Secret of the Runes is the tenth studio album by Swedish symphonic metal band Therion. It's a concept album based on Norse mythology, where each song describes one of the nine worlds. Cover artwork was made by Thomas Ewerhard, it features nine Scandinavian runes, each corresponding to a certain mythological world.
Album also includes two cover versions as bonus tracks. A music video was filmed for the Summer Night City cover.
Track listing All songs written by Christofer Johnsson.
Runes Runes shown on the front cover (and also in the booklet) are Nordic runes with the Elder Futhark alphabet. On the back cover every song has its own rune character:
"Ginnungagap (Prologue)" "Midgård" "Asgård" "Jotunheim" "Schwarzalbenheim" "Ljusalfheim" "Muspelheim" "Nifelheim" "Vanaheim" "Helheim" "Secret of the Runes (Epilogue)"
Secret of the Runes title is written in the Elder Futhark alphabet on the front cover as:
· · ·
and it is transliterated as: "sekret of þe runes".
Credits Christofer Johnsson - rhythm guitar, keyboards, percussion, additional choir and orchestra arrangement on Bonus Tracks Kristian Niemann - lead and rhythm guitar Johan Niemann - bass guitar Sami Karppinen - drums, percussion Piotr Wawrzeniuk - lead vocals on "Crying Days" and "Summernight City"
Vocal and string soloists Marika Schonberg - solo soprano Erika Andersson - solo alto Carl Rahmqvist - solo tenor-baritone Anna Rodell - solo violin Asa Akerberg - solo cello Thomas Karlsson - whispering voice on "Ljusalfheim"
Choir Kristina Hansson - coloratura soprano Anna-Maria Krawe - soprano Anna Artursson - alto Marika Schonberg - alto Henrik Holmberg - tenor Patrik Forsman - tenor Carl Rahmqvist - tenor-baritone Joakim Berg - bass-baritone
String ensemble Anna Rodell - first violin Josef Cabrales-Alin - first violin Malin Samuelsson - second violin Johan Moren - second violin Linda Svedrup - viola Niklas Sjunesson - viola Asa Akerberg - cello Monica Jonsson - cello
Woodwinds (solo and ensemble) Fareidah Hildebrand - flute, alt flute, piccolo Erik Rodell - oboe, English horn Henrik Blixt - bassoon, contrabassoon
Brass ensemble Mikael Sorensen - trumpet, fluegelhorn Ayman Al Fakir - horn, Wagner tuba Kristina Borg - horn Rune Bodin - trombone
Choir and orchestra on Bonus Tracks Anna Rodell - first violin Elisabeth Lagergren - second violin Petter Axelsson - viola Erik Rodell - oboe Ingela Bolin - soprano (ensemble and solo), alto Anna Artursson - soprano, alto Henrik Holmberg - tenor, baritone Pierre Pettersson - tenor (ensemble and solo), baritone
Charts Chart (2001)PeakpositionPolish Albums (ZPAV)38
References
External links
Information about album at the official website