Author: Urban Bolta
Venue: Kino Šiška / Ljubljana / Slovenia
Concert date: 07.11.2010
Attendance: 500
Ticket price: 24€ (presale) / 27€ (day of the show)
Therion, one of the most majestic acts in the metal world today, are back on Ljubljana stages. With songs full of mighty melodies, operatic interludes and classical instruments laid over a heavy metal foundation, they’ve been a highly respected name in the music community for a good while now, one that long ago outgrew the confines of symphonic metal. What’s truly inspiring, though, is that the Swedes, led by creative genius, guitarist and band founder Christofer Johnsson, are still putting out excellent albums after a quarter century on the scene. This year’s record Sitra Ahra, which the band hit the road to present, is packed with the trademark elements of Therion’s music, from operatic moments to direct heavy metal guitar assaults. In short, Therion have delivered yet another album proving the band is still breathing with full lungs! Considering that Therion have a reputation as a must-see live attraction, we didn’t really need any extra reasons to climb aboard the cathedral of Kino Šiška that evening…
The first support act, Swedish progressive guys Loch Vostok, kicked things off at eight sharp. Because of the early start, which we giggoers aren’t used to, I sadly didn’t make it in time to catch them. After last year’s show got canceled, when Loch Vostok were supposed to warm up the Kranj crowd ahead of Helstar, they’ve slipped away from me for the second time now.
Next up were Leprous, a very interesting outfit from the land of fjords. They’re an example of what you get when you mix the progressive elements of Zero Hour with the melodic sensibility of Therion. The Norwegians make music without any set molds or frameworks, which brings a lot of dynamism to the stage, and among the crowd a lot of twists and a constant wondering what the next bars will bring. Leprous blend progressive rock with avant-garde outbursts, metal riffs and even a bit of melody, courtesy of vocalist Einar Solberg’s keyboard playing. The band comes across as very tight and reliable on stage, with the rhythm section standing out in particular. Thanks to its abundance of unusual rhythmic twists, it’s the main culprit behind the music’s twisted, mind-bending feel. Personally, the vocals were just too much for me to swallow; it would have been better if Leprous had focused on making instrumental music. In a set of a good half hour they presented last year’s album “Tall Poppy Syndrome” and were a pleasant surprise, even though, let’s be honest, their experimental stuff can be a very hard nut to crack for plenty of people.
Then came a leap into a whole different sphere, into the world of Therion’s grandeur! “Taped intro” kicked off the journey into the mysticism of Therion’s melodies, and the title track Sitra Ahra then launched the musicians onto the stage, with mighty vocal support leading the charge. The female lines were handled by Katarina Lilja and Lori Lewis, the male ones once again by Snowy Shaw and Thomas Vikstrom. This mini choir was the central figure on stage throughout the show, while the guitar section, with Christofer Johnsson at the helm, was left picking up mere crumbs at the edge of the stage. After Wine of Aluqah it was time for Typhon (“Lemuria”, 2004), which finally crystallized the roles of the two male vocalists. Snowy Shaw generally took the more aggressive, nastier vocal lines. As a former King Diamond and Mercyful Fate collaborator, playing the bad guy was of course no trouble for him, while Vikstrom tackled the cleaner lines, usually in slightly higher registers.
The set list held no big surprises. Johnsson, as the band’s boss, has lately been betting on the newer material, and the recent tours are built from songs from the album “Vovin” onward. It probably doesn’t need repeating that the death metal beginnings are long-forgotten history, and we’ll never hear them on stage again. In recent years Johnsson has also shaken off all vocal duties and hired professional vocalists, which has allowed Therion to take a new step in their development. The musicians were flawless on stage. The only thing that hurt the ears was the backing track with the Hammond organ, violins and other instruments that bring organic warmth to the Therion sound. Then again, with seven musicians on stage and a large support crew on tour, you have to realize the bread is already being sliced into a lot of pieces, so they saved a few coins that way… With songs from the last decade in the mix, the show flew by quickly toward the end. Fantastic renditions of the mysterious Lemuria and Abraxas were followed by an encore of two Therion standards, The Rise of Sodom and Gomorrah and the closing odyssey To Mega Therion.
Over the course of the show, the vocalists filled the huge stage of Kino Šiška really well and put on a proper theatrical performance, topped off by the unique vocal harmonies pouring out of their throats. The depth of Therion’s musical expression is bottomless, so it just sucks the listener in, and with flawless execution and great sound in the hall, exactly two hours of trance passed in the blink of an eye. The music of these masters of Swedish symphonic metal truly comes alive only live, which makes every one of their shows an unforgettable and highly recommended experience.
photos: Martin Prezelj
Setlist
1. Sitra Ahra 2. Wine of Aluqah 3. Typhon 4. The Perennial Sophia 5. Hellequin 6. Nifelheim 7. The Siren of the Woods 8. Voyage of Gurdjieff (The Fourth Way) 9. Ljusalfheim 10. Dies Irae 11. Ginnungagap 12. Kali Yuga, Part 3 13. Call of Dagon 14. Clavicula Nox 15. Enter Vril-Ya 16. The Blood of Kingu 17. Lemuria 18. Abraxas 19. Unguentum Sabbati ———– 20. The Rise of Sodom and Gomorrah 21. To Mega Therion
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