Better Know A Band: Therion

[Mosquito]

And throw them in their own little sub-forum category thing, so they can remain until the fest.

I already have a solution in the works for this, but we're finishing the other 'Better Know A Band' series first before that.

 

[TheLongshot]

For me, "Secret Of The Runes" is the album to get. It is a masterpiece.

 

[Metal_Camden]

this is an awesome thread. Ill have to dulge into this as soon as i get time to really do it

Kudos!

 

[Purveyor Of Evil]

Wait, what about me? :|

Good point! My bad.

 

[Rider of Theli]

and here is their latest...

Kings of Edom (official Nuclear Blast link)

I hear touches of Vovin and Deggial placed throughout the song. hmmm... maybe some Lemuria/Sirius B, especially with the choral arrangements. But there is plenty of originality to keep the 'old' fans happy too.

.​

 

[lane_miller]

With Purveyor of Evil's help at Glenn's table and this thread, I have now bought 8 of their CDs and am sold that Therion is a great choice for next year. Thanks a lot gentlmen and fellow PP fans.

 

[Purveyor Of Evil]

With Purveyor of Evil's help at Glenn's table and this thread, I have now bought 8 of their CDs and am sold that Therion is a great choice for next year. Thanks a lot gentlmen and fellow PP fans.

Thank you for the kind words, Lane! I'd never steer you wrong my friend. Enjoy THERION!

 

[esa]

And yes, Theli is a must

Way back in the late 90s, a poster on Usenet (dare to date yourself) listed three proggy metal albums to measure against any giants of any genre. They were:

* Therion: Theli
* The Gathering: Mandylion
* Angra: Holy Land

I was sold on all three, and Theli remains one of the greatest mind-blowing first listens, ever. Can't wait.

 

[Purveyor Of Evil]

and here is their latest...

Kings of Edom (official Nuclear Blast link)

I hear touches of Vovin and Deggial placed throughout the song. hmmm... maybe some Lemuria/Sirius B, especially with the choral arrangements. But there is plenty of originality to keep the 'old' fans happy too.

.​

This song? One word. Genius.

 

[Pellaz]

Way back in the late 90s, a poster on Usenet (dare to date yourself) listed three proggy metal albums to measure against any giants of any genre. They were:

* Therion: Theli
* The Gathering: Mandylion
* Angra: Holy Land

I was sold on all three, and Theli remains one of the greatest mind-blowing first listens, ever. Can't wait.

Awesome....and that's three truly great albums listed, by any measure.

This song? One word. Genius.

Listening now...and I agree. They haven't missed a beat with this.

 

[See You In Hell]

Therion are one of the most amazing collaborations on this planet. When the announcement of Therion was made as headliners for PPXII my shouts of euphoria nearly cost me my voice. I saw them only once, back in 2005 I think, and the show was amazing. AMAZING! They played before a sparse audience but gave those in attendance a hell of a show. As has been previously stated in this thread -- and I recall talking to Cristofer after the show and he mentioned this -- the likelihood of Therion ever touring the States again is extraordinarily slim. Therion at PPXII will be an incredible and memorable event without question.

Due to a miraculous turn of travel-related events, if the stars continue to align properly, I will have the opportunity to see Therion in concert in Santiago, Chile next month. To say that I am excited at this opportunity would be a gross understatement. And to have Therion be my first international concert experience -- wow!

I want to also state that I think threads such as this are a brilliant idea and it is a very useful tool to acquaint people with a band. Kudos to your hard work! I'm not sure what more I can add -- and some great song choices have been posted already -- except I can say that my first encounter with Therion post-death metal days was the album "Secret of the Runes". Up until then I had NEVER heard anything like that. That album turned me onto an expression of music I had never even imagined existed. Immediately, I sought out all things Therion and now consider them to be easily in my top five favorite acts. Easily.

Where to start with this band is a tricky thing because each album offers the listener something unique. The ingredients are all there from album to album but how they are masterfully mixed from album to album is nothing short of genius. "Vovin", as has already been stated, is also the album I think I would have to recommend as a starting point. It has a little bit of everything from pure atmosphere to something much more aggressive. "Deggial" is also an album I find very accessible so that could be another stepping stone. Truth be told I think (perhaps with the exception of "Secret of the Runes" because it lacks an abundance of English lyrics as many listeners seem to prefer) the listener can start with just about any album because each is a unique listening experience and there is a lot of variety. Chances are, even if you don't like a given album as a whole, you will find a thing or two that you enjoy every much on it.

While I am by no means a lyrics person (with over 1000 CDs in my collection now memorizing lyrics is far too daunting a task) I make an exception for Therion. Why? Because these lyrics are about some really interesting and, in some cases, very abstract stuff. Many themes are touched on and I've scoured various sources to try to learn more about some of the topics being covered in the music: religion, mysticism, occultism, mythology, metaphysics, folklore, etc. Very interesting stuff indeed!

I'll throw in a couple of songs I personally like and apologize in advance if their inclusion proves redundant. I'll even toss in an Abba cover just because I think it's so damned awesome (and shows the band doesn't take themselves so seriously that they can't have some fun)!

Summernight City (the ABBA cover)
Album: "Secret of the Runes" (bonus track)



Siren of the Woods
Album: "Theli"



Raven of Dispersion
Album: "Vovin"



Schwarzalbenheim
Album: "Secret of the Runes"



Blood of Kingu
Album: "Sirius B"



Typhon
Album: "Lemuria"



Flesh of the Gods (featuring Hansi Kursch of Blind Guardian on vocals)
Album: "Deggial"



Hellequin
Album: "Sitra Ahra" (new album is now out in Europe)

 

[Pellaz]

Great post and some great song choices, too! With a long, extended set, there could be a chance of seeing "Siren of the Woods." :Spin:

"Typhon" and "Blood of Kingu" are two other awesome choices, too.

As for "Summernight City," that's one of the freakiest, and yet most awesome, videos I've ever favorited on YouTube.

 

[edgeofthorns]

I'm a big fan of Therion these days, but a few years back when they played PP, I wasn't. I basically started out with SirusB/Lemuria and then moved on from there. I must admit that Gothic Kaballa is my least favorite. Disc one is okay, but disc 2 is boring to me.

~Brian~

 

[PopLies]

So my only experience with Therion is from their newest album, Sitra Ahra, which I am digging.

Question: Which album should I get next?

 

[Mosquito]

So my only experience with Therion is from their newest album, Sitra Ahra, which I am digging.

Question: Which album should I get next?

Well, if you have not read my full post about it, do that first. However, if you have read through it and still unsure. I would go with Vovin. It's not my personal favourite but it is the one that I feel best represents Therion's current work.

 

[nomisofsiman]

So my only experience with Therion is from their newest album, Sitra Ahra, which I am digging.

Question: Which album should I get next?

I have yet to listen to the new one. Have the US version on preorder, so I dont' know what one it sounds most like. I'm surprised some people find Gothic Kabbalah to be their worst. Most people I know though, their starting point is Lemuria/Sirius B, so I'd go for that.

 

[KingsGene]

For those that prefer to DL legally, eMusic has all the Therion albums available. You can listen to 30 second samples of each tune.
http://www.emusic.com/artist/Therion-MP3-Download/10559028.html

 

[PopLies]

Well, if you have not read my full post about it, do that first. However, if you have read through it and still unsure. I would go with Vovin. It's not my personal favourite but it is the one that I feel best represents Therion's current work.

Didn't read it closely enough. Oops. Thanks.

 

[BenMech]

I have yet to listen to the new one. Have the US version on preorder, so I dont' know what one it sounds most like. I'm surprised some people find Gothic Kabbalah to be their worst. Most people I know though, their starting point is Lemuria/Sirius B, so I'd go for that.

No, most people start with Theli.

 

[ratanda]

No, most people start with Theli.

He said most people he knows

Unless you guys have mutual friends or something.