Topic: SOTR and Ginnungagap revisited

[blackrose]

In response to Diabolica's review. It's intersting that the songs you said are boring are amazing to me. Asgard, Midgard, Schwarzealbenheim, SOTRs are the main songs that are easy to listen to. The other songs like Jotunheim or Nifelheim just take a special understanding. They are sort of like real operas in that they take a certain patience. They have unorthdox characteristics. Hard to explain. Ljualfsheim is one of my favorites as well. It seems pretty standard. Nothing unorthodox.

When I first listened to SOTRs I would have given the same review as you. Exept I thought nifelheim was pretty cool from day one (oddly now I don't listen to it much). But the other songs really grew on me.

Probably though SOTRs is one of the best albums to listen to from start to finish. It just has the same feel throughout like a journey. The songs flow into each other. Only Vovin and Theli really have a similar feel. On Lemuria, Sirius B, GK etc. the songs all sound written at different times and by different people there's not the same flow. So yeah its like a perfect album to put in when you jog or something though I think the live albums can be good for that too because they flow more

[deathmetalpat]

Probably though SOTRs is one of the best albums to listen to from start to finish. It just has the same feel throughout like a journey. The songs flow into each other. Only Vovin and Theli really have a similar feel. On Lemuria, Sirius B, GK etc. the songs all sound written at different times and by different people there's not the same flow. So yeah its like a perfect album to put in when you jog or something though I think the live albums can be good for that too because they flow more

I think might have been the reason I did not like it as much is the beginning but the way the songs have a similar tempo it does require a bit on work by the listener to stay interested.When I first listed to it it seems like one very long song and Chris says it is not a concept album so it is not meant to be taken as one.Now i hear the slight ebbs and flows and like it alot more because of this.I have always wondered if the fans pick this aa a favorite because of the Nordic and rune theme and subject matter was the most familar to them

[blackrose]

It was my favorite mainly because of the vocal arrangements, then secondly the amazing drums and thirdly the amazing guitar solos. Besides the whole wagner style symphonies which are awsome. Though I can see how some consider it boring. Songs like jotunheim aren't played fast and don't have a lot of changes, but its more like a wagner song with a certain atmosphere to it. Then the changes do come after a long wait that part at the end is awsome "thors gard" "jutunheber".

[danova]

 I like the use of Germanic languages and having a concept album. I like the style of SOTRS with folkish rythems (vanaheim for instance) and melodies. I like the way the symphony  was played and the use of a basic rock format with all opera vocals mixed very loud. The guitar solos are among my favorite of all albums. The drums were some of the best work in Therion exept for the recent Gothic Kabbalah. And they fit the music perfectly.

[nomoteticus]

SotR is the kind of album you can return to after a while and listen to the underplayed songs, the ones you didn't like in the beginning. I didn't like it at first. Then I started to enjoy Asgard, Midgard, and part of Ginnugagap. Currently I am fascinated by Ljusalfheim, Helheim, Nifelheim and SotR. There are a lot of melodies and the metal is just accompanying it, though the drums are very powerful, and it really works as a concept album. I strangely associate it with the brand Porsche, since I used to play Need for Speed 5: Porsche Unleashed on my PC while listening to this album over and over again.
I would really like to hear this album played through entirely on a live show, maybe an anniversary show like they did with Theli. But they would need more than a keyboard player for that to work (strings, horns and flutes would have to be included), and we all know how expensive that can get.

P.S. For all the Romanian people in here, doesn't part of Helheim remind you of the famous patriotic song 'Trec batalioane romane carpatii'? Non-romanians can check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvs1R95Ksbo
Coincidence, direct link or do they both come from the same source?

[blackrose]

Same here: when I first heard it I like Ginnungigap, Midgard, and Asgard mainly. Then the rest of the songs grow on you.
Though I don't think SOTRs is a good album to play all the way through. It would bore the fans who don't like the album as much. Most of the music sounds like keyboard to me. You could put most of it on tape. The only part I would really like to hear live would be the trumpets on schwarzealbenheim or the violen on certain songs.