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Artist = [[Therion (band)|Therion]] | |
Artist = [[Therion (band)|Therion]] | |
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Cover = Therion-of darkness.jpg | |
Cover = Therion-of darkness.jpg | |
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Released = 1991 | |
Released = February 1991 | |
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Recorded = |
Recorded = August–September 1990<br />Sunlight Studio HB, [[Stockholm]] | |
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Genre = [[Death metal]] | |
Genre = [[Death metal]]<br />[[Thrash metal]] | |
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Length = 39:25<br />57:51 |
Length = 39:25<br />57:51 (reedition) | |
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Label = [[Deaf Records]]<br /><small>DEAF 6 CD</small><br />[[Nuclear Blast]] |
Label = [[Deaf Records]]<br /><small>DEAF 6 CD</small><br /> |
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[[Nuclear Blast]] (reedition)<br /><small>NB 0580</small> | |
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Producer = Tomas Skogsberg, [[Therion (band)|Therion]] | |
Producer = Tomas Skogsberg, [[Therion (band)|Therion]] | |
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Reviews = |
Reviews = |
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*[[All Music Guide]] {{rating-5|2.5}} [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:kg3gtq9zbu45 link] |
* [[All Music Guide]] {{rating-5|2.5}} [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:kg3gtq9zbu45 link] |
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* Tartarean Desire {{rating-10|9}} [http://www.tartareandesire.com/reviews/Therion/Of_Darkness.../1220/ link] |
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* Thrash'Em All (8/12)<ref name="Kmiolek92" /> |
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Last album = ''[[Time Shall Tell]]'' |
Last album = ''[[Time Shall Tell]]'' (demo)<br />(1990) | |
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This album = '''''Of Darkness...'''''<br />(1991) | |
This album = '''''Of Darkness...'''''<br />(1991) | |
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Next album = ''[[Beyond Sanctorum]]''<br />(1992) | |
Next album = ''[[Beyond Sanctorum]]''<br />(1992) | |
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}} |
}} |
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}} |
}} |
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'''''Of Darkness...''''' is |
'''''Of Darkness...''''' is a debut [[studio album]] released by the [[Sweden|Swedish]] band [[Therion (band)|Therion]] and it contains songs written in the early years of the band, during the 1980s. The album is indicated by the band itself as an end of its first era.<ref name="official-bio">{{cite web |
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|url = http://www.megatherion.com/Biography.xhtml |
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|title = Biography |
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|work = Official website |
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|accessdate = 2008-02-05}}</ref> |
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The album was re-released in 2000 under [[Nuclear Blast]] label as a part of ''[[The Early Chapters of Revelation]]'' box-set. It contains remastered songs, as well as four bonus tracks. |
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==Recording and production== |
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After releasing the third demo record ''[[Time Shall Tell]]'' EP in 1990, Therion got attention from the British label [[Deaf Records]], a subsidiary of [[Peaceville Records]], and signed the band's first contract. ''Of Darkness...'' was recorded in Swedish studio Sunlight in [[Stockholm]] from August to September of 1990 and released on February 1991. The initial line-up has not been changed since its last production. |
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==Songs, lyrical themes and influences== |
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''Of Darkness...'' consists of songs [[Christofer Johnsson]] had written in the years of 1987–1989. Despite having newer songs, the band opted to save them for their next full release. The album can be seen as a [[Death metal# Technical death metal/Progressive death metal|progressive death metal]] album in that it contained mainly influences that were not standard to death metal at the time. The album was influenced especially by the [[Celtic Frost]]'s [[thrash metal]] album ''[[Into the Pandemonium]]''. Its sound was comparised to the [[Dismember]] (melody), [[Suffocation]] and [[Morpheus (band)|Morpheus]] (rhythm), [[Entombed]], [[Napalm Death]], [[Repulsion]], [[Bolt Thrower]] (guitars), [[Carcass]] and other extreme [[thrash metal]] and [[grindcore]] bands of those days.<ref name="Crowtrobot" /><ref name="Kmiolek92" /> Therion started to attempt introducing [[keyboard instrument]]s, female vocals and clean male vocals into their songs which can be heard mostly in "Symphony of the Dead" song.<ref name="official-bio" /> |
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The lyrics were very political, in the vein of [[Nuclear Assault]], Napalm Death and other late-1980s [[hardcore punk]] bands.<ref name="official-bio" /> Lyrical themes defames pollution and negative politics. |
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2000 re-release album contains original remastered songs, and four bonus demo and previously unreleased songs. |
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==Reception== |
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The album reviews were mixed. Tartarean Desire webzine rated the album 9 of 10, and claimed in its review that despite it's a pure death metal release, Therion shows a big amount of talent and ''does not sound like any other band out there''.<ref>{{cite web |
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|last = Eldefors |
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|first = Vincent |
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|url = http://www.tartareandesire.com/reviews/Therion/Of_Darkness.../1220/ |
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|title = REVIEW: Therion - Of Darkness... |
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|work = Tartarean Desire |
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|accessdate = 2008-02-05}}</ref> American Nihilist Underground Society's review noted that the album is defined as an art work by ''hints of mystical union beyond its thunderous heavy metal and death metal mechanics'', and concluded ''yet for all the music of this era, there are few examples that match this mysterious and rewarding album as listening experience''.<ref>{{cite web |
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|url = http://www.anus.com/metal/therion.html |
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|title = Therion |
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|work = American Nihilist Underground Society |
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|accessdate = 2008-02-05}}</ref> |
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However, ''Of Darkness...'' received medium rating 2.5 of 5 at the [[All Music Guide]] with "Morbid Reality" and "Megalomaniac" songs picked by its staff,<ref>{{cite web |
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|url = http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:kg3gtq9zbu45 |
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|title = Of Darkness |
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|work = [[All Music Guide]] |
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|accessdate = 2008-02-05}}</ref> and 2.89 of 5 at the [[Rate Your Music]] community being only #852 in its 1991 ranking.<ref>{{cite web |
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|url = http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/therion/of_darkness___/ |
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|title = Of Darkness... |
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|work = [[Rate Your Music]] |
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|accessdate = 2008-02-05}}</ref> ''Of Darkness...'' was criticized mainly for small audibility of bass,<ref>{{cite web |
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|author=JoeCapricorn |
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|url = http://www.metal-archives.com/review.php?id=397 |
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|title = And they will die, why buy death? |
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|date = 2007-06-03 |
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|work = [[Encyclopaedia Metallum]] |
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|accessdate = 2008-02-05}}</ref> and lack of innovation.<ref name="Crowtrobot">{{cite web |
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|author=CrowTRobot |
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|url = http://www.metal-archives.com/review.php?id=397 |
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|title = Vicious, but misses the mark in a few key areas |
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|year = 2006-04-24 |
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|work = [[Encyclopaedia Metallum]] |
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|accessdate = 2008-02-05}}</ref><ref name="Kmiolek92">{{citation |
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|last = Kmiołek |
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|first = Mariusz |
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|url = http://thor.megatherion.com/php/readarticle.php?article_id=155 |
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|title = Of Darkness |
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|date = February 1992 |
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|work = Thrash'Em All |
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|language = Polish |
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|accessdate = 2008-02-05 |
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|id = {{ISSN|1429-9380}}}}</ref> |
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==Track listing== |
==Track listing== |
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⚫ | |||
# "The Return" – 5:15 |
# "The Return" – 5:15 |
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# "Asphyxiate with Fear" – 4:00 {{Audio|Therion_-_asphyxiate_with_fear.ogg|sample}} |
# "Asphyxiate with Fear" – 4:00 {{Audio|Therion_-_asphyxiate_with_fear.ogg|sample}} |
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===Re-release=== |
===Re-release=== |
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2000 re-release version contains following bonus tracks: |
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# "A Suburb to Hell" (demo version) – 5:19 |
# "A Suburb to Hell" (demo version) – 5:19 |
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# "Asphyxiate with Fear" (demo version) – 4:41 |
# "Asphyxiate with Fear" (demo version) – 4:41 |
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# "Dark Eternity" (unreleased version) – 4:19 |
# "Dark Eternity" (unreleased version) – 4:19 |
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== |
==Personnel== |
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*[[Christofer Johnsson]] – [[vocal]]s, [[rhythm guitar]] |
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⚫ | |||
*[[Peter Hansson]] |
*[[Peter Hansson]] – [[lead guitar]], rhythm guitar |
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*[[ |
*[[Oskar Forss]] – [[drums]] |
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*[[ |
*[[Erik Gustafsson]] – [[bass guitar]] |
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⚫ | |||
*[[Erik Gustafsson]] - [[Bass guitar|bass]] |
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*Gary Querns – cover art (based on Johan Losand and Rikard Olund's work) |
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⚫ | |||
==Samples== |
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:''For more samples see, for example, [http://www.amazon.com/Darkness-Therion/dp/B000056P4W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1202233013&sr=1-1 Of Darkness...] at Amazon.com.'' |
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{{Listen|filename=Therion_-_asphyxiate_with_fear.ogg|title=Asphyxiate with Fear|description=|format=[[Ogg]]}} |
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== |
==Notes== |
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{{reflist}} |
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Cover art is designed by Gary Querns based on original by Johan Losand and Rikard Olund. Inner cover art is made by Johan Losand, photos by Mats Lindbom. Cover of re-release is different than original one. |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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⚫ | |||
* {{MusicBrainz album|id=baf87e8c-8bba-4336-b0dc-98ec9a478c9e|name =Of Darkness...}} |
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* {{MusicBrainz album|id= |
* {{MusicBrainz album|id=baf87e8c-8bba-4336-b0dc-98ec9a478c9e|name=Of Darkness...}} |
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* {{discogs release|name=Of Darkness...|id=675463}} |
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⚫ | |||
{{Therion}} |
{{Therion}} |
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[[Category:Deaf Records albums]] |
[[Category:Deaf Records albums]] |
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[[Category:Nuclear Blast Records albums]] |
[[Category:Nuclear Blast Records albums]] |
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[[Category:Thrash metal albums]] |
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[[it:Of Darkness...]] |
[[it:Of Darkness...]] |
Revision as of 18:33, 5 February 2008
Untitled | |
---|---|
Of Darkness... is a debut studio album released by the Swedish band Therion and it contains songs written in the early years of the band, during the 1980s. The album is indicated by the band itself as an end of its first era.[2]
The album was re-released in 2000 under Nuclear Blast label as a part of The Early Chapters of Revelation box-set. It contains remastered songs, as well as four bonus tracks.
Recording and production
After releasing the third demo record Time Shall Tell EP in 1990, Therion got attention from the British label Deaf Records, a subsidiary of Peaceville Records, and signed the band's first contract. Of Darkness... was recorded in Swedish studio Sunlight in Stockholm from August to September of 1990 and released on February 1991. The initial line-up has not been changed since its last production.
Songs, lyrical themes and influences
Of Darkness... consists of songs Christofer Johnsson had written in the years of 1987–1989. Despite having newer songs, the band opted to save them for their next full release. The album can be seen as a progressive death metal album in that it contained mainly influences that were not standard to death metal at the time. The album was influenced especially by the Celtic Frost's thrash metal album Into the Pandemonium. Its sound was comparised to the Dismember (melody), Suffocation and Morpheus (rhythm), Entombed, Napalm Death, Repulsion, Bolt Thrower (guitars), Carcass and other extreme thrash metal and grindcore bands of those days.[3][1] Therion started to attempt introducing keyboard instruments, female vocals and clean male vocals into their songs which can be heard mostly in "Symphony of the Dead" song.[2]
The lyrics were very political, in the vein of Nuclear Assault, Napalm Death and other late-1980s hardcore punk bands.[2] Lyrical themes defames pollution and negative politics.
2000 re-release album contains original remastered songs, and four bonus demo and previously unreleased songs.
Reception
The album reviews were mixed. Tartarean Desire webzine rated the album 9 of 10, and claimed in its review that despite it's a pure death metal release, Therion shows a big amount of talent and does not sound like any other band out there.[4] American Nihilist Underground Society's review noted that the album is defined as an art work by hints of mystical union beyond its thunderous heavy metal and death metal mechanics, and concluded yet for all the music of this era, there are few examples that match this mysterious and rewarding album as listening experience.[5]
However, Of Darkness... received medium rating 2.5 of 5 at the All Music Guide with "Morbid Reality" and "Megalomaniac" songs picked by its staff,[6] and 2.89 of 5 at the Rate Your Music community being only #852 in its 1991 ranking.[7] Of Darkness... was criticized mainly for small audibility of bass,[8] and lack of innovation.[3][1]
Track listing
All tracks were written and composed by Christofer Johnsson.
- "The Return" – 5:15
- "Asphyxiate with Fear" – 4:00
- "Morbid Reality" – 6:05
- "Megalomania" – 4:10
- "A Suburb to Hell" – 4:47
- "Genocidal Raids" – 5:15
- "Time Shall Tell" – 5:07
- "Dark Eternity" – 4:45
Re-release
2000 re-release version contains following bonus tracks:
- "A Suburb to Hell" (demo version) – 5:19
- "Asphyxiate with Fear" (demo version) – 4:41
- "Time Shall Tell" (unreleased version) – 4:06
- "Dark Eternity" (unreleased version) – 4:19
Personnel
- Christofer Johnsson – vocals, rhythm guitar
- Peter Hansson – lead guitar, rhythm guitar
- Oskar Forss – drums
- Erik Gustafsson – bass guitar
- Tomas Skogsberg – engineer, producer
- Gary Querns – cover art (based on Johan Losand and Rikard Olund's work)
Samples
- For more samples see, for example, Of Darkness... at Amazon.com.
Notes
- ^ a b c Kmiołek, Mariusz (February 1992), "Of Darkness", Thrash'Em All (in Polish), ISSN 1429-9380, retrieved 2008-02-05
- ^ a b c "Biography". Official website. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
- ^ a b CrowTRobot (2006-04-24). "Vicious, but misses the mark in a few key areas". Encyclopaedia Metallum. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
- ^ Eldefors, Vincent. "REVIEW: Therion - Of Darkness..." Tartarean Desire. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
- ^ "Therion". American Nihilist Underground Society. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
- ^ "Of Darkness". All Music Guide. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
- ^ "Of Darkness..." Rate Your Music. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
- ^ JoeCapricorn (2007-06-03). "And they will die, why buy death?". Encyclopaedia Metallum. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
External links
- Of Darkness... at the official website
- Of Darkness... ⚠ "
mbid
" is missing! at MusicBrainz - Of Darkness... at Discogs