Thomas Bergersen is one of the main composers for trailer music company Two Steps From Hell, and contributed largely to the epic
Invincible. On Illusions however, this is purely a solo effort from TB. And what an effort it is. Wonderful melodies, epic orchestral and choral writing, and electronics all linked seamlessly, this album is an absolute delight from start to finish.
This album has a very different feel when compared to Invincible, which very much sounded like trailer music. The thing that sets this album apart from Invincible is the wonderful use of solo instruments that just adds so much depth and emotion. In particular, there are many tracks which feature some rather exotic sounding woodwind instruments that sound incredible. In addition, many of tracks feature solo vocalists and it really enhances the tracks rather than sounding cheesy.
I started to write a section on which tracks should receive a special mention, and quickly realised I would just be listing the entire album. Each track has it's own unique and wonderful melody, and the majority of the tracks are long enough for this to develop without the music climaxing to quickly.
Overall, Illusions sounds extraordinary. I read that it took several years for TB to complete the album - and judging by the result that is easy to believe. This does not sound like high quality trailer music - it sounds like a beautifully crafted orchestral album with fantastic use of electronics and a wide range of soloists, the quality of which surpasses trailer music, and a lot of modern soundtracks. Rarely does the album go into into apocalyptic mode like its predecessor Invincible, instead choosing to amaze with the quality of the writing rather than orchestral brute force. That isn't to say the music in Illusions doesn't sound epic, it does. I really can't portray how good this album is, so if you find yourself on this page don't hesitate to click the buy button - it will probably be the best album you have heard in a long time.