Therion Symphony

Hailing Symphony Masses – Ho Drakon Ho Megas as the first genuine Therion release may appear at first glance strange. After all the two preceding straightforward death metal efforts aren’t less legitimate. It isn’t either the big watershed Theli will be. The lineup is completely different than on Beyond Sanctorum, however Therion lineup has always been anecdotal and no musician here will last long anyway, even while remaining conscious Piotr Wawrzeniuck has been an important figure in Therion’s own little world…

Therion is a Swedish symphonic metal band founded by Christofer Johnsson in 1987. The word 'therion' comes from the Greek therion (θηρίον), meaning 'Beast,' i.e., that of the Christian Book of Revelation. However, the band's name is a homage to the Celtic Frost album To Mega Therion. Beginning as a death metal band, they later turned to combining orchestral elements with their metal music, employing heavy use of choirs and classical musicians, not only as additions to but also as integral parts of the composition. Therion is the first metal band with fully live orchestra featured. It is also the band which originated, popularised and influenced the symphonic metal genre, cited as 'the most adventurous metal band at present'. Because of these extents they take in conducting their music, they have been dubbed as 'Opera Metal'.

This is Therion's perhaps most essential release other than their brilliant 2004 releases of Lemuria/Sirius B. This live dvd consists of over 4 dvds and the live audio cds of the main live performance which was shot in Mexico City in 2004…

THERION have always been a band that have challenged themselves to explore new paths, while remaining true to their musical core values. For their 17th studio album, “Leviathan”, mastermind Christofer Johnsson and his collaborator Thomas Vikström have created something that has been previously unthinkable to the guitarist and the singer. "We have done the only thing that was left of all the different angles to explore", explains Christofer. "We have decided to give the people what they kept asking for. 'Leviathan' is the first album that we have deliberately packed with THERION hit songs."

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…