Therion Album: “Gothic Kabbalah [Bonus Track]”

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.

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.

I don't know if it's due to their issues with their record label, but Therion seem to finally have shaken their orchestral shackles, which in my opinion kept them from truly finding their footing as a band. This is a mature album, where the instrumental choices seem to have been carefully considered, instead of simply thrown in because they could.

They've also lost the simplistic goth air they were carrying like an albatross for the last few years. Their themes are still in line with the goth ethos, but they have a much broader palette. This again is indicative of their maturity as a band.

Proof that you can do much more with less... Bravo.