SECRET OF THE RUNES

I have owned Secret of the Runes for many years and I have known www.progarchives.com for quite a long time, but somehow I first discovered Therion on this site today (maybe because it really isn't a prog-band in my opinion). Anyway that doesn't make this album less good. If you have a knowledge to the myths of the norse mythology before listening to the album, I think you will appreciate this album as much as I did the first time I listened to it. The magical about Secret of the Runes is that the songs with the melodies, the choir arrangements and the classical instruments fits the desciptions in the books so perfect. Take for example the opening track Ginnungagap, which according to the myths was two streams, a hot and a cool, colliding and creating the world. Christofer Johnsson (the main composer from the band) have in that song arranged the instruments in a way so that they represent the cosmos and the kaos in the event taking place in the myth... and so it continues throughtout all the songs except for the last 3. The album also contains cover songs originally performed by Abba and The Scorpions. The Abba song, Summernight City, is very good though, the Scopion cover is a bit boring.

Well, I give the album 5 stars. I would rather have given it 4½ if that was possible... Anyway I rounded up to 5. I think if you compare the songs to the mythology it would be impossible to find a better soundtrack. So if you like norse mythology you would like this album aswell.