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Released = February 1991 |
Released = February 1991 |
Recorded = August–September 1990<br />[[Sunlight studios|Sunlight Studio]], [[Stockholm]] |
Recorded = August–September 1990<br />[[Sunlight studios|Sunlight Studio]], [[Stockholm]] |
Genre = [[Death metal]] |
Genres = [[Death metal]]<br />[[Progressive death metal]] |
Length = 39:25<br />57:51 (reedition) |
Length = 39:25<br />57:51 (reedition) |
Label = [[Deaf Records|Deaf]]<br /><small>DEAF 6 CD</small>, [[Nuclear Blast]] (reedition)<br /><small>NB 0580</small> |
Label = [[Deaf Records|Deaf]]<br /><small>DEAF 6 CD</small>, [[Nuclear Blast]] (reedition)<br /><small>NB 0580</small> |

Revision as of 18:25, 3 July 2010

Untitled

Of Darkness... is a debut studio album released on February 1991 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 on November 27, 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 1990 and released on February 1991. The initial line-up has not been changed since its last production. The album was produced by Tomas Skogsberg and the band itself.

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 compared 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.[1][3]

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 the fact that 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 Allmusic with "Morbid Reality" and "Megalomania" songs picked by its staff,[6] and 3.02 of 5 at the Rate Your Music community being only #925 in its 1991 ranking.[7] Of Darkness... was criticized mainly for small audibility of bass,[8] and lack of innovation.[1][3]

Track listing

All tracks were written and composed by Christofer Johnsson.

  1. "The Return" – 5:15
  2. "Asphyxiate with Fear" – 4:00 sampleⓘ
  3. "Morbid Reality" – 6:05
  4. "Megalomania" – 4:10
  5. "A Suburb to Hell" – 4:47
  6. "Genocidal Raids" – 5:15
  7. "Time Shall Tell" – 5:07
  8. "Dark Eternity" – 4:45

Re-release

2000 re-release version contains following bonus tracks:

  1. "A Suburb to Hell" (demo version) – 5:19
  2. "Asphyxiate with Fear" (demo version) – 4:41
  3. "Time Shall Tell" (unreleased version) – 4:06
  4. "Dark Eternity" (unreleased version) – 4:19

Personnel

Therion
Production
  • Tomas Skogsberg – engineer, producer
  • Gary Querns – cover art (based on Johan Losand and Rikard Olund's work)

Samples

See also: External links (section)
Asphyxiate with Fear
Problems playing this file? See media help.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Kmiołek, Mariusz (February 1992). "Of Darkness". Thrash 'Em All (in Polish). Retrieved 2008-02-05.
  2. ^ a b "Biography". Official website. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
  3. ^ a b "CrowTRobot" (2006-04-24). "Vicious, but misses the mark in a few key areas". Encyclopaedia Metallum. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
  4. ^ Eldefors, Vincent. "REVIEW: Therion - Of Darkness..." Tartarean Desire. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
  5. ^ "Therion". American Nihilist Underground Society. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
  6. ^ "Of Darkness". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
  7. ^ "Of Darkness..." Rate Your Music. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
  8. ^ Joe "JoeCapricorn" Talarigo (2007-06-03). "And they will die, why buy death?". Encyclopaedia Metallum. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
Audio samples
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