Gothic Kabbalah

Infobox Album
Name = Gothic Kabbalah
Type = Studio album
Longtype =
Artist = Therion


Released = flagicon|Germany January 12, 2007
flagicon|United Kingdom January 22, 2007
flagicon|Japan January 24, 2007
flagicon|France February 5, 2007
flagicon|Canadaflagicon|United States February 6, 2007
Recorded = July–September 2006
Stockholm, Sweden
Genre = Symphonic metal
Length = Disc one: 38:22
Disc two: 45:07
Total: 1:23:29
Label = Nuclear Blast
NB 1780-0
Producer = Stefan Glaumann
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:7ft67uy0b0j3 link]
*PopMatters rating-10|5 [http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/11541/therion-gothic-kabbalah/ link]
*Chronicles of Chaos rating-10|7.5 [http://www.chroniclesofchaos.com/reviews/albums/2-4441_therion_gothic_kabbalah.aspx link]
* Metal Invader Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.metal-invader.com/db/reviews-3469.html link]
Last album = "Celebrators of Becoming"
(2006)
This album = "Gothic Kabbalah"
(2007)
Next album ="Live Gothic"
(2008)

"Gothic Kabbalah" is the title of a double album by Therion. It was released in Europe on January 12, 2007. This album was mixed by Stefan Glaumann who already contributed with many popular bands including Rammstein, Evergrey, Europe and Def Leppard. The main line-up has been slightly changed since previous studio albums ("Lemuria" and "Sirius B"). Petter Karlsson returned to play drums, having already played with the band during "Lemuria" / "Sirius B" tour during the period of 2004–2006. Since Christofer Johnsson announced in 2006 he is retiring from singing, [cite web
url=http://www.megatherion.com/News/Kliffoth/31.xhtml
title=My vocals + Metal Mania and ProgPower UK festivals
accessdate=2007-03-17
first=Christofer
last=Johnsson
authorlink=Christofer Johnsson
date=2006-03-21] vocals on "Gothic Kabbalah" were performed by Mats Levén, as well as Snowy Shaw and two female singers: Katarina Lilja and Hannah Holgersson.

The album is based on concepts from the life of 17th-century esoteric scholar Johannes Bureus.

Track listing

Disc one

# "Der Mitternachtlöwe" (Christofer Johnsson, Mats Levén) – 5:38
# "Gothic Kabbalah" (Petter Karlsson) – 4:33
# "The Perennial Sophia" (Johan Niemann, Levén, P. Karlsson) – 4:54
# "Wisdom and the Cage" (Kristian Niemann, P. Karlsson) – 5:01
# "Son of the Staves of Time" (Levén) – 4:47
# "Tuna 1613" (P. Karlsson, Snowy Shaw) – 4:23
# "Trul" (P. Karlsson) – 5:11
# "Close Up the Streams" (Johnsson, Levén) – 3:55

Disc two

# "The Wand of Abaris" (Johnsson, K. Niemann) – 5:51
# "Three Treasures" (Johnsson) – 5:20
# "Path to Arcady" (K. Niemann, P. Karlsson) – 3:54
# "TOF – The Trinity" (K. Niemann, Levén, P. Karlsson) – 6:18
# "Chain of Minerva" (J. Niemann, Levén, P. Karlsson) – 5:21
# "The Falling Stone" (P. Karlsson) – 4:46
# "Adulruna Rediviva" (Johnsson, K. Niemann) – 13:37

Vinyl release

"Gothic Kabbalah" has been also released as limited edition double LP vinyl (180 gram; 33 rpm). It features colored vinyl, gatefold cover and it has been released in 1000 hand-numbered copies.

Reception

While the album has received generally good reviews from critics, including Chronicles of Chaos [cite web
url=http://www.chroniclesofchaos.com/reviews/albums/2-4441_therion_gothic_kabbalah.aspx
title=Chronicles of Chaos : Therion - Gothic Kabbalah : Review
author=Smit, Jackie
date=2007-01-07
accessdate=2007-03-17] and Allmusic hailing it as "the first truly great rock opera of the 21st century", [cite web
url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:7ft67uy0b0j3
title=Allmusic: Gothic Kabbalah Review
accessdate=2007-03-17
author=Jurek, Thom] it has also been accused of "pretentiousness" and "overkill". [cite web |url=http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/11541/therion-gothic-kabbalah/
title=Therion: Gothic Kabbalah - PopMatters Music Review
date=2007-03-02
author=Blackie, Andrew
accessdate=2007-03-17]

The album was the band's first to enter the Swedish Albums Chart.cite web | url=http://swedishcharts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Therion|title=swedishcharts.com - Discography Therion|accessdate=2007-03-17]

Chart positions

Credits

* Christofer Johnsson – guitar, keyboards, programming
* Kristian Niemann – lead and rhythm guitars, keyboards
* Johan Niemann – bass guitar, guitar, acoustic guitar
* Petter Karlsson – drums, guitar, keyboards, solo and choral vocals, percussion

Guest musicians

* Mats Levén – vocals, guitar
* Snowy Shaw – vocals
* Katarina Lilja – vocals
* Hannah Holgersson – vocals, soprano
* Jonas Samuelsson–Nerbe – tenor
* Anna Nyhlin – solo soprano on "The Falling Stone" and "Path to Arcady"
* Karin Fjellander – choral soprano
* Ken Hensley – Hammond organ
* Joakim Svalberg – Hammond organ
* Rolf Pilotti – solo flute on "Gothic Kabbalah" and "Trul"
* Stefan Glaumann – tambourine

Others

* Thomas Karlsson – lyrics (all)
* Sanken Sandqvist – engineering
* Thomas Ewerhard – design

ingles

Infobox Discography
Type = ep
Name = Wand of Abaris


Released = December 15, 2006
Label = Nuclear Blast
Producer =
Format =
Tracks =

# "The Wand of Abaris"
# "Path to Arcady"
# "TOF – The Trinity"
Other info =Infobox Discography
Type = ep
Name = The Wand of Abaris / Path to Arcady


Released = 2007
Label = Nuclear Blast
Producer =
Format =
Tracks =

# "The Wand of Abaris"
# "Path to Arcady"
Other info =

Videos

On September 2007, a video for the song "Son of The Staves of Time" was uploaded to Youtube, and it can be seen there. The video shows the band playing in a gray stone room, while the lyrics of the song are being displayed on a wall. At the same time, a woman walks above a glass roof before it starts raining.

Notes

External links

* [http://www.megatherion.com/Albums/Gothic_Kabbalah.xhtml Informations about album at the official website]
* [http://www.nuclearblastusa.com/Splash/therion_ecard/index.html Ecard] at Nuclear Blast USA
* [http://www.nuclearblast.de/events/therion/ Stream previews] at Nuclear Blast Europe
*
* "Gothic Kabbalah" at MusicBrainz: [http://musicbrainz.org/release/cccfbea7-fccb-4875-9e10-16e672bab8ef.html disc one] , [http://musicbrainz.org/release/13e8947a-e0d4-4806-ac6d-4860afabf9f5.html disc two]