It’s been over three years since Humanity, Chapter V released, but we finally have Chapter VI as Thomas Bergersen launched it on July 28th. It’s different from the other albums, that’s for certain, and yet it’s clearly one of the best of the series.
I hope by now that you know Thomas Bergersen is an epic music composer with many credits to his name, including scores you’ve heard in movies and trailers. He was once part of the famous Two Steps From Hell duo, but that relationship dissolved in 2024, which I assume is partly the reason for the delay on this record.
As usual, Thomas brings with him an array of musicians and a full orchestra. You’ll actually hear Thomas on multiple instruments and he even raps on one song (he’s always trying new things), but included also are vocalists Kimera Morrell and Ekaterina Shelehova, guitarist Claudio Pietronik, plus the Capellen Orchestra and Choir, and the Bulgarian orchestra Four For Music.
Each Humanity chapter has a theme. I’m not going to go over them all again here, but I’ll say my favorite thus far is Chapter IV, which was based around the idea of humanity reaching for the stars; there were heavy sci-fi and cosmic vibes throughout. For Chapter VI, Thomas turns to the dark side of humanity, to its tendency to ruin and destruction, to its many shadow empires, to the inescapable reality of death. He does this with hope sprinkled through, so while it is certainly the darkest and most melancholy of the chapters, it also leaves us feeling good about the future.
The album has thirteen tracks and all of them are rock solid to amazing. I think the first half has more energy, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better. It just sticks faster with shorter songs while the second half takes time to grow. In the first half, we start with “Hope”, a mighty piece of classic Bergersen epic music that sets the stage, which streams into “Destruction of the Earth”, an incredible track that is immensely sad and unnerving. Thomas is aware of how heavy, emotionally-speaking, some of these tracks are and he wisely balances them with sparks of light.
The first half continues with “Empire of Evil” which feels strangely upbeat at first, but it’s not so much uplifting as it is foreboding, like standing small before towering empires. It feels both wondrous and terrifying. Afterwards, we get “Maluk” which is mostly choir vocals that give us a human touchstone before we enter “Burn It Down”. Now I’ll be honest, the hovering melody here reminds me of “Death Knell” from the Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion score, not exactly, but especially in the feelings of danger close. But the song itself is experimental, going full cinematic orchestra at first until it hits a wall of guitar riffs and Thomas’ rap vocals, and it becomes a lumbering metallic beast. “Unchained” continues that basic feeling, combining gorgeous, ethereal choir vocals with guitars to end the first half.
The second half is more classic Thomas Bergersen music, closer to the other albums, but still darker. “Immortalized” is an excellent song with Kimera Morrell on vocals—she has an amazing voice and this song is incredibly catchy. But right after the pop piece comes “Toccato in G-minor” with virtuoso guitarist Claudio Pietronik, and it’s simply mesmerizing and neoclassical. The album likes to mix things up, that’s for sure.
The final five tracks are like a movie score. “Creator of Worlds” has that classic Hollywood cinema vibe and wouldn’t have been out of place on Chapter IV, “Death Rings the Doorbell of All” is reserved and introspective before swelling into absolute glory, “For the Fallen” is another pensive tune as you can probably tell by the title, though it does have its moments of sheer thunderous grief; and the “Hope Suite” is a favorite for its sparkling cinema, many transitions, and epic ending. This portion of the album features longer tracks and it’s just so beautiful.
The album closes with “Evigt ejes kun det Tabte”, which I think means only what is lost can be eternally owned. It’s a shorter piece, but certainly poignant, too. I love how it hovers in mist, how the lone horn mourns, how the song conveys both sadness and wonder. It beckons us to pause and consider.
Thomas Bergersen has yet another excellent chapter on his hands. The Humanity series has become a living part of my playlists over the last several years, and this one is perhaps the most emotional and human yet, not just because of familiar upfront feelings, but because it speaks to things we all know in the back corners of our minds, those lingering inhibitions that tell us this world could be a better place. Give it a try.
______________
Find Thomas Bergersen online:
______________
______________
The PROG Mind 