Therion: Lepaca Kliffoth (1995)

Don't ask.  I don't know what that title means.

There are a lot of metal bands that have incorporated symphonic elements into their sound.  Whether that be through the actual use of string instruments or synthesizers.  There is also a wide variety as to just how much that influence shows through into the band's sound.  There are few metal bands that have incorporated symphonic influence to the extent that Therion has.

Early on in their career, Therion were a fairly typical death metal band from Sweden.  They had the kind of sound one would expect when listening to a Swedish death metal band.  But it was on this album where the band basically abandoned their death metal roots and went for something completely new and different.  Sure, there is the occasional harsher riff and the much more gruff vocal style at times, but by and large this album went in a completely gothic and symphonic direction. 

The band uses some truly beautiful, melodic passages, such as in the breathtaking "The Beauty in Black".  That song features a male and female operatic singer for much of the verses of the song.  That is in stark contrast to the much heavier "Riders of Theli" that follows immediately afterward.  There is an overriding atmosphere of darkness and mystique, so that even the prettier moments still have a dangerous undercurrent.  It certainly helps that the primary vocal style of the lead singer is a harsh and angry bark.  I still think the band is at its best when it combines the aggressive riffs with the more melodic moments seemlessly than when they favor one over the other.  The best songs are able to incorporate both disparate sounds without sounding forced, for instance the highlight: "Black".

Therion experiments with a lot of Middle Eastern-sounding melodies throughout the album.  This is something that would become quite typical of their later albums.  The lyrical content too deals with Middle Eastern mythology and Jewish mysticism.  Very interesting stuff.

I have been aware of Therion for a long time, but I was somewhat disappointed with the album Gothic Kabbalah.  But recently I remembered checking out some of their earlier material so I decided to look into their history a bit more.  It was a good move because this album is terrific.  It takes some getting used to, but it is worth it.