Therion

When 15 year old prodigy Christofer Johnsson founded THERION as a death metal band in 1987, little did he know that exactly 30 years later he would put the final touches to a project that will go down in history as symphonic metal’s most ambitious release. While ‘rock operas’ are no longer an unusual concept, this term will now receive a new meaning when the curtain opens for Johnsson’s lifelong creation: »Beloved Antichrist« is the title of his spectacular brainchild, consisting of 3 full-length CDs. It is more than just a concept album; it’s a complete rock opera unveiling a sweeping story inspired by Vladímir Soloviov "A Short Tale Of The Antichrist".

Before they got into the business of cloning themselves, Therion made quite an interesting appearance on the extensive 90's metal scene. With Theli, Therion reached the end of their progression from a Celtic Frost replica into a highly influential blend of Celtic Frost's pioneering theatrical tendencies with an equal amount of Metallica thrash metal and Sisters of Mercy gothic rock.
Therion will probably not charm you much if you expect great musicianship, both the riffing and the song writing is fairly straightforward. But it is applied to maximum effect: they don't repeat too much here, change tempo and melodies frequently enough and had plenty of ideas to keep your attention to the proceedings. Both the inspiration and the passion for what they were doing ran high in those days…

The turn into symphonic metal with operating vocals and range of other infliuence including progressive and doom metal was accomplished on Theli…

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…