Therion - Secret of the Runes (2001)
Tracklist front / back album covers
"Ginnungagap" - 6:10
"Midgård" - 5:04
"Asgård" - 4:07 About this soundsample (help·info)
"Jotunheim" - 3:43
"Schwarzalbenheim" - 5:18
"Ljusalfheim" - 3:53
"Muspelheim" - 2:13
"Nifelheim" - 4:33
"Vanaheim" - 4:02
"Helheim" - 3:18
"Secret of the Runes" - 4:30
Digipak edition
Digipak contains two bonus tracks
"Crying Days" (Scorpions cover) - 4:32
"Summer Night City" (ABBA cover) - 4:55
Limited edition
Limited edition also contains two bonus tracks
"The Wings of the Hydra (live)"
"Black Sun (live)"
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:
Runic letter uruz.svg "Ginnungagap (Prologue)"
Runic letter jeran.svg "Midgård"
Runic letter gebo.svg "Asgård"
Runic letter naudiz.svg "Jotunheim"
Runic letter iwaz.svg "Schwarzalbenheim"
Runic letter dagaz.svg "Ljusalfheim"
Runic letter sowilo variant.svg "Muspelheim"
Runic letter isaz.svg "Nifelheim"
Runic letter ingwaz.svg "Vanaheim"
Runic letter haglaz.svg "Helheim"
Runic letter fehu.svg "Secret of the Runes (Epilogue)"
Secret of the Runes title is written in the Elder Futhark alphabet on the front cover as:
Runic letter sowilo variant.svg Runic letter ehwaz.svg Runic letter kauna.svg Runic letter raido.svg Runic letter ehwaz.svg Runic letter tiwaz.svg · Runic letter othalan.svg Runic letter fehu.svg · Runic letter thurisaz.svg Runic letter ehwaz.svg · Runic letter raido.svg Runic letter uruz.svg Runic letter naudiz.svg Runic letter ehwaz.svg Runic letter sowilo variant.svg
and it is transliterated as: "sekret of þe runes".
Therion Band Members / Musicians
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
Secret of the Runes is the 10th full-length musical 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.
