Location: Ljubljana / CUK Kino Šiška / Slovenia
Date: 04.03.2018
The legendary symphonic metal outfit Therion had been pretty much off the radar in recent years. When the 2012 album of covers of assorted chansons came out, it looked like Therion were doomed. The real ideas had run dry, and the band logically retreated into silence. After years of quiet, frontman Christofer Johnsson announced he’d been busy with a hugely ambitious project, a long-planned rock opera called Beloved Antichrist. The triple album saw the light of day not long ago, and Therion naturally headed out on a promo tour, which once again stopped in Slovenia.
The turnout made it clear that Therion are no longer in their golden days, when they’d sell out the odd show, and of course the touring lineup was bigger back then too. The long absence took its toll, and symphonic metal doesn’t enjoy the same reputation it did years ago. As a fun fact, in 2007 the now-famous Sabaton opened for Therion. Today Therion can be the support act for Sabaton, which says nothing about quality. This time around Therion again brought along young, promising bands that may not fit the genre context, but there’s always room for some new, interesting discovery.
The kickoff with English band The Devil wasn’t exactly promising. The masked outfit goes for fairly simple atmospheric music, using important historical speeches by assorted politicians instead of vocals. The Devil’s concept is interesting for about two songs, and then the whole thing gets pretty dry.
A better picture emerged with German alternative metallers Null Positiv, who stood out mainly thanks to their wild singer Eli Berlin, who could sing beautifully and scream just as well. Nothing new, mind you. With no melodic touches and simpler approaches, the band was a bit reminiscent of Ukraine’s Jinjer, only Null Positiv didn’t venture into any of the more demanding groovy sections. Still, Null Positiv are definitely worth catching for Berlin, who’s proof that Arch Enemy aren’t the only ones with a powerful female vocalist.
Stylistically, Russian outfit Imperial Age came closest to Therion. They weren’t reinventing the wheel, but the Russians confidently delivered songs that, instrumentally, even recalled some renowned Dutch band. With songs that were also fast and punchy, Imperial Age made it clear they weren’t into embellishments. There was less flirting with saccharine rock and more power metal. Maybe there were no standout moments, but as a warm-up they were more than decent. On top of that, the male half of the crowd got to give their eyes a proper rest on the two vocalists.
Therion have a rich discography behind them. They used to play for 3 hours and still not run out of material. The years have taken their toll, so it all had to be trimmed down into a sensible best of set with the new stuff mixed in. The new album Beloved Antichrist runs a full three hours, and Therion naturally played a few new songs, though given the size of the album there weren’t actually that many. The reaction was solid, but people were more eagerly waiting for the songs the band is known for. That is, from the era of Theli through Gothic Kabbalah. The golden age of Therion is already over, which was visible in the scaled-down lineup too. The pompous keyboards and all the orchestrations were pre-recorded, which cost the show some authenticity. Male vocals were handled by just one singer, longtime member Thomas Vikström, with Linnéa Vikström and Chiara Malvestiti on female vocals. So, a smaller vocal lineup, but it didn’t falter, especially the two women, who were superbly in sync.
Christofer Johnsson definitely deserves credit: after serious back problems he wrote a triple album, and he still lasts more than an hour and a half on stage. He always has a good supporting crew behind him, though you can tell the Niemann brothers, who left a solid mark on Therion, are no longer in the band. Current guitarist Christian Vidal is well-schooled, but it seemed like he was more into posing. Therion played their set properly; besides the new material, quite a few well-known songs got an airing, such as: Ginnungagap, Wine of Aluqah, the Rise of Sodom and Gommorah, Lemuria and the eternal To Mega Therion. Johnsson, who seemed reserved at first, loosened up nicely by the end, and before the finish Johansson also explained why they weren’t selling shirts. All in all, Therion put on a thoroughly decent show and made a promising comeback.
The golden age of Therion is over, but that doesn’t mean the band should be written off. With a more than solid show at Kino Šiška, Therion announced a new era and, at the same time, hope for the future.
by: Primož Novak
photos: Sebastijan Videc
