I don't find in any of their CDs... it's called Gardenia, and find it on inet was kind of difficult...

Does anybody knows from where it is?

I had a dream last night that I was the new singer for Tristania only I didn't know any of the lyrics. We were playing in a club and I was reading out of the booklet

Anyway, I've pretty much given up hope of a US tour now that Vibeke left... but at least she left us with one last beautiful recording, Tristania's best, before she left. I hope they find someone worthy!

@ Lyrinan: that was a cool dream you had

I have "Gardenia" but this song doesn't sound like Tristania
I have no idea from where it is