Therion
Lemuria

THE REVIEW

Genius, wisdom, knowledge, the unknown, the occult, the preface, and the allure of mystery are the emblem and the symbol of one of the most characteristic and immensely extraordinary bands that the world today has had the honor to celebrate and admire, Therion.

Guided by the musical and artistic genius of Christofer Johnson, they have managed to create another great masterpiece, its name is "Lemuria." With which they have managed to spectacularly blend their "dark" past, retracing the awkward, aggressive canons of black metal with the surprising and passionate progressions of symphonism and classical structures, which represent the key to understanding their current period. The feature of "Lemuria" is absolutely exceptional; the album lives with a relentless force, almost divine, thanks also to the compositional factor executed impeccably. Engaging dynamic guitar riffs, in perfect symbiosis with choirs that, even in this same album, appear rather reflect majestically in a succession of symbolic emotions. It is no coincidence that Therion show themselves to be much more emphatic and mysteriously captivating and draw nourishment from an epic composition, but above all characterized by exalting the history that in itself encompasses the charm of "Lemuria." Indeed, the Swedish band offers us a journey into one of the lost civilizations like the legendary Atlantis. Clear and obvious is their passion and dedication towards esoteric doctrine, which supposes and supports an order called "Il Dragon Rouge," and this is not accidentally a fatality since the leader and founder of this "sect" is Thomas Karlsson, the man who wrote the lyrics from the times of "Theli." In fact, this concept traces the history of the Lemurian civilization in a strictly theosophical field, as this "philosophy" is part of esotericism. One of the greatest exponents of theosophy is Arthur Powell, who spent his entire life explaining and seeking answers that man has never succeeded in finding. Powell attempted in his books to highlight the planes of existence not only physical but also subtle.

Seen with the eyes of the seer, the theosophist. He explains that in our solar system, there are ten separate and distinct schemes of evolutions. With which the evolutionary processes of physical planets and the evolution had over time by man are known. Then each of these planets, called globes in a wisdom of mental and astral vision, passes through a specific study of evolution leading to a different expression or form of life. Consequently, all space is eventually occupied by life. A design on which the field and the physical place in which such evolution unfolds pass the currents of life that develop in them, giving rise to the existence of realms from which the manifestation of races subsequently derives. It is precisely this that the concept attempts to convey to the listener the identity and the Lemurian civilization. In fact, "Lemuria" in the evolutionary design represents the cradle of races in which human intelligence had to make its first appearance. The continent of Lemuria at the time of its maximum expression surrounded almost the entire globe, extending from the place of the current Cape Verde Islands through Africa, Australia, and the Society Islands and all the various intermediaries. Over time, the continent underwent numerous changes and fragmented into many islands; subsequently, a huge volcanic-type cataclysm destroyed Lemuria. It was devastated by scorching ashes, and fire took over. After this account related to the history of this legendary continent, we move on to the compositional part of the concept.

The disc opens with a strong Heavy Metal impact of "TYPHON," with an extraordinary fusion between growl and symphonic singing, then the sound immediately shifts to epic tones with "UTHARK RUNA" where the sound of the guitars creates an emblem of rather dark emotions, as it is made even more engaging thanks to the lyrical sound of the vocal lines performed by the band's choristers. To all this, the interesting "TRHEE SHIPS OF BERIK PART 1" is added, which re-proposes a sound if we want baroque style "Haggard," to be clear, accompanied by the beautiful melodies of the guitars, especially excellently by the growl voice, in my opinion an excellent arrangement with all the piece's outlook, then we continue with the enchanting "PART 2" of the song, a fantastic symphonic track that preludes the majestic "LEMURIA" where Therion show us they are one of the most exhilarating and shocking bands on the world music scene, excuse my thunderbolts, this song begins with a fascinating acoustic progression led by an incessant soprano voice that gradually makes us emerge in the lost world of "Lemuria," perhaps here Therion attempt to resurrect such a civilization with that sweet and impetuous sound that draws the soul of those who listen to it.

The music encloses in those harmonic and potent sounds of heavy metal, playing with rhythmic structures and an excellent alternation between the music created by various musicians and the voices that support such harmony. Then the magic continues with "THE DREAMS OF SWEDENBORD" that features a beautiful guitar solo and an excellent compositional structure; subsequently, the disc continues with a truly excellent vocal part of "AN ARROW FROM THE SUN," and here perhaps a real return to Therion's main sound. From here onwards, there will be a sort of closure of the album, in which a true and proper "postlude" is highlighted by the symphonic and ingenious "ABRAXAS" and "FEUER OVERTURE."

In short, guys, a must-have album. I hope you enjoyed my first review on Debaser and thank you all for your kind attention.