Stream from the Heavens: Difference between revisions

| released = June 15, 1994

'''''Stream from the Heavens''''' is the only studio album by Finnish [[doom metal]] band [[Thergothon]]. It was recorded in late 1992 and released after many delays inon June 15, 1994 through the [[Italy|Italian]] record label [[Avantgarde Music]]. The band had eventually disbanded monthsa year before the release of the album. ''Stream from the Heavens'' continues the [[funeral doom]] subgenre that Thergothon pioneered with their 1991 demo ''[[Fhtagn nagh Yog-Sothoth]]''. The album was re-issued on [[Compact disc|CD]] in 1999 and also in 2004 by [[Belgium|Belgian]] label Painiac as a 12" LP, limited to 500 copies.

According to the album notes, the band started to compose songs between 1990 and the end of the recordings, which took place from October to November 1992. In an interview, singer and keyboard player [[Niko Skorpio|Niko Sirkiä]] says that he only wrote the documented textslyrics on the legend of Kthulu.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Bickle|first=Travis|title=EXTREME DOOM PART III: Niko Skorpio of Thergothon|url=http://www.wewither.com/2011/07/extreme-doom-part-iii-niko-skorpio-of.html?m|access-date=12020-06-23|language=en-GB}}</ref>

After having recorded the demo ''[[Fhtagn nagh Yog-Sothoth]]'', the band reworked on two songs from this demo and recorded two others during the fall of 1992. The sound of the album is characterized by non-metal influences such as [[gothic rock]], [[dark ambient]] and [[progressive rock]] and, compared to ''Fhtagn nagh Yog-Sothoth'', extreme slowness,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Stream from the Heavens|url=https://burningshed.com/thergothon_stream_cd|access-date=2020-06-23|website=burningshed.com}}</ref> an impression confirmed by Sirkiä, who, questioned on the influences of Thergothon which led to the sound of the album, named the following inspirations:

{{quote|"Probably either [[the Doors]] or [[Black Sabbath]]. Or the gothic punk bands that fascinated us at the time. That's what inspired us, not the millions of [[death metal]] bands that existed."<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|date=2014-10-16|title=Dunkel, dunkler, Funeral Doom|url=http://www.crossover-agm.de/intFuneral09.htm|access-date=2020-06-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016031538/http://www.crossover-agm.de/intFuneral09.htm|archive-date=2014-10-16}}</ref>}}

In addition to [[Paradise Lost (band)|Paradise Lost]] and [[Cathedral (band)|Cathedral]], Sirkiä refers to pioneers of their own development, but the musicians did not go far enough, especially with the slow tempos.<ref name=":0" /> In retrospect, however, more important than musical influence seemed to him to be the search for means of expressing one of mine considered universal as an existential fear at the end of adolescence. He described music as "an appropriate means of expressing and expelling the negative emotions that [the band members] experienced." The lyrics also constantly refer to [[H.P. Lovecraft]]. However, Sirkiä namesdescribed the atmosphere as the central objective of the band's music. All other aspects are only intended to support the desired atmosphere.<ref name=":0" /> Despite the completion of the recording process and the complete graphic design of the album without any difficulty, it has not been released for a long time. Some describe problems with the contractual partner as the cause of the long-term delay. After finishing the recordings and before the album was released, the group decided to disband. Sirkiä describes the dissolution as a consequence of the impression that he had completed the project.<ref name=":1" /> In fact, heHe also evokedrecalled the fact that they had become more and more tired of playing metal.<ref>{{Cite web|title=:: Metalist Magazine :: Interviews :: Niko Skorpio - פטריארך הפיונרל ::|url=http://www.metalist.co.il/InterviewPrivate.asp?id=303&lang=eng|access-date=2020-06-23|website=www.metalist.co.il}}</ref>

==Artwork and Layout==

The design of the album and booklets were done by Niko Sirkiä himself. K. Sirkiä wasis namedlisted as the photographer of the cover picture, a low-lying sunrise with a barely identifiable tower monolithically protruding into the right picture space. The image was given an "ominous" appearance by Oscar Strik for the review written for the Webzine Doom-Metal.com. In addition to the information on the recording, the lyrics in the booklet were printed in a calligraphic font in white on a black background.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Doom-metal.com|url=http://www.doom-metal.com/reviews.php?album=1480|access-date=2020-06-23|website=www.doom-metal.com}}</ref>

OnThe album was released on June 15, 1994, Stream from the Heavens appeared on thevia Italian independent label [[Avantgarde Music]], which hadand beenwas reissued by [[black metal]] label Obscure Plasma Records, as the first release under the new label name. It contains six songs with a total playing time of 40 minutes and 48 seconds. No changes were made to the volume of the album in later editions and additional bonus material was not added.