Theatrum Mundi- The Eyes of the Realm
Theatrum Mundi - CD Review
The Eyes of the Realm
CD Info
2013
Punk-Upon-Avon
10 Tracks
English Lyrics
As a reviewer, I am often faced with the task of describing an album, and it may seem easy at first, but sometimes it is hard to put thoughts into words when there are so many interesting aspects of an album. Such was the case with Theatrum Mundi’s release titled, The Eyes of the Realm. It is a concept album, but not one that should be taken lightly. I must admit, there have been concept albums by female-fronted bands that have made me roll my eyes in contempt, but I think I can say this one’s a winner.
Theatrum Mundi is not a band most have heard of, so I will take the liberty of introducing them. The band was originally formed in 1991, but they have since undergone major changes and incorporated many new members. Theatrum Mundi is from Missouri and has many band members as well as two costume designers. There are several vocalists, most notably Christy Campbell and Gina Ronat as lead. Michael Ray Gould is the founder, guitar and mandolin player as well as songwriter, so basically the man behind the art.
At first glance, I was already captivated by the album artwork because let’s face it, the artwork alone can often determine how interesting the music will be. In this case, Li’Anne Drysdale captured my attention with her pencil drawings featured on the cover of the album. It gives off an almost steampunk vibe with one part pirate and one part Elizabethan mystery; all in all, a good way to start off a very exciting journey.
Now, as I mentioned before, this is a concept album which takes us back to the Elizabethan age. The year is 1597 and the very first 007 by the name of John Dee helps Queen Elizabeth I oversee a network of spies. The story continues as the Spanish Inquisition’s Grand Inquisitor is in search of a fabled ancient Greek device. This device was said to predict the future and John Dee wants to be the first one to uncover its secrets. He sends two of his best spies, Oswan (an assassin) and Viana (a thief), to beat the Grand Inquisitor. However, the situation reaches a climax when secret pasts are uncovered, feelings need to be reconciled, and the horrors of the Tribunal dungeons await the spies.
The band describes their sound as something in the vein of Nightwish, Within Temptation and Evanescence. Unfortunately, I think they’re selling themselves short when the sound they have is very unique on its own and can’t so easily be defined by the symphonic rock/metal niche. In fact, the band has a similar sound to Blackmore’s Night, but with much better symphonic elements, more focus on the guitar work and somehow, it all comes together with something that resembles a Broadway on steroids. It is tough to describe Theatrum Mundi’s sound because they have so many interesting elements and it’s hard to focus on just one. Eyes of the Realm is a theatrical production, but most importantly meant to be a rock opera with elements of punk, hard rock, symphonic metal and even classical music thrown in. Bottom line, it’s one heck of a ride you can’t miss.
Now, ten tracks may seem rather short, but they are ten tracks that can’t be skipped and must be played one after another, so there are no filler tracks to speak of. Our journey starts out with “The Eyes of the Realm” which is one catchy song that almost forces the listener to dance and the chanting towards the middle of the song is a strange, but a welcome addition to the track. Theatrum Mundi clearly goes for an epic feel for the track titled, “Passages of Courage” and symphonic metal lovers should take notice of the excellent symphonic additions to the beginning of the track. “Test Your Metal” is the track that tricks you into thinking you won’t be hearing any metal on this album, but you will be surprised by the twist and turns this track takes. “It’s a Mystery to Me” is actually one of the most guitar oriented tracks on this album, and of course reminds us once again of the symphonic metal genre in general. “Don’t Tempt Me, Fate” has an eerie beginning all complete with a pipe organ and guitars to set the mood. “Sometimes I See a Star” has great guitar work, chanting and what even sounds like a bell tolling. The vocals are notable on this track as the vocalist is different and adds a bit of mystery. “A Plan for the Universal Happiness of Man” is a very peculiar track that reminds me of something from a Broadway with a dose of heavy symphonic effects. “Dance With Me Tonight” is a very catchy number and strays from the Broadway-like routine with crunchy guitars and very memorable lyrics. The album closer is “Mirror of Simple Souls” and it incorporates everything that Theatrum Mundi is good at. It has notable guitar lines, interesting symphonic elements and a theatrical like sound.
Overall, I do have a great first impression of Theatrum Mundi. They are very unique and they manage to incorporate the best of Broadway, symphonic metal, hard rock and put us all on edge with top theatrical performances. The only low point on this album for me is the production. The music sounds very demo-like in many instances and I had to turn the volume up pretty high to be able to hear everything. The vocals and the music didn’t meet halfway and mesh well together which often left me (the listener) stuck on one aspect of a song. For example, some tracks bear too much focus on the vocals and the music sounds far away, then in other tracks, it seems entirely reversed. This fact alone is what prevents me from fully appreciating the album, but production aside, this is one of the most interesting and thought provoking concept albums that I’ve heard in a while. I really enjoyed listening to this album and I would wholeheartedly recommend it for Nightwish, Within Temptation, Therion, Blackmore’s Night fans as well as lovers of classic rock, symphonic metal and musicals. My advice is this for first-time listeners: keep an open mind and pay attention to the little details in every song because they are a real treat for the ears and the songs just demand to be listened to.
Score: 8.5 / 10
