Therion
Lemuria

THE REVIEW

Therion, they are an amazing band, and even stones know that. Anyone who loves them does so totally and completely, without any doubt whatsoever; those who listen to them, perhaps only distractedly, can only acknowledge the enormous compositional virtue of one of the most original bands of all time and of any genre one might examine.

That they are also "volcanoes," in terms of long and intricate compositions, is also known, but never imagining they could ever publish, not to mention two albums in a year, which in itself would have been a titanic feat, given the content, but even together, is truly incredible, and this, also in light of the fact that both "Lemuria" and "Sirius B" are two works truly unrepeatable in terms of sublime composition and excellent quality. If then we also consider that the two albums leave nothing to chance, but are masterfully composed, magnificently arranged, deep, interesting, and fascinating in the lyrics, meticulously detailed in terms of artwork (to tell the truth I have never seen such beautiful and varied CD booklets), and especially that they employ an orchestra like the full Prague Philharmonic, then, this alone would be enough to make the reader understand that, undoubtedly, we are facing two masterpieces in the "pure" sense of the term, without having to be ashamed to say it and without any other hesitation.

"Lemuria," the CD with the blue cover, let's put it that way, is the first part of this enormous and mastodontic "suite", let's call it that. It contains all the salient features of Therion to which Therion have accustomed us, with the addition of an enormous and abysmal leap in quality compared to previous works, since all the songs have not been recorded by then "effecting" them with electronic mechanisms, but everything you hear is the work of a circle of musicians who for the occasion (and also thanks to the means provided by the record label) are more than 110. The tracks of "Lemuria" are passionate and inspired even in the tiniest details, adding to everything said so far, a massive dose of Heavy Metal composed "by the book" and performed even better.

Examples? "Typhon" which, with its nods to a certain refined and decadent gothicism, features a growl that is intense and fierce narrating the salient parts of this dynamic (and beautiful) song. But it's not only the first track that leaves you speechless: "Uthark Runa" with its mysterious and overflowing lyrics, and then, and then, the two parts of "Three Ships of Berik" which, in their majestic and martial progression, mix dynamism and orchestral parts of arcane military marches of the Ostrogothic armies. The two pieces, in themselves, narrate the deeds of Berik, a legendary Gothic general who descended from the cold pagan Scandinavian lands towards the Roman Empire at the time, already Christian, to conquer it. And if you close your eyes, you really can imagine the great barbaric horde with their ships, men ready for war, battle cries, screams and songs of triumph, the heroic deeds of a warrior people who, since its birth, have conquered lands and Empires, have hegemonized half of Europe and perhaps even some part of America (historians in this regard disagree). Incredible.

Incredible is the crucible of emotions and delightful and fantastic sensations that Therion manage to convey in these two songs. Then, in continuation, other stories, like those of "Lemuria," the magical and mysterious continent that inspired the band for the other pillar of this album, which begins with acoustic chords torn from a sad and "bohemian" structure, to fall into certain liquid, dark and magnificent universes, "The Dreams of Swedenborg," in classic "Therion" style, with that very particular sound of the guitars halfway between the powerful and scratched, and the melancholic and decadent. I will not go on any longer. As with the best works, the best books, for all the most beautiful things, it is necessary for everyone to discover for themselves, gradually, what are the points that most touch their own sensitivity.

I just listed and tried to describe mine, perhaps being verbose, I don't know, but how can one not pour rivers of ink for such jewels, each more beautiful than the other?