Lemuria is an Antwerp-based symphonic black/folk metal band established in 1999 (as Spinal Chill until they renamed themselves to Lemuria in 2001). After the release of their second album in 2010 (Chanson De La Croisade) the band suffered multiple lineup changes until fully emerging again in 2018 and announcing their third studio album, “The Hysterial Hunt,” released through German record label Massacre Records…
Therion mastermind Christofer Johnsson has never recovered from hearing the choir come in at the end of Ozzy Osbourne's "Diary of a Madman." While 2002's Secret of the Runes, a conceptual work celebrating the nine different worlds of Norse mythology, was technically flawless and endlessly atmospheric, its orchestral and choral wall of sound seemed pasted on rather than successfully integrated into the electric onslaught. After a two-year hiatus, Therion return with not one but two records, the blistering, elegiac, and overall stunning Lemuria/Sirius B. This time around, the Scandinavian heavy metal equivalent of the Moody Blues eulogizing a Viking funeral have mastered their dark art and created the finest record of their career…
Lemuria might not sound like they are from Buffalo, NY, but the band was proudly birthed there, following the legacy of an oddly eclectic, if not eccentric, music scene. When you loosen your ears to the sugary indie-pop, you'll discover discordant notes, odd time signatures, and brutal riffs creating menacing yet catchy music. Their most mature and best effort to date, The Distance Is So Big was recorded at the Magpie Cage with J Robbins (Against Me!, Jawbreaker, The Promise Ring) earlier this year.
Of the two albums released in 2004, Lemuria is the most straightforward and, dare to say, catchy. But it does it with some ridiculous attempts and elements to boost. “Typhon” is a detuned Power Metal pseudo-anthem with a depressingly laughable chorus that sees Johnsson trying to imitate The Ophidian Wheel-era Septicflesh not only in the vocals, but also in the harmonies, and that alone may be the highlight of the two albums as a whole…