Customer Reviews

Gothic Kabbalah

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Well after listening to this album constantly for over a year I'll go back and edit my original review (still pretty much the same)...

All Therion albums are supposed to sound different. This one did a good job of that. It sounds different than the other albums but still has that "therion" sound. Unlike past albums which were 90% Christopher Johnson (Therion lead song writer), the songs on this album are written by all the different band members (including a few by Johnson). Being that this was written by band members could possibly explain why it is a little more mainstream sounding with less classical influence. Though the band members did their best to keep the song compositions very high brow and complex and did a good job. The lyrics are written by the same guy as always.

It is more mainstream than any other Therion album in that it isn't real heavy (well a few heavy songs, but also quite a few almost radio friendly songs). The choirs are small. It isn't heavily operatic. Some Opera vocals are used in places and more traditional rock vocals used at other parts. It is still "symphonic" but there is far less symphony than other albums and instead of using a symphony they used keybaords, a guest flute player and a few VSL recordings (basically symphony sound clips of violens and such).

At the same time it is not a mainstream album. The compositions are fairly complex. Overall this album is more or less a progressive rock/progressive metal side of Therion. Rather than being guitar driven as most Therion albums are it is more balanced. You have bass solos, drum solos, vocal solos, and guitar solos- no one instrument really taking the dominant role. The song writing in places is brilliant. The band is top notch. The guitar solos are short but amazing on here. Probably one of the biggest things that stands out to me on this album is the production is world class. Just the recording quality and how refined everything is. Therion isn't a commercial band they (or should I say Christopher Johnson as the band pretty much is his solo project and whatever band members/singers of the month he decides to have work with him) well anyway they came from the bottom up. In past albums it seems they spent all their money on symphonies and choirs and on some of the older albums you have a very underground recording quality that is a bit rough on the edges. Not this album. It's probably produced better than a Metallica or Ozzy album.

This album is part of a quadrology, starting with Lemuria/sirius b and ending (supposedly) with the next album Therion will release. Thus three songs on this album sound different than the other songs. The first, second and last song. The first song is pretty much in the style of Lemuria/Sirius b, the second song is just different, and the last song is supposed to be in a similiar style to what the next album will be like.

Der Mitternacthtslowe: an awsome guitar intro, goes into a song sounding like it came straight from the Lemuri/sirius b recording sessions. Has heavy trumphets. A good song, pretty standard Therion, nothing remarckable.

Gothic Kabbalah: most reviewers give this song high ratings. at first I didn't like it. Then as I got used to it, I've grown to like it. It sounds like something straight from the late seventies or early eighties. It has an eighties metal guitar riff, played with seventies folk rock vocals and some Jethro Tull type flute playing which is rather catchy and enjoyable. Definately a little different from what you usually expect from Therion.

Perrenial Sophia: Matts levens gives an incredible deep bass singing in compliments with a female soprano. Very catchy lyrics, a beatiful melody and a beautiful guitar solo. One of the many favorites on the album. This song easily could be a hit on the radio.

Wisdom and the Cage: a rather heavy song with amazing metal style singing by Snowy Shaw in the beggining gives way to an incredible soft and melodic guitar solo at the end.

Sons of the Staves of Time: probably the most popular song on the whole album. Very classic Therion. A Soprano singing in classical opera stylings opens up the song, then it goes into a heavy almost Iron Maiden style song, the metal singing is complimented by a chorus in the background and the soprano does another solo in the middle. If any song were going to get radio airplay on this album it would probably be this one, its very catchy, powerful, and a song easily enjoyed.

Tuna 1613: a combination of male opera singing along with the standard metal singing. This is one of the "power metal" style songs. Very well done.

Trul: an ok song. somewhat bland, rather normal female vocals (no opera), decent guitar riffs etc.

Close up the Streams: neat progressive song. gives way to syphony in parts with extremely catchy layering of choir and opera vocals towards the end.

Wand of Abaris: sounds like a song that could have been written during Theli. Heavy middle eastern elements, strange ecclectic vocals, and a slow but incredible guitar solo complimented by keyboards towards the middle

Three Treasures: decent progressive rock song.

Path to Arcady: has some opera singing (male and female), a catchy, progressive style song.

TOF- the trinity- incredible power metal song.

Chain of Minerva- one of my personal favorites. It is primarily driven by a powerful bass riff, it has some very eccelctic progressive style vocals (not operatic, but well done), towards the end a choir joins in.

Aldruna Rediviva: the crowning achievment of this album. A fifteen minute song that will keep you captivated for every second of it. It is a symphonic rock epic similiar to Via Nokturna. Rather hard to describe. Heavily blends classical elements and rock elments, but has very little syphony in it (some though). In some parts it goes into solo rythem guitar, other parts it goes silent then come in some soft organ playing and acoustic guitars, then returning to the main theme. Strong operatic singing by male vocalists.

I havn't listened to Gothic Kabbalah closely, but I have played it constantly for the last three days, while I work. This is what I have observed and determined.

Gothic Kabbalah is Therion's second consecutive double disc album. It has a total playing time of a little over eighty-three minutes, a good value for the money. Therion's musical style on this disc is different than all previous releases. Not better, not worse, just different. I hesitate to say it's evolving at this point, but the music as a whole seems to be leaner, more accessible, more mainstream. I don't mean it's headed for top-forty land. I mean, that top forty aficionados would find Gothic Karbbalah more palatable than say, Theli of Volvin.

The bombast of the music was reduced as was the choir and orchestral work, if indeed an orchestra was used. In this day and age it's hard to tell. There is a greater emphasis female lead singer(s). Much more so than previously, probably in response to the femme metal phenomenon that is sweeping Europe, with groups like Nightwish, Within Temptation, Lacuna Coil and Epica to name a few. Personally, I like that. As a matter of fact, I like the whole album, but I don't love it!

Of the fifteen tracks on Gothic Kabbalah, only four tracks, ever caught my attention, enough to make me wonder what track it was and what the name was. I would say that these four songs, which consistently garnered my attention are, without a doubt five star songs. Upon further scrutiny there may be more but I doubt it. The following five songs are the highlight of the album:

* `The Falling Stone' is a variable tempo, but mostly medium fast rock number, with a driving beat and a lady lead singer. It features an interesting staggered lead in and some effective choir work in the end.

* `T of - The Trinity' starts really fast, with some wild guitar playing in the beginning ant throughout. Again it's a variable speed song, which both male and female solos stand out among heavy choir singing. This song is a grabber. Not only my favorite song on the album but one of Therion's best songs on any album.

* `Der Mitternachtslowe' Another song with a female lead, this time with male backing vocals. Der Mitternachtslowe' features a chugging medium tempo rhythm, with more backing vocals than lead. I particularly like the way the girl singer's vocal is doubled up for the chorus.

* `Trul' The strange thing about this song is I can't get Blind Guardian out of my head when I hear Trul. The melody, arrangement and style, even down to the flute, reminds me of Hansi Kersch and company.

Conclusion

Add a couple other near five star songs like the fourteen minute Adulruna Rediviva and Son of the Stabes of Time, throw in a eight other three and four star songs and you have a nice but not great Therion album.

There seems to be a school of thought out there that "Gothic Kabbalah" is kind of the climax of a sequence that started with "Voices of the Runes" and continued with "Lemuria/Sirius B". Maybe its because I'm not really very steeped in the lyrics and mythology of the thing, but to me "Gothic Kabbalah" sounds more like a whole new direction. Its always a little scary when a band you really like does something like this, but this is one of the times it really works.

This isn't a CD that is going to grab most people and pull them in right away. Its more an intricate piece of work that reveals itself over time...the more you put in, the more you get out of it. I've listened to it a half dozen times, at least, and I keep hearing new things and I keep "going whoa" at how seamless, detailed and beautifully crafted it all is. This approach isn't for everybody; if you have to have bombast and raw power your results may vary. But those who appreciate creativity, originality, pure musucianship and that incredibly addicting mix of beauty and power should rush out and get this.

Major points on the audio quality front too. This may be the best sounding metal CD I've ever heard. It has a very smooth and powerful sound and its extremely detailed and balanced across the entire spectrum. Guitars sound great and don't drown out anything else (all of you other bands, engineers, and producers - pay attention!)

If I had to choose between the last two Therion CDs I would probably still pick "Lemuria/Sirius B" over "Gothic Kabbalah" and I would definitely recommend "Lemuria/Sirius B" as a starting point for the uninitiated. But I think Therion made the absolutely correct choice in going in another direction (really, how do you top "Lemuria/Sirius B"?), I love the results so far, and am 100% behind "Gothic Kabbalah" and the "new" Therion. Nightwish is always going to be #1 for me, but I think Therion are the only ones out there that are on the same level.

Well, I could make a review for every single song, but as you might know with Therion is different, because isn't possible to do it, Why? Because every album is a complete concept (booklet, covers, lyrics, etc.)

For all those listeners that met Therion from 1998 (Vovin) until 2004 (Lemuria/Sirus B), it will be difficult to understand what Christofer Johnsson made with his last release, like in Theli or Lepaca Kliffoth, or earlier albums, he contributed to the music composition along with other band members, compared with his sole contribution to other albums, hence Gothic Kabbalah has other influences from other musicians.

This is a great concept album that takes Therion to another branch of Therion Music, with more heavy music and just some small parts with choirs and classical instruments.

It's like an innuendo of what can follow with Therion music orientation, that is great, there is nothing to worry about, because with Christofer is hard to imagine which will be his next steps.

If you're a hardcore Therion fan, this CD will be one of your favorites in the Therion collection... If you're a new Therion fan that look for Vovin, Deggial, Secret of the Runes, Lemuria/Sirus B music, first give a chance to Lepaca Kliffoth or Theli, or even older albums like Of Darkness, Oh Dracon Oh Megas and Beyond Sanctorum, in order to have a better background to understand Gothic kabbalah.

Anyway, if you just enjoy good heavy/rock/gothic music, you'll love this release.

Don't get me wrong with teh title I gave this review... this is a good album, a very good album. But it is not a great album. When Sirius B/Lemuria came out, I was completely blown away in ways that Therion had never blown me away before since I got my first therion album - Vovin - and heard their unique sound for the first time. Whereas listening to albums like Sirius B/Lemuria, Secret of the Runes, Deggial, and Vovin (and pretty much in that order) can be, as it were, a journey of sorts, this album is more comparable to Theli in that, though it is good music, does not really send the listener on an auditory adventure in the ways that other Therion albums have. The production also does not seem quite as good as for their most recent albums.

That said, there are some amazing songs on this, and though I prefer the album "Secret of the Runes" by far as a whole album, I would have to say that this album, Gothic Kabbalah, has more good songs than "Secret of the Runes." Though this is the only one with better individual songs than that album, I would say that it's songs are definitely enjoyable to listen to.

So, for those of you who already know therion, I would say that this album is most comparable to theli, though a far more cohesive theli. For those of you who don't know therion, this is probalby not the absolute best album to start with. Sirius B/Lemuria has catchier songs and also gives a better idea of the scope of what Therion is capable of in terms of an album as a whole.

This has become my favorite Therion album, superseding my former favorite "Secret of the Runes" by virtue of its greater tempo and musical complexity. There is simply more music packed into each song. Everything - vocals, bass, drums, guitars, composition - has been taken a notch up in talent.

The huge choruses and orchestras have been shaved down, however, in favor of a tighter, faster, heavier sound accented by an efficient use of orchestral elements where necessary. So compared to previous efforts, this time Therion sounds more together as a band, with greater breathing room to be technical and experimental. In that sense it is the inverse of "Vovin" and "Deggial," because it focuses more on the metal than the classical. The melodies are catchy, original, beautiful, and colored by a lively Pan-like spirit.

The last track "Adulruna Rediviva" is absolutely amazing, lengthy but not noticeably so due to being interesting and varied throughout. For those who are turned off by the leaner sound of the other songs, Adulruna compensates by going all out with the epic choral/classical/metal combination, ending so majestically as to bring on tears of glory.

Overall this is quite an emotional and passionate album that explores otherwise latent pockets of talent in the Therion ensemble.

...and I love every single thing they do. So perhaps my review is biased. But it's funny... when I first started listening to this, with bated breath, I was a bit shocked and disappointed, because it doesn't sound much like their earlier stuff that I know and love. But at the same time, as I was trying to get used to their new incarnation, I kept in mind that unlike a number of other long-time bands (*cough*metallica*cough*), they have a history of aging like fine wine and only growing more complex, more refined with the passage of time...

...so by the time I put on the second CD, my faith rewarded me and indeed, it grew on me from the very first listen! And, as suspected, subsequent listens grew on me ever more so, as I heard more and more nuance and complexity in each song, and realized what a fine and unique creation Gothic Kabbalah truly is...

Maybe my standards have gotten too high after so many excellent CD's released by THERION. If this was a new band, I'd probably say it was pretty good as a first effort --- But not for THERION! I'll have to say that I was really disappointed with Gothic Kaballah. Everything that makes THERION stand out and above other bands is missing. The heavy guitars mixed with the backing orchestra is not here. The subtle (haunting) female singing has been replaced by more commercial lead female singing. The rythmic crunching of the bass guitar is gone. There are many different instruments used throughout the music, but without the full orchestra to back it up, it just sounds like they tried throw as many instuments as they could onto one CD. I guess if this is the worst that THERION puts out, then it's not too bad .......... It's just that they've done so much better before. I just hope that they get back to their roots in the future and don't continue in this direction. There are more than enough radio-friendly female-fronted bands out there right now. Let's hope that THERION doesn't fall into the same cookie-cutter frame that everyone else seems to be rushing into. I'm not dissing THERION for this CD, but it's their own fault that I'm so critical. Like I said before, maybe my standards are just too high based on everything that they put out before Gothic Kaballah.

This latest work of therion looks like the wonder weapons mushrooming from Germany in the last two years of the WWII.Unprecented,unique,unheard before, maybe the words that may help to define the magnanimity of this opus.First of all, a change is evident that the participation of Mats Leven in Therion has given a new shot to create hairraising songs such as Sons of Staves, TOF, Mitternachtslöwe,Perennial Sophia. I love their profundity,erudity about ancient cultures.One must be on his guard all the time when listening to Therion not to be taken unawares by sudden lack of knowledge of personalities such as Shekinah,Abaddon and Ariel.I kept myself busy referring to Wikipedia to learn who is who. Most intriguing,sinister and insinuating style of describing coming events leading to 2012 and further.This is my eight full repetition of the total tracks and I liked all the songs.Surpassing the beauty of the Secret of the Runes and Lemuria/Sirius are Sons of Staves,Adulruna Rediviva,Wand of Abaris,Perennial Sophia, Wisdom and Cage and Path to Arcady.Everytime I listen to Wisdom and Cage I involuntarily come to imagine myself in the Nurmberg rallies witnessing the orations of Great Communicator swaying all attendants to exuberance. TOF is a lightwave as if emitted from the collision of galaxies. Sons of Staves is the song I liked most amongst all the songs created by mankind until now.Especially its last two minutes brings tears to my eyes. In short, Wagnerian Operas,Mozartian Compositions,Plato,Zarathustra,Orpheus and mysterius Turkic runes...

What's so frustrating, to me, is that 'Gothic Kabbalah' is a good album with spasmodic moments of utter brilliance. Even though every song isn't strong in its own right, each piece is delicately written and the result is so easy to admire, even when the songs themselves don't excite a great deal... and that really sums up my feelings towards this set; I find myself revering the technical aspects of the music more than the music itself. The production is crisp and the performances awesome, as usual; the mix of all instrumentation crisp and tight. If 'Gothic Kaballah' is evidence of anything, it's that 'Therion' are true craftsmen. One particular example of a good song that jumps into ecstatic territory is "The Wand of Abaris", track one of the second disc. The song is well structured, with a strong chorus and a graceful flow -- it's good stuff. Then, about 3:40, it becomes enveloped in a soundscape so enchanting it defies belief... and that lasts for near a minute, too. Just sheer ambient delight... only masterful musicians could produce something so sublime. Another similar, stunning moment comes at 4:20 on the fourteen minute long closer for the second disc... Just godly.

As far as the album not rocking as much as previous, I'd agree; there isn't a lot of speed or aggression on here. Generally, the songs are straightforward and typical in structure. I think it's worth noting, though, that while most bands following this formula SURELY rely (at least mostly) on winsome choruses to make or break an individual song, Therion does not. In fact, a lot of the choruses found on the disc are borderline average, and yet the songs themselves are still of a respectable quality, because it's obvious there is a huge emphasis on the songwriting for the song's entire length, opposed to just gimmicky hooks here and there. That, I think, is why I admire these guys more than so many other bands; it shows passion, dedication, and a true duty to the album as their own.

For what it's worth, I find the second disc here superior to the first, though I'm not sure how much so. I really dig a number of the songs on the first disc, but my favorites would probably be "Son of the Staves of Time" (I just love the little synthesized sounds that surround the chorus soooo much), and the barebones chant known as "Trul", easily the catchiest and most commanding song on either disc. On the second, the aforementioned "The Wand of Abaris" and epic "Adulruna Reiviva" mark my most beloved, but most every song on that one hits me close at least somewhere along its run.

Overall...... It's not a mindblowing masterpiece that will stand the test of time, but it is a solid composition (and yes, I believe it easily earns the right to call it such a thing) that comes off as consistently entertaining and, from an orchestration standpoint, unique and interesting. It took a little while for me to warm up to it completely, with time it eventually began to etch into my skin and burrow itself. Definitely recommended... to the few that this particular kind of music is actually recommendable to.