Therion - Gothic Kabbalah review
Band: | Therion |
Album: | Gothic Kabbalah |
Style: | Symphonic metal |
Release date: | January 12, 2007 |
A review by: | Dream Taster |
Disc I
01. Der Mitternachtslöwe
02. Gothic Kabbalah
03. The Perennial Sophia
04. Wisdom And The Cage
05. Son Of The Staves Of Time
06. Tuna 1613
07. Trul
08. Close Up The Streams
Disc II
01. The Wand Of Abaris
02. Three Treasures
03. Path To Arcady
04. TOF - The Trinity
05. Chain Of Minerva
06. The Falling Stone
07. Adulruna Rediviva
08. Seven Secrets Of The Sphinx [live] [limited edition bonus]
09. To Mega Therion [live] [limited edition bonus]
Swedish symphonic Thrash masters Therion have had a terrific run since their debut in 1990. From breathtaking live albums to stunning studio efforts, they have done it all. After 2004's double strike of Lemuria and Sirius B and 2006's DVD of the year Celebrators of Becoming, Therion's mastermind Christofer Johnsson comes back with a double-CD release entitled Gothic Kabbalah.
The album holds 15 diverse songs for almost one hour and 20 minutes of material. So, from the start, the band shows commitment to the fans, regardless of the quality. However, do not panic, as quality there is in abundance on this album.
Personally, Gothic Kaballah is a testimony of the band trying to reconcile their newer sound (albums Lemuria and Sirius B) with their "trilogy" period trademark sound (albums Vovin, Deggial and Secret of the Runes). The opening track 'Der Mitternachtslöwe" is not without reminding me of the grandiose opener of Secret of the Runes, called "Ginnungagap".
I was also pleasantly surprised that Therion is not wallowing into their clichés and instead of bombarding the listener was majestic operatic soprano choruses from the start, they choose to place the first huge one into a ballad, 'Son of the Staves of Time'. It appears obvious that Johnsson did not want to replicate any previous Therion albums. And he should be commanded for that.
As previously stated, this double album holds a lot of diversified material, so I won't bother spoiling the fun of discovery entirely. Just remember that the second CD is heavier (and also better in my opinion) and probably features the best songs, except maybe 'Tuna 1613', which really stands out on the first CD.
Gothic Kabbalah is another honest, genuine effort from Therion. The purists might not like the lack of real Thrash attack or the slightly less operatic approach showcased on the first part of the album. The second part of it is in my opinion the real reason why this release is worth your hard-earned money. Without being their best album to date, Gothic Kabbalah is a treasure chest full of new Therion songs, you're bound to like a handful of them!
Rating breakdown
Performance: | 8 |
Songwriting: | 8 |
Originality: | 8 |
Production: | 9 |
|
Written on 17.06.2007 by
Bringing you reviews of quality music and interesting questions such as: "A picture is worth a thousand words. How many words is a song worth?" I have only got so much patience and skills, you do the math. |
Rating:
10
10
Rating: 10 |
I've put off writing about this masterpiece for months. The thought of reviewing an album that I consider an absolute TEN frightened me, intimidated me, and simply put me off. This is the task of a writer creating something imperfect and partial about something predetermined as sublime. So, coming to the realization that creating a flawless synopsis is out of the question; I shall quote Tyler Durden- "I found freedom. Losing all hope was freedom." Read more ›› |
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