Sakalli

(Review from progarchives.com)

“Vovin” should be looked upon as the follow up to the excellent “Theli”, the intervening “A’arab Zaraq Lucid Dreaming” being a convenient gathering together of unreleased material which was gathering dust. The album title is taken from the Enochian word for Dragon, a creature which appears regularly in Therion’s themes.

Once again, band founder and leader Christofer Johnsson would completely change the line up of the band, bringing in lead guitarist Tommy Erisson plus a new bassist and drummer. The orchestral and choral aspects were also subject to even greater investment, with operatic soloists being added where required.

The string section who are used though, announce their arrival in the opening bars of “The Rise of Sodom and Gomorrah”. The song has something of a “Kashmir” feel to it, with a similar rhythm structure, Arabian overtones and dramatic orchestration. The choral vocals however distinguish the piece, which evolves as a true Therion classic. The following “Birth of Venus Illegitima” ticks all the boxes. The slightly melancholy mood of the song is brought to its full potential through a surprisingly complex, yet utterly captivating arrangement.

“Wine of Aluqah” is the first track on the album to delve into the Gothic metal of Therion’s past, with double paced drumming driving a guitar heavy piece at reckless speed. Even here though, the magnificent female choirs serve to soften the blows. The lengthy “Clavicula Nox”, which runs to just under 9 minutes, is a brooding, slightly looser affair, which relies to a greater extent on the excellent orchestration. In contrast, “The Wild Hunt” is an all out dash to the finish through a much more metal orientated, but still operatic, number.

The classical female lead vocal on “Eye of Shiva” immediately reminds us of Nightwish, but the song is generally more majestic than the music of that band. The alternating of a full choir and stunning lead guitar towards the end of the piece may bring a tear to the eye, such is the power of the music. “Black Sun” focuses once again on the power metal side, but with those wonderful voices.

Three tracks combine late on in the album to form a mini-suite sub-titled “The Draconian Trilogy”. “The opening” naturally opens the suite in suitably pompous fashion with strings being sawed and floating lead guitars leading to Gothic chanting. “Morning star” is the heavy core of the trilogy, the vocals being darker and moodier than anywhere else on the album. The third part of the suite, “Black diamonds” once again tugs on the emotions, climaxing in a quite exquisite solo violin piece. The album closes with “Raven of Dispersion”, an operatic metal ballad if you will, which benefits from a slightly quirky arrangement.

The bonus track, “King” is an Accept cover, a more conventional piano based song with female lead vocal.

Line-up:
- Christofer Johnsson / guitar, keyboards
- Tommy Eriksson / guitar
- Jan Kazda / bass
- Wolf Simons / drums
with
- Lorentz Aspen / Hammond organ (8)
- Siggi Bemm / additional guitars
- Sarah Jeizibel Deva / solo & duet alto & soprano voices
- Martina Hornbacher / solo & duet alto & soprano voices
- Ralf Scheepers / lead vocals (5)
- Waldemar Sorychta / additional guitars
- Jochen Baver / choir
- Max Cilotek / choir
- Gregor Dippel / choir
- Dorothee Fischer / choir
- Eileen Kupper / choir
- Angelica Martz / choir
- Anne Tribulth / choir
- Javier Zapater / choir
Indigo Orchestra
- Gese Hansen / cello
- Heike Haushalter / violin
- Alois Kott / contrabass, double bass
- Monika Malek / viola
- Petra Stalz / violin

Track List:
01. The Rise Of Sodom And Gomorrah – 6:44
02. Birth Of Venus Illegitima – 5:13
03. Wine Of Aluqah – 5:02
04. Clavicula Nox – 8:47
05. The Wild Hunt – 3:47
06. Eye Of Shiva – 6:17
07. Black Sun – 5:08
08. Draconian Trilogy. Part I : The Opening – 1:28
09. Draconian Trilogy. Part II : Morning Star – 3:34
10. Draconian Trilogy. Part III : Black Diamonds – 2:56
11. Raven Of Dispersion – 5:57
12. The King (Bonus Cover) – 4:08

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(Review from progarchives.com)

Although officially listed as Therion’s sixth album, this strangely named release is closer to a compilation that a coherent album. Timed to celebrate the band’s 10th anniversary, the set draws in tracks left over from the previous “Theli”, a number of cover versions, songs from a soundtrack project of band leader Christofer Johnsson and Therion’s re- interpretations of songs from that soundtrack.

As such, there are a number of different line ups on the album, with only Johnnson and drummer Piotr Wawrzeniuk being ever present. This should not then be assessed in the context of following on from “Theli”, but more as a bonus set for fans of the band. Choirs and orchestras do appear, but they are generally much less in evidence than on “Theli”.

The tracks are neatly grouped together for ease of listening. The first three of these are recorded by the “Theli” line up, with Dan Swano (who appeared on that album) taking lead vocal on the first two. “In Remembrance” is a fine, fairly commercial piece of light metal. It is largely devoid of operatic vocals, presumably leading to its omission from “Theli”. “Black Fairy” continues in the light metal style this time drifting towards the sound we now associate with Ayreon.

The first of the covers, still played by the “Theli” line up, is of “Fly to the Rainbow”, a Scorpions song from 1974. This 8+ minute number sees drummer Piotr Wawrzeniuk giving the first of two lead vocal performances on the album. While the track is decidedly un-Therion like, being far more pop orientated than usual, it does illustrate that Wawrzeniuk is actually a much better singer than Johnsson. The following two covers were recorded during a session in Germany in December 1996. “Children of the Damned” is an Iron Maiden song again sung by Wawrzeniuk, while “Under Jolly Roger” was by Running Wild. The vocals here are by Tobias Sidegard with Peter Tagtgren playing additional lead guitar. Both songs are as much as anything a chance for the band to have a bit of fun.

The next two tracks see the line up pared back to just Johnsson and Wawrzeniuk. The first of these is an abbreviated instrumental version of “Symphony of the Dead”, a song which first appeared on the band’s “”Beyond Sanctorum” album. This version brings out the symphonic nature of the music. “Here Comes the Tears” is a cover of a Judas Priest song. This version retains the Judas Priest feel, while adding a slightly Gothic style to the song.

The remainder of the album is handed over to Johnsson’s soundtrack for the film titled “Golden Embrace”. First we have four songs (of which two are combined into a single piece) re-recorded by Therion (or at least Johnsson and Wawrzeniuk in the Therion style). These four tracks have much more in common with the “Theli” album, featuring operatic vocals and symphonic sounds. As such, they represent the high point of the entire album.

The final section of the album is the original orchestral soundtrack to “Golden Embrace” sub-titled “A’arab Zaraq Lucid Dreaming”. Some choral vocals remain on the 7 tracks which make up this part, but the main emphasis is on orchestration, devoid of any rock instruments or influences.

This is an enjoyable collection of songs conveniently brought together to form a decent compilation.

Line-up:
- Christofer Johnsson / guitar, organ, keyboards
- Jonas Mellberg / guitar, keyboards
- Lars Rosenberg / bass
- Piotr Wawrzeniuk / drums, vocals
with
- Klaus Bulow / bass voice
- Joachim Gebhardt / bass voice
- Gottfried Koch / acoustic guitar (7-11)
- Marie-Therese Kubel / alto voice
- Raphaela Mayhaus / soprano voice
- Ergin Onat / tenor voice
- Tobbe Sidegard / vocals (5)
- Bettina Stumm / soprano voice
- Dan Swano / vocals (1-2)
- Peter Tagtgren / guitar (5)

Track List:
01. In Remembrance – 6:28
02. Black Fairy – 5:56
03. Fly to the Rainbow (Scorpions cover) – 8:14
04. Children of the Damned (Iron Maiden cover) – 4:30
05. Under Jolly Roger (Running Wild cover) – 4:36
06. Symphony of the Dead (re-recorded) – 3:39
07. Here Comes the Tears (Judas Priest cover) – 3:21
08. Enter Transcendental Sleep (Therion version) – 4:22
09. The Quiet Desert (Therion version) – 3:52
10. Down the Qliphothic Tunnel (Therion version) – 2:53
11. Up to Netzach / Floating Back (Therion version) – 4:08
12. The Fall Into Eclipse – 3:44
13. Enter Transcendental Sleep – 3:51
14. The Gates to A’arab Zaraq Are Open – 1:25
15. The Quiet Desert – 3:51
16. Down the Qliphothic Tunnel – 2:53
17. Up to Netzatch – 2:53
18. Floating Back – 0:49

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(Review from progarchives.com)

Right from the opening “Preludium” we are presented with something far more palatable and easily digested than anything the band have recorded up to now. Choirs, orchestrations and keyboards abound throughout, while operatic vocals and symphonic sounds become the order of the day. In retrospect, band leader Christofer Johnsson says that he had dreamed of making this album for several years, and had kept songs back from previous albums until he had the budget to do them justice.

The music is, as it always has been and always will be, rooted in metal and heavy rock, but from now on that would be the base for the music rather than the music itself. “To Mega Therion” (the title referring to the band’s previous name), swims in galloping operatic choirs, while Christofer Johnsson throws in his more orthodox semi-shouted vocals. Lead guitar and layered keyboards drift in and out in a wonderful cacophony which sums up the album in 6½ minutes. “Cults of the Shadows” moves even further into the operatic metal sounds which Therion would exploit on all later albums, with the following “In the Desert of Set” maintaining the momentum.

The album is neatly divided into two by the brief “Interludium”, where the Mike Sammes singers appear to meet “Abadon’s bolero”. The later half of “Theli” finds the confidence of the band increasing rapidly. Both the 7½ minute “Nightside of Eden” and the 10 minute “The Siren of the Woods” are statements made by a band who have finally found a unique identity, and one with which they can be comfortable. “Nightside of Eden” manages to combine what would reasonably be considered complete opposites of vocal styles, with Johnsson’s developing but raw singing combining perfectly with choral female voices.

The aforementioned “The Siren of the Woods” is a truly majestic composition. Beginning as a wonderful acoustic passage, as the sound builds, we are led to expect the usual intrusion of heavy riffs. Instead, we are treated to a quite delightful female/male vocal passage full of tastefulness and beauty. Triumphant fanfares join in as Gothic chants take over and the guitar riffs finally appear. It is all quite overwhelming and magnificent.

The album closes with “Grand Finale / Postludium”, a swirling, thundering romp to the end.

This really is where to start with Therion. “Theli” is a magical statement of intent from a band who would go on to make many fine albums.

Line-up:
- Christofer Johnsson / guitars, vocals, keyboards
- Piotr Wawrzeniuk / drums, vocals
- Lars Rosenberg / bass
- Jonas Mellberg / guitar, acoustic guitar, keyboards
with
- Dan Swano / vocals
- Anja Krenz / solo soprano
- Axel Patz / solo bass baritone
- Jan Peter Genkel / grand piano, keyboards & programming
- Gottfried Koch / keyboards & programming
with North German Radio Choir:
- Raphaela Mayhaus / soprano
- Bettina Stumm / soprano
- Ursula Ritters / alto
- Ergin Onat / tenor
- Joachim Gebhardt / bass
- Klaus Bulow / bass
with Siren Choir:
- Anja Krenz / soprano
- Constanze Arens / soprano
- Riekje Weber / alto
- Stephan Gade / tenor
- Axel Patz / bass baritone

Track List:
01. Preludium – 1:43
02. To Mega Therion – 6:34
03. Cults of the Shadow – 5:14
04. In the Desert of Set – 5:29
05. Interludium – 1:47
06. Nightside of Eden – 7:31
07. Opus Eclipse – 3:41
08. Invocation of Naamah – 5:31
09. The Siren of the Woods – 9:55
10. Grand Finale / Postiludium – 4:04

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(Review from progarchives.com)

Therion’s journey from being a standard death metal band to finding their own niche in the field of operatic/symphonic metal was a gradual one. The first two albums had shown only the barest of hints hidden away behind the endless growls, and the eclectic “Ho Drakon Ho Megas” saw band leader Christofer Johnsson exploring a number of styles while still relying mainly on the sounds which he had shown a preference for up to that point. “Lepaca Kliffoth” is the next stepping stone on the way, and while there are some significant changes to report, this really represents the last of the old more than the start of the new.

In terms of line up, once again leader Johnsson makes wholesale changes, with only drummer Piotr Wawrzeniuk remaining on drums.

Christofer Johnsson’s ongoing interest in the Dragon Rouge cult is once again the source of inspiration for much of the lyrics, and future album “Vovin” makes a first appearance when he is the subject of an “evocation” towards the end of the album. “Theli” also gets a first name check in a Hawkwind like romp through “Riders of Theli”.

In terms of notable significant progress, Johnsson finally dispenses with the growling,and makes a conscious attempt to sing melodically. He also brings in classically trained singers on three songs. Being candid, Johnson’s singing is not that wonderful, being more of a shouting indulgence. The instrumentation is however noticeably more adventurous, with keyboards becoming ever more significant. The lead guitar too is more focused on playing rather than simply thrashing out riffs.

The segued tracks “Arrival of the Darkest Queen” and “The Beauty in Black” finally offer the first genuine taste of what was to come from Therion. A wonderful instrumental piece, quite unlike anything we have heard before from the band, precedes a magical piece of operatic singing. Male and female vocals combine against a heavy backdrop in a song which suffers only from its brevity.

Elsewhere, “Darkness eve” bursts into an exquisite instrumental passage in the final minute. The following “Sorrows of the Moon” is a cover of a song by Celtic Frost, a principal influence of Johnsson’s during Therion’s early years. The title track brings a new level of heaviness, with a hypnotic chant sitting on top of a dark instrumental.

The album closes with “Evocation of Vovin”, the second song to offer a firm indication of the direction the band would follow hereafter. The quasi-symphonic instrumentation is much lighter and more melodic than on the rest of the album, with some fine lead guitar thrown and return of the operatic singers in too.

This is an album essential to those with an interest in understanding how Therion re-invented themselves.

Line-up:
- Christofer Johnsson / lead guitar, keyboards, vocals
- Fredrik Isaksson / bass
- Piotr Wawrzeniuk / drums
with
- Hans Groning / bass-baritone vocals (4,11)
- Harris Johns / lead guitar (4)
- Claudia Maria Morki / soprano vocals (4,6,11)
- Jan / chorus (1,8)

Track List:
01. The Wings Of The Hydra – 3:32
02. Melez – 4:08
03. Arrival Of The Darkest Queen – 0:53
04. The Beauty In Black – 3:13
05. Riders Of Theli – 2:52
06. Black – 5:04
07. Darkness Eve – 5:20
08. Sorrows Of The Moon – 3:27
09. Let The New Day Begin – 3:36
10. Lepaca Kliffoth – 4:27
11. Evocation Of Vovin – 4:55
12. Enter The Voids (Bonus) – 4:12
13. The Veil Of Golden Spheres (Bonus) – 3:00
14. Black (Bonus Demo) – 5:05

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A year after the release of “Beyond Sanctorum”, Therion returned with their third album. Do not be fooled by the “Symphony” reference in the title, the band are not yet ready to make the career defining change which will find them embracing their trademark operatic sounds; this album remains rooted in the death metal of their previous efforts. The title “Ho Drakon Ho Megas” comes from the Greek for The great dragon, a pointer towards the mysticism hidden within the lyrics.

The line up is almost completely different this time around, with only band founder and leader Christofer Johnsson remaining. The band becomes a quartet with Magnus Barthelson coming in on lead guitar and a new drummer and bassist. Johnsson once again tackles keyboards in addition to his vocal and guitar duties. The songs are a succession of riff driven growl fests.

On “Symphoni drakonis inferni” there are hints of something a little different, with quasi- symphonic overtones and brief choral keyboard vocals. The intro to “Dawn of Perishness” has a Black Sabbath feel to it, the crowd cheers apparently being a studio addition.

“The Eye of Eclipse” has the band’s most inventive intro to date. It is all a bit contrived, and inevitably leads to more riffs and growls, but it does hint at something more interesting. “Powerdance” is the most diverse of the tracks being a brief “Zorba’s Dance” like instrumental to lighten the mood. The final two part title track includes some decent lead guitar soloing but ends all too soon.

The album is very much an acquired taste. Even those who appreciate the death metal style may find there is a little too much diversity here while those with only a passing interest may feel they have heard it all before.

Line-up:
- Christofer Johnsson / lead guitar, vocals, keyboards
- Magnus Barthelson / guitar
- Andreas Wallan Wahl / bass
- Piotr Wawrzeniuk / drums

Track List:
01. Baal Reginon – 2:11
02. Dark Princess Naamah – 4:19
03. A Black Rose – 4:02
04. Symphoni Draconis Inferni – 2:34
05. Dawn of Perishness – 5:53
06. The Eye of Eclipse – 5:02
07. The Ritualdance of the Yezidis – 2:08
08. Powerdance – 3:07
09. Procreation of Eternity – 4:06
10. Ho Drakon Ho Megas – 4:20

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(Review from progarchives.com)

Therion’s debut album “Of Darkness” was in reality a summary of their work in the previous years leading up to its release in 1991. “Beyond Sanctorum”, released the next year, was therefore their first contemporary statement of where they were at the time. Bassist Erik Gustafson had already departed, the band carrying on as a trio with both Peter Hansson and Christofer Johnsson adding bass as required. The first indications of the bands move towards the model they would eventually settle on comes with the addition of three guest vocalists on the latter part of the album. Equally significant is the addition of keyboards to the instrumental line up played by Hansson.

For the opening three tracks, it is business as usual with thrashed guitars and growls being the order of the day. Surprisingly, the latter part of opening track “Future Consciousness” does feature some spacey guitar of the early Floydian type.

“Symphony of the Dead” offers the first green shoots of the future sound of Therion. Here, the growls are offset by some conventional singing plus some brief operatic vocals. The track is predominantly the usual fare for Therion’s early work, but the keyboards and slight diversity in the vocals do set it apart from its peers. The short title track features some all too brief lead guitar played by guest Magnus Eklov. “The Way” runs to some 11 minutes, certainly with a greater level of ambition, hints of keyboard chorales and occasional flurries of lead guitar. The 2 minute track “Paths” sees the return of the choral vocals alongside the growls, once again offering a glimpse of the future.

“Beyond Sanctorum” definitely shows sings of improvement, with still a long way to go.

The bonus tracks are all the demos of songs which appear on the album.

Line-up:
- Christofer Johnsson / lead guitar, bass, vocals
- Oskar Forss / drums
- Peter Hansson / guitar, keyboards, bass
with
- Magnus Eklov / lead guitar (4,5)
- Anna Granqvist / vocals (4,9)
- Fredriq Lundberg / vocals (4,9)

Track List:
01. Future Consciousness – 4:57
02. Pandemonium Outbreak – 4:20
03. Cthulhu – 6:08
04. Symphony Of The Dead – 6:48
05. Beyond Sanctorum – 2:34
06. Enter The Depth Of Eternal Darkness – 4:45
07. Illusions Of Life – 3:20
08. The Way – 11:05
09. Paths – 2:01
10. Tyrants Of The Damned – 3:46
11. Cthulhu (Bonus Demo) – 6:10
12. Future Consciousness (Bonsu Demo) – 5:07
13. Symphony Of The Dead (Bonus Demo) – 6:13
14. Beyond Sanctorum (Bonus Demo) – 2:29

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Therion is once again visiting my hometown next month. So as an ode to the concerts, here comes the long overdue series.

(Review from progarchives.com)

Therion released a few death metal albums before they reinvented themselves as a theatrical/operatic band. Formed in 1987, the Swedish band went through a couple of names before settling on the abbreviated Therion. The word comes from the Greek for (a biblical) “Beast”, the inspiration for its use coming from a track by the band Celtic Frost. The guiding light of the band has always been the multi talented Christofer Johnsson.

A trio of privately released EP preceded this album, which itself contains songs written between 1987 and 1989. It took until 1990 for these to be recorded, with this the official debut album appearing the following year.

It should be said upfront that anyone coming to this album seeking the magnificent operatic metal of Therion’s main career will most certainly be disappointed. A glance at the line up indicates a complete absence even of keyboards, let alone choirs and orchestras.

Turning to the music on the album, the opening song “Return” explodes on the ears in a burst of thrashed guitar and growls. There is actually a slight element of melody to the growls here, but they remain very much an acquired taste. The guitar work is certainly impressive as long as it is remembered that it is thrashed chords, not lead guitar soloing.

Generally the pace of the tracks is upbeat, avoiding the drudgery of slow drawn out death metal. The tracks do however have a tendency to all sound the same, the lack of options in the line up and the band’s self inflicted parameters combining to cause this.

Line-up:
- Christofer Johnsson / vocals, rhythm guitar
- Peter Hansson / lead & rhythm guitar
- Oskar Forss / drums
- Erik Gustafson / bass

Track List:
01. The Return – 5:15
02. Asphyxiate With Fear – 4:00
03. Morbid Reality – 6:05
04. Megalomaniac – 4:10
05. A Suburb To Hell – 4:47
06. Genocidal Raids – 5:15
07. Time Shall Tell – 5:07
08. Dark Eternity – 4:45

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