Secret of the Runes

Just one year after releasing a solid but somewhat lacklustre album like Deggial, Therion are back with what many consider the high point of their whole discography: Secret of the Runes. A concept album centred around the nine worlds of Norse mythology, Runes is a massive step-up relative to the band’s previous releases, which improves and expands their blend of symphonic metal in multiple directions. There are a number of reasons for this advancement.

First, Therion are now a proper band rather than a solo project by Christofer Johnsson. Brothers Johan and Kristian Niemann (bass and guitar, respectively) and drummer Sami Karppinen had joined Johnsson already for the recording of Deggial in 2000. Although on Runes Johnsson retains control of most of the songwriting and arrangements, there are contributions from the other band members too (Kristian Niemann is credited as co-writer of the opening track “Ginnungagap”) and, more generally, one gets the feeling that the ensemble now sounds more like a band, with more nuanced and personalized arrangements for the rock instruments and more freedom in terms of performances (more guitar solos, more drum fills). In short, there is more depth to the band’s performance than on the preceding couple of albums (Vovin, Deggial), which were instead largely a Christofer Johnsson solo affair.

Second, the sound production has also improved on this album. This may sound strange since, for the recording of Runes, Therion actually transitioned from the famous Woodhouse Studios, where they had worked with renowned engineer and producer Siggi Bemm, to their very own, newly built Modern Art Studios, where they instead relied on in-house engineering (Karppinen, K. Niemann, Johnsson) and production. Mixing and mastering duties were instead assigned to Mikko Karmila and Mika Jussila (Amorphis, Childreon of Bodom, Nightwish, among many others). The album sounds much better than Vovin or Deggial, which were both recorded and produced at Woodhouse Studios. One difference between these albums is that on Runes the drum sound is lighter and drier and the drums are placed further back in the mix, so that they are less “in-your-face”. This is great because Therion’s songs often rely on simple grooves, which can make the music feel sluggish and undynamic when the drums dominate the mix. The arrangements are also airier and more spacious, which contributes to make Runes an easier and more immediately likeable album than the dark and oppressive Deggial or the occasionally rigid Vovin.

Ultimately, though, the superiority of Runes comes down to better, more inspired songwriting. The songs are varied and dynamic, moving between different sections and moods. This is a major improvement over previous albums, where often the same riffs were repeated over and over, making the songs feel monolithic and static. The vocal arrangements are also more varied. In some songs, Johnsson wrote counterpoint and multipart vocals melodies (“Jotunheim”; “Nifelheim”), and in general I get the feeling that more attention has been paid to the alternation between male and female vocals that in many occasions engage in playful duets (“Asgard”). Most importantly, the signers are finally given vocal melodies that are catchy and memorable. This is a huge difference relative to many of the songs that were recorded for Deggial, where the vocal parts were particularly lacklustre. Songs like “Ginnugagap”, “Midgard” and “Asgard” feature some of the best melodies that Johnsson has written up to this point in his career. Some may miss the fact that on Runes Johnsson ended the tradition of writing songs with metal vocals mixed with the opera singing (the whole of Theli was built this way, as well as “The Wild Hunt” and “Flesh of the Gods” on Vovin and Deggial). Personally, I do not find this to be a problem, especially when the operatic vocals are given such quality melodies to sing.

There are many other aspects of the music and concept that contribute to make Runes a special album. The Norse mythology that inspired the concept of the album also influenced the songwriting, which features subtle but decisive folk influences on several tracks. The whole album has almost a Viking metal feel to it, with its icy atmospheres and at time raw choirs (“Nifelheim”). The use of different languages, including Johnsson’s native Swedish, also contributes to the Nordic folk atmosphere of the album. Somewhat incongruently with the album’s theme, Runes also contain two covers as bonus tracks, “Crying Days” by Scorpions and “Summernight City” by Abba. These tracks were recorded in 1999 with former Therion’s drummer and singer Piotr Wawrzeniuk on vocals alongside the opera singers. Some people are disturbed by the fact that the inclusion of the two covers disrupts the concept of the album. I can see where they are coming from, but the two songs are objectively so good that I cannot help but be grateful for their inclusion on the album.

Despite all the great things one can hear on Runes, the album is not perfect. Its middle part tends to plod a little, with songs like “Schwarzalbenheim” and “Ljusalfheim” coming across as a tad too repetitive and uninventive. Part of the problem is that most songs on the album remain firmly in mid-tempo territory, which amplifies the sluggish feeling one has as soon as the quality drops a little. Sometimes I wish Johnsson would make more use of different tempos on his albums, to inject some dynamics and a sense of moving forward to the music which is sometimes lacking on Therion’s records. However, despite the somewhat weaker mid-section, the album is quick to recover, with tracks like “Muspelheim”, “Nifelheim” and “Helheim” providing stunning highlights, together with the opening trio of songs (“Ginnugagap”, “Midgard” and “Asgard”).

In conclusion, Secret of the Runes is one of the best albums in Therion’s catalogue. If you are new to this band, this could be a great place to start (together with the breakthrough album Theli, of course). By the time this album was released, Christofer Johnsson had time to refine and perfect his skills at arranging songs that combine metal, classical music and operatic singing, and this clearly shows on the album. The vocal parts are catchy and memorable. The orchestral arrangements are merged seamlessly with the metal parts. The metal parts themselves are more dynamic than on previous albums, with richer and more accomplished performances by guitar, drums and keyboards. Add a touch of Nordic folk, and you have a nearly perfect album indeed!

One and a half year after Deggial, Therion comes already around with its tenth official studio release in ten years. For the first time ever in the band’s career, the main line-up consisting of mastermind, guitarist, keyboarder, percussionist and vocalist Christofer Johnsson, guitarist Kristian Niemann and his brother Johan Niemann on bass guitar as well as drummer and percussionist Sami Karppinen remained intact for two consecutive studio records. In addition to this, Christofer Johnsson gathered twenty-six mostly classically trained guest musicians and vocalists of which several had already collaborated with the project in the past. Secret Of The Runes is a conceptual release about the controversial occult Uthark theory which posits that there is a black magic meaning behind the runes that only the rune masters knew about. More generally, the album deals with Norse mythology as nine out of eleven regular tracks are named after one of the nine home worlds unified by the world tree Yggdrasill as mentioned in the historical collection of Norse poems Edda.

Due to its mythological and occult topic, Secret Of The Runes sounds a lot gloomier than the previous releases. The overall atmosphere is dark, heavy and oppressing and not always easy to digest. The classical music on here recalls the darkest symphonies of Richard Wagner. The metal elements are also constantly sinister and have become more dominant again. It’s Therion’s heaviest release since its third album Symphony Masses: Ho Drakon Ho Megas eight years earlier. Interestingly, the band doesn’t go back to its death metal roots. The metal music features elements of doom and heavy metal in the slow and mid-paced passages and a few exceptional thrash metal passages in the rare up-tempo parts. The rhythm section is massive and tight, the guitar play is simplistic, to the point and includes only a few efficient solos and the classical music and vocal elements are decently used to build up an apocalyptic atmosphere. A few softer tracks with acoustic guitars offer some well-needed airy breaks to the atmospherically and intellectually challenged listener. The record is a logical follow-up to Deggial since female and male choirs lead in nearly equal parts through the record and there are only a few short passages featuring male or female solo vocalists. Only the different bonus tracks consisting of cover songs such as ABBA’s “Summernight City” from the numerous special editions feature some more accessible song structures with only one lead vocalist.

The first highlight on the record is the really heavy opener “Ginnungagap” that has an almost psychedelic tone during the guitar solos and choir passages which are mixed with slightly thrash or even industrial metal influenced guitar riffs, a slow yet thunderous drum play and an aggressively pumping bass guitar. The powerful opening track already proves that Therion doesn’t repeat itself and still improves and innovates its unique symphonic metal soundscapes. Another thing that has changed is the lyrics. Since all tracks are based on old Norse poems, most of the tracks are quite equally bilingual and include not only English but also Swedish lyrics. Due to their topic, the style of the lyrics has also become more elegant, poetic and sophisticated. It’s really worth studying the booklet to plunge deeper into the world of Norse mythology. Another amazing album highlight called “Schwarzalbenheim” even features almost exclusively German lyrics. The classical elements in this track are cinematic, gloomy and majestic while the metal elements are grippingly mean, almost monotonous and still truly powerful. Male and female choirs are constantly dueling each other and lead to the catchiest and greatest chorus on the entire album. The closure of the song is only based on classical elements. They sound melancholic in a bittersweet way that almost recalls early Apocalyptica.

Those who are looking for some less challenging tracks should dig the uplifting “Ljusalfheim” with its less dramatic and more harmonious and grounded choirs and the inclusion of warm acoustic guitars. Another more accessible song is the short but diversified “Muspelheim” consisting of spiritual Gregorian chants and an angelic female lead vocalist that lead to one of the fastest track on the record with great guitar melodies which aren’t a far cry from melodic heavy metal. The closing title song “Secret Of The Runes” sounds even more like a tight melodic heavy metal song where the usual lead vocalist is replaced by female and male choirs. The fast and vivid “Vanaheim” features even some extended neoclassical guitar solos that should please fans of European power metal.

In the end, Secret Of The Runes is one of Therion’s darkest, heaviest and most sophisticated releases. The record is not easy to digest and needs multiple spins to grow on the listener before it unfolds in its bleak beauty. Most symphonic metal records are rather uplifting but this unique record is for the courageous minds who would like to hear a gloomy, occult and oppressing counterpart to the usual style. The record completely avoids extreme metal elements and rather convinces with a mixture of simplistic riffs and a tight rhythm section on one side and with dramatic choirs and apocalyptic orchestrations on the other. Therion fans should get their hands on the original digipack version with two bonus tracks or on one of the numerous versions with different bonus songs such as the low price slipcase edition by Dream On Records. Occasional listeners should stick to Theli, Vovin and Deggial first before purchasing this release. A dynamical alternative to this album could also be the purchase of the great 2002 double-live album Live In Midgard featuring twenty-four songs and nearly two hours of Therion’s greatest hits of the ten first studio records.

So Thomas Karlsson, Therion’s lyricist and grandmaster of Dragon Rouge (occult order Christofer Johnsson as well as a few others Therion bandmembers have been affiliated with, in case of you’d missed the beginning of the story), had just written a book about runes magic; there couldn’t have been a better occasion for the band to in turn release an album on the subject. Abandoning the Middle East and all the secret rites they had so far drawn most of their inspiration from, Therion once again appear to be the same, but different. After all, that’s one of their main charms.

Oddly, while SotR is thus a cultural exception in a well-furnished discography, it on the other hand seems to have abundantly contributed to shape the not-so-faithful image of a purely orchestral/choral act. Discarding the bonus tracks it’s indeed the only Therion album where there isn’t any “metal” voice to be heard, but exclusively operatic singers, as well as the album where the vocal arrangements are stretched to their extreme boundaries with sometimes not less than three distinctly different vocal lines combined together (on Ginnungagap or Nifelheim for instance). This naturally accounts for a deeply melodic, majestic work, though I can’t prevent myself from thinking the perfect mix of opera and metal voices on Theli or Lemuria/Sirius B remains the band’s crowning achievement.

Coming to the orchestrations, a direct effect of the Viking concept has been to push the wind instruments on the forefront. Indeed, another Vovin-style violin fest would have sounded pretty out-of-place on the icy Nordic shores. Not to say the strings have entirely vanished, as it wouldn’t be post-Theli Therion without, but perpetuating the trend already timidly initiated on Deggial they now abandon the main part to brass instruments, flutes or, of course, this unique ominous oboe no other metal band has ever managed to use as effectively. Well, no metal band has ever managed to use orchestrations as effectively as Therion to speak more generally; fanboy isn’t mentioned in my dictionary. The both gorgeous and sombre horn intro of Schwarzalbenheim is probably a textbook example, though I’d vote the short brass section stuck at the climax of the long instrumental middle part of Ginnungagap as even more powerful.

Further, the growing contribution of the Niemann brothers to the overall sound from this album onwards will never be stressed enough. Since its very first years of existence Therion’s lineup had been particularly erratic, to the point it soon became devoid of any signification: even the most dedicated fans won’t give a fuck some Fredrik Isaksson played bass on Lepaca Kliffoth (well, until recently I’d always thought it was Lars Rosenberg), or the guy behind the drumkit during the Vovin sessions was called Wolf Simons. Ironically, people considered as mere guests are likely to be far better remembered – Martina Hornbacher, Sarah Jezebel Deva, Mats Leven, Snowy Shaw. The only exceptions to this rule (ignoring Christofer Johnsson...) would be Piotr W. and, above all, the Niemanns. First because of their extraordinary longevity – nine years, Ozzy didn’t stay in Black Sabbath much longer – second because they’d been the only ones to have shown some kind of influence on the band’s direction, Kristian especially. While his participation in the songwriting process isn’t as important as it will be on the following album, the guitars already bear his distinctive mark everywhere, with his admirably fluent playing combined to long shredding solos. Indeed, if the abundant orchestration might make them look less prominent than on let’s say Gothic Kabbalah, the fact four tracks end on a solo somehow compensates.

The tracks, precisely... All that can be said is they’re all highly DESCRIPTIVE. Not only does the booklet lengthily develop the legends and concepts behind every song, but the music itself is full of imagery (and no, I’m not talking about some stupid as well as non-existent bird samples or whatever). For instance Asgård, the song about (guess what) Odin and the fallen warriors, is almost a pure Viking metal track (admitting Viking metal isn’t incompatible with opera vocals) with minimal orchestration, something which would have been totally unthinkable on any Therion album so far. Jotunheim in turn deals with the Giants, so it will be a slow, heavy, plodding moment, unfortunately for this very reason by far the weakest one alongside the pretty common title track. For the goldsmith dwarves in the underworld of Schwarzalbenheim a dark atmosphere with deep bass vocals and brass instruments was mandatory, while in contrast a song about the fairies couldn’t be anything else than a eerie mostly acoustic ballad (Ljusalfheim). Oh, and it has to be mentioned this very song features the one and only apparition of the Great Dragon’s voice itself, Mr Thomas Karlsson! It is, and it couldn’t have been anything else, A MERE WHISPER.

The same, but different... I still can’t get rid of the feeling this isn’t exactly my Therion. This cold atmosphere, this metallic sound of the guitars, this Viking imagery all the way somehow got me lost. Of course the beautiful harmonies are here, of course the work on the vocals is as always mindblowing, of course I’ll never praise enough the way the wind instruments are exploited, of course Ginnungagap is a monster of a song in spite of its horrible g-g-g title, but if I had to pick a Johnsson-Niemann era album the following Lemuria/Sirius B would be my obvious choice. Perhaps the band itself felt something wasn’t totally the way it should be, consequently adding two bonus tracks, two covers which have nothing to do with the concept as a way to, perhaps, break the spell (as far as I know they’re present on every version). For this purpose what could have been more fitting than a totally therionized slowed down version of ABBA’s Summernight City, complete with orchestra, opera choirs and our beloved drunken Piotr W. on vocals? They don’t believe me when I say these guys are geniuses.

Highlights: Ginnungagap, Asgård, Schwarzalbenheim, Helheim

Therion is back! Only one year after the release of weaker Deggial, they soon came back with an incredible new album: Secret of the Runes. This time, Therion challenged to make a concept album which concept is based on Norse mythology. In this album, each song gets one of the names and concepts of nine worlds. Secret of the Runes sounds very different from any other albums of Therion, and it’ s also one of the best albums Therion have ever made.

In Secret of the Runes, Therion’ s music style becomes more various than their previous albums. Aside from the operatic choruses and symphony orchestra, they add many Scandinavian sounds such as black and Viking metal. More surprisingly, the music fits with concept perfectly. When I listen to it, it just likes to take an unforgettable journey through nine worlds of Norse mythology. The bombastic epic prolog “ Ginnungagap” tells the birth of the universe, it sounds like symphonic black metal with heavenly vocals. It also contains apparent progressive and classical influences. In “ Midgård”, we are entering the realm of men. The beautiful smooth acoustic guitars and peaceful choruses reveal the spirits of human. “ Asgård” brings us to the realm of gods, it much like symphonic progressive metal build in Nordic form. The perfect harmonies of vocals and progressive guitar tones are just like sung and played by gods themselves. “ Jotunheim” creates the scene of giants’ realm, the vocals are sung solemnly, the guitar riffs are played heavily. It’ s a tremendous anthem of giants. “ Schwarzalbenheim” sounds epic and dark. We are now into the realm of dwarves. The male vocals are magnificent, the female choruses are passionate. It also has epic symphonic background sound wall and beautiful string quartet performances. “ Ljusalfheim” shows the peaceful realm of elves. This is the most beautiful song on the album. The melodic guitars and string quartet are simply fantastic. “ Muspelheim” is the realm of fire Giants, and it’ s the fastest song on the album. The headbanging thrash metal riffs combine with loud operatic vocal, which makes you feel on fire. In “ Niefelheim” we are brought to the ice realm, the blacken guitar melodies shows the coldness of the northland. “ Vanaheim” is the homeland of Vanir. It has wonderful performance of string instruments. The choruses are also glorious. This song ends with insanely progressive neo-classcial solo. “ Helheim” describes the underworld. The sacred choirs are just like the voices of dead. At the end of the journey, we’ve got the majestic epilog title track “ Secret of the Runes”. In this song, Odin has finally required the secret of the runes. It sounds thrashy and black, but also embraces classical music. Therion truly show their uncanny musical talent here.

Secret of the Runes is not only a perfect combination of music and concept, but also a unique album in Therion’ s career. This album is an extremeness of feeling. It contains epic, majesty, beauty, peace and passion. You can listen to this album in any kind of mood. This album also shows magnificent atmosphere of Scandinavian epic metal, which Therion have never composed before. Moreover, the musicianship in this album is better than all of their previous albums. The solos in “ Midgård”, “ Asgård”, and” Vanaheim” are amazing, the acoustic guitars in “ Ljusalfheim” and “ Vanaheim” are astonishing. The ability of operatic vocals using in this album is, in my opinion, their best work so far. It’ s totally mind-blowing. In Secret of the Runes, the inspiring creativity of songwriting skill also appears once again. Therion is back to their standard, and they even above to higher level.

Besides, in this album, Therion also give us two great bonus tracks: “ Crying Days” and “ Summernight City”. “ Crying Days” is a Scorpions cover song, " Summernight City" is originally appeared at a tribute album to Swedish pop legend ABBA. Both songs are as good as the original. Therion rearrange two covers with symphonic and operatic sounds, and successfully turn them into their own. I usually don’t listen to bonus tracks. Because they are often tend to destroy the unity of the album. However, I highly recommend “ Crying Days” and “ Summernight City”. Whether you like bonus tracks or not, you should at least give them a chance.

Secret of the Runes is another perfect masterpiece made by Therion. It’ s a unique album full of musical genius, classical brilliance and fascinating Nordic tones. There is no other album which has similar sounds. With this album, Therion once again prove to the world that they are the true king of symphonic metal. Secret of the Runes is a beautiful epic anthem of the north, and a highly-recommended superb Therion classic. It sounds a little bit weird, but magnificent.

After two worthy but stagnant works of orchestral, operatic and awesome metal, Therion shifted to a new tune: That of a post-viking metal bathorian concept album. It is weird, it is epic, and it is one of their finest works.

The lyrics and titles all deal with Norse mythology in a predictable but nontheless powerfull way, giving the listener a journey through the realms around Yggdrasil, and referencing the occult runic history that will make any fans of the old tales happy. All set to music that's so well done, so proud and triumphant, so exhilirating and cool that it makes me want to pillage Scotland.

Every track, from the slow to the fast to the insane to the subtle is a single-worthy work. Every track comes together to make the whole much like Theli, a coherent symphony of progressive metal power. It is never dull. It is always strange. It is never anything less than epic, never anything less than the best operas of the baroque age, and always holds that Swedish sound- Wagner gone north, risky and so bold at times that a lesser band might have made it boring in those slower singing valleys, or gone for the old death metal brutality when unwarranted by the wicked speed and twisted phrases: No, Therion knows exactly what it's doing here. Those mature and slightly predictable previous works earned this experiment. And the experiment works.

As if that were not enough, they threw in an ABBA cover. I've always said that the best way to end an epic journey through Nordic realms of extreme and extraordinary metal with an ABBA cover.

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.

As metal beign one of the more dissonant and loud genres in the history of music, albums like this create the ultimate irony. For purists, music is about harmony and melody, so, Why a composer would combine the perfect harmony of classical instrumentation with the repetitive and dissorted riffs from Heavy Metal? I don't know, but the results are shown in this album.

Well, here we have the first concept album from Therion (despite the fact that all Therion lyrics are about occultism and ritual magic, in Secret of the Runes they deal only with norse occultism). The principal worlds and places of the norse mitology are suited with the heavy music of Therion accompained by a full proffesional choir of singers, and the best thing here is that (if you listen carefully) you will be able to hear the different pitches of the singers. Besides, the orchestration blends perfectly with the music (it is not overdubbed by the guitars), through the album there are moments for every part of the orchestra, like the violin intro in Vanaheim and a Wagner Tuba in Schwarzalbenheim.

Another important thing is that vvery song is clearly different than the others, with the only thing in common being the guitars and choirs (every song has one or two guitar solos). Some songs are dominated by sitars and/or acoustic guitars (like Ljusalfheim and MIdgard), Asgard is a power metal song and Nifelheim is based on various string melodies. The title track, on the other side, is the most heavy and traditional song, with only some seconds of brass horns at the end, before the music starts to fade out.

Well this is the most solid release from Therion, and the peak of their experimentation with classical intruments.

This is just amazing. What can I say, I ADORE Therion. It's a beautiful thing to find a band daring enough to stray from the norm and create their own "Unique" music. Although, nowadays we have bands that are influenced by Therion, don't forget that Therion is one of the pioneers of this genre.

I read all the reviews on this album and i found a constant nag... the female vocalist. She is not Tarja (Nightwish) right, but Tarja accustomed her voice to metal. In fact, even though Tarja is a Soprano, on Nightwish she doesn't do Classical (This is proven in the Interview on the DVD From Wishes to Eternity)
Now, the Therion vocalists DO CLASSICAL albeit the metal. Maybe you guys out there need to recognize the difference no?
And besides, I like Tarja, but I don't want to listen to her counterparts on every female fronted metal album...for fuckssake!!

Anyway lets review the album (This isn’t about Tarja no?). This complies majestic choirs with some serious music. Like the latter of Therion’s career, this combination is the basic rule for their phenomenal success. But what am I saying, you all know this right!?

Secret of The Runes is a more laid back album, which serves wonderfully if you are trying to meander away from the usual thumping that prevails in MOST metal albums nowadays. As mentioned in other reviews, the album’s guitar work is just amazing and well crafted. Asgard and Muspelheim (to mention a few) boast a serious thought in guitar playing. Johnsson really bade his guitar in the fountain of talent here.
Christofer Johnsson is a true visionary and we need more talent like this guy in the metal scene.

I liked the vocals, all of them. There is something vocally rustic in this album that never got me tired of listening. And the rest of the musicians have topped themselves. The album’s heavy sound is not exaggerated, unlike in Lemuria and Sirius B.

Anyhow, this album is just amazing; all the parts played collectively have constructed a vision, which pertain to the greatest halls…or stadiums for that matter!
The only flaw in this album is the brevity of Muspelheim…this could have been by far the best track if only further creativity and time could have been invested in it. Still, a recommended album and please ignore the previous reviews about the vocalist thing.

It’s funny that Therion can be such a great band. Even though Secret of the Runes is one of their weaker albums, it’s a fantastic effort. It is a hard album to catalogue though. During Therion’s symphonic odyssey, the mix of classical music and metal has been more and more apparent. Secret of the Runes seems like the peak of it. Christofer Johnsson has had severe amounts of inspiration from Richard Wagner, both musically and composition wise. The album was recorded in Therion’s very own studio, which they more or less built with the budget money they received from Nuclear Blast. The artwork is one of the greatest ever, and as always Therion are closer to the very truth of the mythological and occult matters than any other band. Blah, blah, blah. Let’s get on to the music.

Yes, the music, which is in fact the slowest and most guitarladen that Therion ever spawned. There’s actually riffing, leads, solos, you name it, everywhere. And they are strikingly good. Shifting too. Acoustic guitars blend together with electric ones, with different levels of distortion and tunings. A small amount of keyboards adds to it. Sami Karppinen’s drumming is brilliant. He’s doing rhythms, beats, and combos… Wow. Violins and brass have been paid for too.

But then there is one big drawback. Something has failed miserably. The female vocals do suck. And that’s not a good thing when trying to sing operatically. Therion usually find superb vocalists – but not this time. The male ones can pride themselves of what they’ve done, but the females can’t. False, shrieky, whiny tunes, annoying attempts at high C:s. Ugh. The choirs work very nicely though, as do the vocalists on the covers. Other vocalists who know their stuff are singing them. It’s rather sad, actually, that some of the songs, with the most blatantly bad singing do sound better live, even on the live album. All in all, this complex album, with a perfected production, is something for anyone enjoying symphonic metal. In deed even people more into classical music have enjoyed this and the last two albums from Therion.

I've never heard Therion's death metal material. But, I am so glad they changed. This is such a good CD, I don't know where to begin.

Well, something a lot of people commented on were the female vocals. I would also have to say they do sound much like Nightwish's. More is going on in the background (vocally) than in Nightwish, however. There's a large choir on many tracks (if not all, actually). They paint a great picture of an open sea, and an epicness sometimes feeling sort of viking. The array of different vocal ranges, are anywhere from bass-baritone (mid-lower male vocals) to soprano (highest female vocals). They're all very professional sounding, and fit the mood of the music accordingly.

Where Therion's sound here can be described simply as symphonic gothic metal, there is so much more to it then that. On this disc, there is really next to no power metal, and even less gothic sounding than the landmark Vovin. The sound can only be described as music that comes directly from Midgard. In every note and arrangement, through the brilliant, rich oreschration, the powerful, heavy guitars, and sorrowful, melancholy vocals. Closest in relation to classical baroque, and largely folk influences, the sound is still very hard to tell of.

Leaving the bounds of the otherwise classical sound, the guitar will pop out with some great solos. They're not fantastically fast, or technically brilliance - but the are backed perfectly by the music, and they rip. The solos fly high, with power, suavity and finesse that most hot-shot guitarist can't even touch.

Really, this should be an opera. Because it paints such an awesome picture of the whole world of Midgard. There's some strange percussion used, a lot of violins, great vocal arrangements, acoustics used in playing parts that would otherwise be played by electric guitars, wind instruments ... it's apparent that Therion explored their options in bring this world to life.

The music is so big, in every way. There's no room for you to say "I would do this here."; "I would do that here." - they thought of everything.

The drummer kicks ass, he can switch it up, he's on, and he will surprise you by pulling some seriously METAL drumming out of no where. He's one of those drummers, where if you don't listen, it sounds like perhaps nothing special, but if you pay close attention, you'll notice he's playing something much more complex then it originally seems.

There's really only one complaint I can make here. The songs seem jumpy ... they seem to be flowing along smoothly and nicely, and they'll suddenly change, breaking for something completely different. It's not frequent, but noticable.

Yeah, I've been rating a lot of CDs really highly, but it either happens that I try to review something that hasn't been reviewed; when I want to argue something someone said and defend the album, or when I think an album is just superb. In this case, it's because I just think this album is superb.

Final thoughts: Hm ... just go get it.

Therion’s superb Secret of the Runes transports the listener to the nine worlds of Norse myth, reveling in the glory of the gods and the valor of men. Each song truly does its respective realm due justice. With ‘Secret,’ Therion captures something significantly difficult to produce–a near-perfect balance of the Symphonic with the Heavy.

We begin with “Ginnungagap,” a planet-crushing opener glorifying the birth of the universe. This is _fucking_ heavy. The very first riff lets you know you’re in for something good. The bombastic “Midgård” next introduces our home world, the realm of men. The vocal lines in this song are absolutely beautiful, and while this cut is relatively devoid of anything one could consider metal, it is greatly supported by lightly overdriven and clean guitar passages. The solo at about 4:30, however, is fucking killer. Thumbs up.

No time to relax. Suddenly you’re thrust upwards to the home of the gods, divine energy from an amazing opening riff flowing through every fiber of your being. “Asgård” is a definite fist-pumper. Psyched yet? You had better be, you’re now contending with the giants of “Jotunheim,” sworn enemies of the gods. Yet another slow, bombastic vocal line here, underlined by crushing riffs and flecked with lilting woodwinds. After a searing variation of the main vocal line, we promptly leave the realm of the titans... Onto darker lands... “Schwarzalbenheim” takes us through the earthen corridors wherein dwell spelunking dwarves, endlessly mining, refining, forging... Lass den Hammer schlagen nochmals! This is a powerful track, and the German lyrics are a nice counterpoint to the preceding English. Again, quite slow, but none the worse for it. The string duet at about 4:13 is a wonderful segue to an all-symphonic outro.

Suddenly, we burst from the gloomy underground into the beauteous, sun-drenched realm of the elves, “Ljusalfheim”. Beautiful acoustic riffs gently carry the listener through the heavenly choirs praising Lord Frej, the Shining One. Johnsson’s whispered vocals during the chorus are a great touch. Beautiful song. Our peaceful respite won’t last long, though. We’re next brought to the hellish world of Muspelheim, home of fire golem Surt–and a fucking killer riff. Granted, the vocals immediately following said riff, at about the 1:00 mark, are a bit awkward. They’re quickly redeemed, though--not only by repetition of this riff’s sheer awesomeness, but also by a plucked acoustic riff interjected into the mix. As quickly as it came, however, the fiery world disappears beneath our feet as we float to the crystalline world of “Nifelheim”. The vocal volley of the line “Nifel i nord” is absolutely brilliant, and the guttural chanting of “Jormungand! Niddhögg!” is mighty indeed.

A brief violin intro, and we’re into the melancholic “Vanaheim”. The amazing riff at 0:38 is followed by the primary meat of the song, yet another slow, heavy vocal line. Things begin to speed up a bit, and at 3:09 we get an energetic drum beat under soaring rhythm guitar. Quick solo, and we’re out.

Heldrasil, O Heldrasil... welcome to the underworld. After some chanting, we have a brief, beautiful performance by a male vocalist at 0:32, complemented by despondent string parts. This is followed by more of the same–slow rhythm guitar, heavy vocal lines (with the exception of a reiteration of the aforementioned male vocal performance) and some woodwinds scattered here and there. This relatively short track brings us directly to the album’s finale and title song, “Secret of the Runes”. Wonderful, wonderful main riff at 0:33. The vocal lines here are rather moving. We have another metal passage with some minor-key lead riffing, and a great harmonized solo at 1:53. The tasteful double-bass is a nice foundation for Odin’s acquisition of the eighteen Runes. And fade to black...

Wow. As with all Therion releases since Theli, one must have tolerance for symphonic elements in metal to appreciate this album. Sadly, I myself am slowly losing interest in the sub-genre. But! This is a marvelous release from what could be considered the foremost band of symphonic metal. Recommended for any Therion fan (who doesn’t already have it...), anyone interested in hearing what all the fuss is about symphonic metal, or even newcomers to the band itself. This may not be the first choice of many, but if you are thusly compelled, Secret of the Runes is a fine place to start.

Dammit, everytime I read a review people are constantly comparing a band's previous works to the present work to help them better write their reviews and to compare and contrast. Well, once again, I'm a newcomer to Therion and have nothing to fall back on for this album. I've heard that Deggial is their best album, and yet I can not give testament to that. What I do have is the album in front of me, and it's astounding. Imagine Nightwish smashed with a chorus of ridiculously happy men from a classic movie smashed with some random death metal band. That's the overall sound I hear from this album. Ok, I'm sure you're confused as to where the hell I'm coming from. Well, vocally, this album consists of two styles, an operatic male vocalist(which reminds me of a chorus of men from a 1930s musical or whatnot) and operatic female background vocals in the vein of Tarja from Nightwish.(Tarja is better.) The two different styles play off each other extraordinarily well and add a tremendous heap of feeling to their music. The death metal elements I'm speaking of are not vocal, but rather musical. The first song Ginnungagapp has a deathlike rhythm to it. The death metal motif is very scarce on this record, however. Lyrically, this album deals with the nine worlds of Norse mythology. I'm not going to bother to name them right now or present a track-by-track overview of the album, because it would be a bitch to type all those long foreign words out.
For a symphonic metal album, it sure is chock-full of magnificent riffage. Wow, it's uncanny how well these guys can play. It's not wankish either. When there are guitar solos, they fit perfectly well with the song structure. Also prevalent on this album are flourishes of exotic woodwind instruments and the like and they further add to the greatness of the album.
In conclusion, this is a spectacular album, and though a bit conservative sounding, it's still quite catchy with lethal riffage to boot. Should be one of the top symphonic metal contenders of the year. Now all I need to do is hear Hollenthon.

There are a lot of good things about this abulm! However, it has some bad things too. Therion evolved into a power/operatic metal sound, which works very nicely. The riffs are just amazing, especially on Asgard, nice intro riff! Vocally........................Nightwish?! There is a lot of the opera style thing going on, but the woman opera voaclist is just God awful! Tarja from Nightwish is ten times as better than this broad. Plus there is also a man opera vocal, who is better, and backing vocals! The use of other instruments works pretty well, but gets old fast. This album is kind of like a map. It explains the worlds in Norse mythology. And the lyrics, when there not singing in Viking tounge, is actually pretty acurate to Norse Mythology tales. Another thing that works good in this album is the way the vocals are backed. For example, on the song Jotunheim they have a nice heavy laid back feeling where the giants roam there home land. But, on Musfelheim, the hell of Norse mythology, the singing is deep and dark with heavy riffs!!! Nicely done! All together I think this album was thrown together, a lot of recycled, but good riffs. Had there have been no guitars on this album, it could have been the soundtrack to the Lord of the Rings movie. Overall not a BAD album, but not a must have!