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| Gothic Kabbalah | 
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| Artist: Therion
Label: Nuclear Blast Americ
Category: Music
List Price: $20.98
Buy New: $13.36
You Save: $7.62 (36%)
New (42) Used (12) from $9.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  26 reviews
Sales Rank: 33157
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 2
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 1780
UPC: 727361178024
EAN: 0727361178024
ASIN: B000KRN65E
Release Date: February 6, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: BRAND NEW Factory Sealed - Ready to be shipped within 24 hrs from California - Average 5 workdays delivery time - Excellent customer service - Buy with confidence!
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| Tracks:
Disc 1
| • | Der Mitternachtslowe | | • | Gothic Kabbalah | | • | The Perennial Sophia | | • | Wisdom And the Cage | | • | Son Of the Staves Of Time | | • | Tuna 1613 | | • | Trul | | • | Close Up the Streams |
Disc 2
| • | The Wand Of Abaris | | • | Three Treasures | | • | Path To Arcady | | • | TOF - The Trinity | | • | Chain Of Minerva | | • | The Falling Stone | | • | Adulruna Rediviva |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Album Description
Three years after the monumental Lemuria/Sirius B project, Metal maestros Therion are back with their 2007 album. 15 songs on two CDs of pure musicality and subtleness. Expect some surprises for this is the next level, the new rising sun of Symphonic Metal. Therion are once again challenging the listener in a very positive way. Gothic Kabbalah is a trip through mysticism, Metal and maturity...a trip that you will never forget! Nuclear Blast.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 21 more reviews...
 Not the Therion we Know and Love but Still Good February 15, 2007
15 out of 23 found this review helpful
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.
 WHAT HAPPENED!?! June 25, 2007
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
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.
A New Direction February 6, 2007
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Firstly you are probably wondering why I am reviewing this so early. I downloaded the promo CD in early December and had the actual CD sent on the European release date in early January.
The first major thing you will notice when listening to this CD as opposed to earlier Therion works is that the opera style vocals have been toned down a lot and replaced with more traditional or progressive vocal styles, though there is some limited use of opera stylings (the same singers who do the regular singing also sing in opera in some places, these are mostly well renowned rock/metal vocalist who have been classically trained), the choir is much smaller than in some previous albums thus has a different "feel" to it, also the symphonic parts have been greatly reduced, in fact they used VSL recordings for the symphony rather than go through the expense and trouble of a full symphony. Thus overall the music style is much more mainstream and also more in the vein of progressive rock and at times power metal (think Dream Theater, Blind Guardian etc.). There are also a lot of Wagner inspired trumpets throughout the work along with Jethro Tull style flute playing, and limited use of keyboards. The limited use of Opera and symphony may disapoint some long time Therion fans, but it is made up for in the more complex song structures. The classial influences are actually more in the structures of the music than in the actual symphony. Which is in contrast to Lemuria/Sirius B which had mostly simply, straightforward and unchallenging compositions. Though on the good side of this, Gothic Kabbalah will be an album much easier to listen to for fans of more mainstream rock and metal. Some of the guitar riffs are actually heavier than previous Therion works, but the overal music exept for a couple of power metal style songs has more of a progressive rock feel than a heavy metal vibe. Also the guitar solos in this album are simply brilliant. You also have new Drummer Petter Karlson with his incredible melodic drum stylings which seem to fit Therions music more so than any other style. This album is mostly written by the band members and singers, as opposed to earlier albums which were mostly written by band creative genius Christopher Johnson.
The other noteable thing about this album is there are a lot of drum solos, bass solos and vocal solos. Unlike previous albums which focused mainly on the guitars, this album is much more balanced.
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.
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.
 OK, OK, I am a total Therion fangirl... February 16, 2007
5 out of 7 found this review helpful
...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...
es lebe Thule und Turan February 24, 2007
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
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, Mitternachtsloewe,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...
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