Published on Mar 20, 2000
It’s not often I have to do a double-take on a disc I’m
listening to for a review — but in the case of
Deggial, the latest full-length release from the
operatic/metal outfit Therion, I found myself not only consulting
the review I wrote on their last disc
Crowning Of Atlantis, but also re-listening to
Deggial an extra time.
In my review of
Crowning Of Atlantis, I mentioned how I loved Therion almost
from note number one, and how the disc left me wanting to hear
more. So what was the difference between that and
Deggial? Simple: I found myself getting tired of the disc
real quick. Repeat listens helped — but why was this album not
lighting my speakers on fire the same way that
Crowning Of Atlantis did?
The answer isn’t quite clear, but it could well be that
guitarist/band leader Christofer Johnsson tries almost too hard to
make this work, almost conceptual in theme, be the crowning point
for Therion. While there are a few good moments, the bulk of the
album collapses under its own grandiose weight.
It’s not that Therion — Johnsson, guitarist Kristian Niemann,
bassist Johann Niemann and drummer Sami Karpinen — fail with this
work. There are some moments on
Deggial that remind you that metal doesn’t have to be
full-volume distortion to be heavy. Tracks like “Eternal Return”
and “Via Nocturna Part I, II” demonstrate the ability of this band
to merge two styles that one might never have thought to combine
before. Musically, Therion – who perform with heavy classical
instrumentation, including a full choir – create a sound that is
both beautiful and spine crushing.
But in the case of
Deggial, it almost becomes redundant after a while –
something I could not say the same about with
Crowning Of Atlantis. It’s almost as if the listener is
lulled into a state of being with tracks like “Ship Of Luna,” “The
Invincible” and the title track. Add on to this that it’s extremely
difficult to understand the lyrical content, and the final result
is a disc that becomes hypnotic – and a tad boring.
While the classical overtones of Therion’s music are an intregal
part of the band’s identity, it sometimes seems that they might be
relying on them a little too much with this release. Yes, there’s
plenty of room for the core of the band to shine, but the focus is
often moved off of them and onto the orchestral readings.
Deggial is a disc that I had high hopes for going into it,
but it left me feeling like Therion could have accomplished much
more, simply by layering on less. It’s not a failure, but it is a
disappointment.