I have been waiting for this kind of music since my childhood and finally Therion (and Haggard and Rage with Lingua Mortis) delivered it in the early/mid-90s. Theli was my first contact with Therion.
Just want to echo your words. I truly believe that CJ is an icon and a legend. One hell of a composer and btw I do think he was a good singer, kind of miss him singing.
Therion at their best they had roughly four lead singers. Though not all of them performed on every single song. And some of them perform solo depending on again the song.
My Gosh, finally! Therion has found its way to the channel! Not the live version from "Miskolc Experience", yet, but, still... Doug, pick any of that band's songs, specially some from that live album mentioned above (where they play together with an orchestra and choir), specially "The Rise of Sodom and Gomorrah" or "Schwarzalbenheim"... you won't regret! And, yes, for most (kinda 95%) of their songs, ther's no lead singer, it's a choir or duos or couples of males and females singing... it's such a great band, I'm so happy to see them here after so many times suggesting their name! Let the Mega Therion rise!
The albums Vovin, Deggial and Secret of the Runes are all primarily choir vocals and orchestras (some songs have classical soloists, too). Later albums have a mix of rock/metal vocals and choir, and more metal with less orchestral "Schwartzalbenheim" would be a good sing to look at, also "Adulruna Redeviva" "Rise of Sodom and Gamorrah"
Therion are a phenomenal band and have had many personnel changes over the years. Different configurations of the band. A great line up for them was on the Live Gothic DVD, which you can watch on RUclips. They have 4 lead singers. 2 male and 2 female and it is just fantastic. another, more recent band you might want to check out is Heilung. German for 'healing'. They are a band made up of Scandinavian and German players. Viking style chant and throat singing with this one female singer who has an amazing, angelic voice. Very ancient, Northern European tribal folk music. A great song to watch and react to is "In Maidjan" live from the "Lifa" concert. I promise you, you will be amazed.
Hi Doug, you should also check out Secret Of The Runes album by Therion. Each piece is about one world in Norse mythology. It is also sung in diferent languages and has very interesting choirs and arrangements. Cheers!
More precisely, each song depicts various spheres ("worlds") of Norse mythology, so it is like a huge tone poem, based on myth like Ginnungagap (hope I spelled right...), and what springs from it.
Fuck yeah! At last!! Therion is in the house!!! Grandpapas of symphonic metal! I'm suggesting this band to several reactors for at least one year!!! Hope this is just the first oneI strongly recommend the live perfomance with a full orchestra named "The Miskolc Experience". Cheers!
OH YES THERION! i love 'em! Therion is always changing their vocalists and musicians i'd recommend Schwarzalbenheim or any song from the "Secret of the Runes" album :D ty for the video!! \m/
They did a crossover thrash kind of thing before their death metal era, but they really starting finding their stride building off a foundation of Celtic Frost - with weird, slow, doomy songs with oriental folk sounds and choirs and the works - a few albums into their career, and really never looked back from there. It's kind of fascinating to listen to those crude early punk/thrash demos and wonder how they got from there to symphonic metal to strange, symphonic covers of '60s French pop songs over time.... I'm not familiar with Before / Believer but I think Therion would be the first to admit that they were copying Celtic Frost's 'To Mega Therion' (1985) and 'Into the Pandaemonium' (1987), and Celtic Frost would be the first to admit that they were building on a foundation of avant-garde rock experiments from earlier decades still, only pushing things that the Moody Blues or the Beatles or earlier rock acts were experimenting with earlier on, into new post-hardcore extremes. I think Manowar also mixed choirs and the odd classical instrument into a couple of their songs through the '80s as well, completely independently of Celtic Frost (if there's any connection between the two bands, I don't think I've heard of it before, so I'm thinking it was an experiment whose time had come by the mid '80s, and metal bands were ready to take that next step!) I am curious now about Before / Believer, though, as I've never heard of them before!
Wow, thanks! Take any song from "Theli" or "Vovin" and see what you have to say about this band - the music, the vocals, the works... Speaking of "Carmina Burana", Therion made "O Fortuna" on this very album. Totally eargasmic!
I really enjoy this kind of reaction because we can see the excellence a few bands like Therion reached playng heavy-metal music. You just can imagine how this kind of band was worshiped by metal fans around the world playn this stuff? Its just not the usual people you could think that hear just noises and some other kind of bullshit. Its real music. And real music comunicate real things.
For me, beeing a Swede and also that old that i have grown upp with Therions music from the very beginning i am glad that you have found them, Therions music has evolved very much through the years but still remain their core in style, wich is what you just listened to, and yes they have a lead singer, and singers, and guest artist .. Therion offers a great deal as a band and their music is truely something else,
Finaly! I'm so happy to see you react to a Therion song and this was a good choise. Yes, they have main singers, usually at least one male and one female, often two of each. One of the most famous female one is the American Lori Lewis. Nowdays Thomas Wikström is the main male singer. Check those out. I also recommend you to check out songs as 'Clavicula Nox', 'Rise of Sodom and Gomorra', 'Raven Of Dispersion', 'Birth Of Venus Illegitima', 'Ginnungagap', 'Lemuria' and 'Sirens of the woods'. Therion have also done some live recordings with full orchestra and choir.
THANK YOU! Therion is up there with the absolute BEST of composition in modern music and don't get the praise they deserve outside of a really more underground fanbase. I would like to shift your attention to two other bands, about whom one can say the same. Seeing that you liked this (Therion yay!), I really recommend the band HAGGARD with their title "Eppur Si Muove" (Album version, the live recordings are terrible!) Its a song about Galileo Galilei, they use a baroque chamber orchestra and sing in English, German and Italian using Growls, Clears and Classical Voices, solo and choir. I'd also really like to have you opinion on the compositions of SHYLMAGOGHNAR , a dutch Progressive MeloDeath project who use classical theme and chord progession to make absolut wonderful haunting pieces. A good one would be "Transience".
Finally! I've been waiting for Doug to discover Therion. The best Symphonic Metal band in the world, followed closely by Nightwish. Other bands don't come even close to the grandeur and masterful sound of Therion.
Therion is one of my favorite bands ever! Their albums Secret of the Runes, Vovin and Gothic Kabbala are one of my favorites. They've magestic progressed from their first album that was death metal to their most recent ones that are most operatic. They are just amazing. I'd recommend for you to watch their 2007 concert, it's one of their best alignments IMO
Oh I loved ur reaction to Therion! I'm happy to see how my favourite bands become rediscovered, and it's especially dear to me that your journey here started from the same composition as mine did many years ago. Via Nocturna hooked me on the first listening in like 2005 and I've been always awed by Therion since then.
I love that you did a reaction video on Therion, partially being a swede myself. I am intrigued by the mythology in their songs, and they switch language from time to time between english, swedish, german and spanish, very cool. To be a pain in the unmentionable, I'd love to see a reaction video of Focus - Hocus Pocus live '73. :)
In the next album Lemuria they had over 140 singers. The band is fairly rotating and every album is quite different in concept and execution. There are various lead singers over the albums. Not necessarily my favourite but Thomas Vikstrom is their current lead and he is very impressive.
Therion are great, a good live band too. They do have lead vocalists but it changes depending on when in their career and which song. You can’t go wrong with any song off Sitra Ahra, Gothic Kabbala or Levithan their latest. As an interesting extended listen you could try Beloved Antichrist which is Christopher’s own Opera essentially. It met with mixed reviews as some people were expecting something different and it is what it says on the tin, a metal opera over two discs. I enjoy it for what it is when I fancy listening to it but it is best heard in one sitting. I believe their are 32 different characters all played by different vocalists.
you should listen to a german band called Haggard, they have a whole orchestra, sopranos etc. perfect mix of classical and metal. and they sing in a bunch of languages, like italian, german, english spanish, even latin.
Therion is an awesome band. The first song I heard was To Mega Therion. It blew me away. If you're looking for Halloween songs, you might check out: - Kind Diamond - Sleeples Nights (live), a quite unusual voice - Alice Cooper - Steven - Helloween - Halloween (has already been mentioned) For other classical inspired metal songs, I recommend - Rhapsody of Fire - The Kiss of Life - Turilli / Lione Rhapsody - Arcanum (A band related to Rhapsody of Fire. It's complicated.) - Haggard - In a Pale Moon's Shadow - Saviour Machine - American Babylon - Helloween - The Keeper's Trilogy - Trans Siberian Orchestra - O Fortuna (or the Beethoven's last Night album, a Faust like concept album about Beethoven's last night. The song Mephistopheles is simply awesome.)
As a Finnish person I'm loath to say it, but the Swedes really make the best metal music in the world! Doug, it's time to react to Dark Tranquillity! Not sure which song to recommend as there's so many to choose from. It's another band that has kept to their roots, but always making a little changes to sound a little different in each album. But you always instantly recognize their style.
Dark Tranquility - I used to really like them 20 years ago in high school and they always felt like one of those bands that I should've been super into but it slipped by. I'm gonna load my phone up with their discography to listen to at work.
Doug, that "relation" with Mendellson's song, be sure it is not by chance... Christopher Johnson is fascinated by classical compositions, I am tottaly sure that he knows about that song that you've mentioned, and that could have been some inspiration to the themes on this song!
This is one of their best songs, awsome review. As many others have done, I reccomend the song Schwarzalbenheim from the album Secret of the Runes or any song from that album or Clavicula Nox, another great track.
Therion my favourite band of all time, with big discography and so many beautiful songs. I can't choose the best album because i love them all 😜. Every one different from the other but has it own magic. Eternal respect to Christoffer Johnson and Therion band. I can't wait the new one album in 2022 the second of leviathan trilogy. Very good reaction and please do more, you will love them, they are unique and have big history.
I had no idea Leviathan was a trilogy. I'd be super psyched if the Niemann brothers rejoined the band, the new incarnation seems more poppy and Vidal is under utilized as a shredder.
Yes Leviathan album is trilogy, next release 2022 and the third 2023. I like this album very much but indeed i missed the big solos of the past, Nieman brothers are fantastic and i love that era with them.
A big shout-out for bringing "Die Erste Walpurgisnacht" into the discussion! The (musical) culture, at least the Rock-Metal part of it, really goes full circle nowadays, drinking deep from the Classical fountain, so to speak. :) And they lean on same, or similar, historic/ethnic/cultural tropes for inspiration - you ought to only listen to EPICA's "Once Upon a Nightmare" (a beautiful, moving song in its own right), to find another example of Classicist-Romantic inspiration... I will not spoil it all, just a hint - Schubert wrote ein Lied on that same topic. ;) On the matter of lead singers, in most albums THERION have 3 to 4 leads that they mix and match effectively. But actually the "Deggial" album remains in my memory as almost entirely choral... could it be? - Need to pull it off the shelf and re-listen now! Btw, is one of your correspondents named Gourdjieff? (Tough to pronounce, thus not sure!) If so, that guy is just as deep into THERION as the one who uses their moniker. Since the G-guy is also a character in at least one of THERION's albums. :)
Therion is the Rush/YES et. al. of progressive symphonic metal. One of the pioneers. Odd that nobody has proved to be superior. Greatest musical act our species has produced.
My favorite. Vovin is the best Therion cd. They really are the band that invented symphonic metal. The Rise Of Sodom and Gomorrah is by far their best song. I just love this band, named my cat Therion
Thanks! Therion have been my favourite band ever since I discovered them in 2000. Now, they're not called Amorphis (another of my favourite bands), but they kinda are amorphous. At the time of Deggial, Vovin before that and Secret of the Runes afterwards, they did not have a lead singer. Later they got one (Mats Levén, then Snowy Shaw, now Thomas Vikström). As for not being able to understand the lyrics: You mentioned the mix. That's one part. But the Swedish band singing in English actually hired a German Choir (North German Radio Choir) to sing on that album, so that got in the way as well. And frankly, a choir singing in that style is always hard to understand. I have trouble understanding German lyrics if they're sung like that. Or German opera. Anyway, your facial reactions are priceless. I had a lot of fun with this video. So again, thanks. - Mikrotherion
Via Nocturna undoubtedly is a masterpiece, as well as many others. You should to check out for example "The Khlysti Evangelist", "An Arrow From The Sun", "Mon Amour, Mon Ami", "Ten Courts Of Diyu"
Great review! Great band! I can totally relate to your expressions when hearing first. Give a try to "Adulruna Rediviva" to get some symphonic and prog !
Therion!!!. At last. Thanks Doug. I only found these guys a few months ago. Can't get enough of them. A lot of Symphonic Metal is ruined by growling vocals, These guys very rarely do this. I enjoyed Vovin, Sitra Ahra, and Gothic Kabbalah.
For me it is amazing and fascinating how art can touch an erudite person like Doug, similarly i guess to the way it moved me in my teens, and its a pleasure to see him describing the composition in technical terms and how it is original, surprising, etc. Im 34 yo, and know therion for approximately 20 years, deggial was the second album i listened, first one was secrets of the runes, and definitely my favorite.
Yes, they do use lead singers on some of their other albums including Lemuria, Sirius B, and Gothic Kabbalah. If you like Therion also check out Dol Ammad - Star Tales.
So many GREAT Therion songs. This one is one of my favorites. The Beauty in Black is my favorite. When I was in college in the mid to late 90's, I'm the same age as you, I made a mix tape of Therion songs for the University Choir professor. Christofer Johnsnon was the original death metal vocalist before focusing on guitars and the choir doing the vocals.
Glad to see Therion on the channel! The Live Gothic is, in my humble opinion, their best album. You should definetely check tunes like Schwarzalbenheim, The Perennial Sophia, Sons of the staves of time
I agree, one of my favorite live albums! Very interesting too since the choir is condensed to 4 vocalists that are very different and really complement each others. Plus the band plays really well together, which is always tricky since therion's music can vary so much in between albums, especially with so much orchestral music!
Lol, odd, but refreshing, and there was so much more refreshing metal being produced in the mid 90s in Europe. Excited to hear you'll be putting your teeth in The Gathering as well. Same era, 'same genre', yet quite different, and much evolving, and improving, afterwards. Enjoy any further exploration of the origins of symphonic/goth metal! #mandylion #nighttimebirds #howtomeasureaplanet #ifthenelse
@@trokoshea1 Good ole rockers never die. The Gathering just happened to have released their first song of a new upcoming album. :^) They've come a long way from doom metal 'Always' to their present day atmospheric trip rock.
@@grungegrumpy3585 without Anneke?? Hear about it for the first time.... No.. Old The Gathering with Anneke is awesome, but it is not comparable with Therion, though other genres....
There's a definite Carmina Burana vibe to this. Extended listen: Uriah Heep 'Salisbury' from the album of the same name. Early symphonic metal, IMO. Ken Hensley, keyboardist and composer, was the Tuomas Holopainen of his day. David Byron, vocalist, one of the unsung greats. All the musicians were great. I saw this band live several times and love them to shreds. And please do Steve Hackett performing "Cinema Show". From an old Genesis fan, what a show! Steve Hackett - Cinema Show~Aisle of Plenty (THE TOTAL EXPERIENCE LIVE IN LIVERPOOL) or Steve Hackett's "Firth of Fifth" with orchestra. ruclips.net/video/RCnzDy2tSk0/видео.html Then there's Peter Gabriel as a solo artist, "Red Rain (Growing Up Live)" ruclips.net/video/jPQ8S0rVjs0/видео.html moves me to tears.
Nice, Therion! You really need to give Epica a few more listens as well, Design Your Universe Live Retrospect should cater well to your love for orchestra and choir!
I've heard a lot of Therion, but not this album. I really liked this track. Interestingly from the piano break onwards it reminded me alot of Ozzy's Revelation (Mother Earth).
I'm really glad to see you tackle Therion! Fits probably best to you of all reactors (though I do wish more people would check them out). The material on "Theli" from '97 has more traditional metal approach, at least to a degree, but some very interesting songs and the albums following "Deggial" took less choir-oriented approach again. Looking forward to more reactions! Recommendations: The Siren of the Woods, anything from "The Secret of the Runes", Perennial Sophia or Summernight City (Abba cover!).
Hey Dough, did you realize that Christopher Johnson (Therion’s mastermind) shared your reaction video on Facebook? Congrats on that! There are a couple of titles wonderful and exiting song worth to react to: Alduruna Rediviva and Land of Canaan. Give them a try please!
I am really delighted to see that there's Therion on your channel. What is more, with one of my favourites. Another Therion recomenndations to consider: - Any song from Secret of the Runes (I'd highlight Ginnungagap, Asgard, Secret of the Runes, Schwarzalbenheim and Nifelheim) - Adulruna Rediviva - The rise of Sodom and Gomorrah - The siren of the woods
Nice, another one that i did not have any idea existed and this band has really a one of a kind style. Well, Since you are in European mode, it is about time to react to some Eloy. Will ya?
@@petersteenjensen1362 Yep, all these europeans bands Doug has been reacting to are good but none of them are, in my humble opinion, as iconic as Eloy.
Please do another video for Therion: The Wondrous World of Punt (from the album Sirius B released as the twin albums Lemuria/ Sirius B). It is a wonderful treat and you can tell there was more budget that was readily available for these releases (Lemuria/ Sirius B) as opposed to Deggial. I appreciate your breaking down of the instruments as well as movements! Call me officially subscribed for your channel. ☺
Now That finally Therion has arribes here in Doug's channel, I think The song "Adulruna Rediviva" deserves his analisis. Thanks You Doug for to make one Therion. Greetings from Colombia.
Therion..One of the biggest bands who actually gave birth to a new genre in music.Iconic.Eternal Respect!
I have been waiting for this kind of music since my childhood and finally Therion (and Haggard and Rage with Lingua Mortis) delivered it in the early/mid-90s. Theli was my first contact with Therion.
Just want to echo your words. I truly believe that CJ is an icon and a legend. One hell of a composer and btw I do think he was a good singer, kind of miss him singing.
Yes, Therion was my first symphonic metal experience just after I started imagining such music in my head!
Therion at their best they had roughly four lead singers. Though not all of them performed on every single song. And some of them perform solo depending on again the song.
@@metalinside4092 Yes! Same. He should react to the whole Theli album, it's a masterpiece from beginning to very end
Yessss. More Therion please! Clavicula Nox would be nice.
Agree
I would prefer Wine of Aluqah or Raven of Dispersion.
The rise of Sodom and Gomorrah, well all Vovin Album!!
YES, wanna see Raven of Dispersion
Yes.
Therion are so underrated it hurts.
Their discography is full of weird and unique pieces, short and long. Very unique band! And my favourite
You are right about "Carmina Burana". The last song of this album is the cover of "O Fortuna".
My Gosh, finally! Therion has found its way to the channel! Not the live version from "Miskolc Experience", yet, but, still... Doug, pick any of that band's songs, specially some from that live album mentioned above (where they play together with an orchestra and choir), specially "The Rise of Sodom and Gomorrah" or "Schwarzalbenheim"... you won't regret! And, yes, for most (kinda 95%) of their songs, ther's no lead singer, it's a choir or duos or couples of males and females singing... it's such a great band, I'm so happy to see them here after so many times suggesting their name! Let the Mega Therion rise!
If Miskolc had a good sound engineer that disc would blast it, but not hahaha anyway is a good experience.
Choir on "Deggial" - no solo vocalist!
Eileen Küpper - soprano (choir, solo)
Angelica Märtz - soprano (choir)
Dorothea Fischer - alto (choir)
Anne Tributh - alto (choir)
Georg Hansen - tenor (choir, solo)
Miguel Rosales - tenor (choir)
Jörg Braüker - bass (choir, solo)
Javier Zapater - bass (choir)
vocals over the time in Therion:
Thomas Vikström - lead vocals (2007-present)
Lori Lewis - vocals (2007-present)
Ann-Sofie - vocals (1996)
Jan - vocals (1996)
Piotr Wawrzeniuk - vocals (1997)
Cinthia Acosta Vera - vocals (1998)
Martina Astner - vocals (1998-1999)
Risto Hämäläinen - vocals (2000-2006)
Petra Aho - vocals (2001)
Johanna Mårlöv - vocals (2001, 2004-2006; died 2013)
Jari-Petri Heino - vocals (2001, 2004-2006)
Anders Engberg - vocals (2001)
Maria Ottoson - vocals (2001)
Suvi Virtanen - vocals (2001, 2004-2006)
Mats Levén - vocals, guitars (2004-2007, May 2019)
Karin Fjellander - vocals (2004-2006)
Snowy Shaw - vocals (2006-2010, 2010-2012, 2013)
Katarina Lilja - vocals (2006-2007, 2008-2011)
Thomas Vikström - guitars (2007-2009), vocals (2007-2009)
Piotr Wawrzeniuk - vocals (2007)
Messiah Marcolin - vocals (2007)
Linnéa Vikström - vocals (2010-2018)
Therese Person - vocals (2011)
Sandra Laureano - vocals (2014)
Isa García Navas - vocals (2015, 2019)
Emmie Asplund - vocals (2015-2018 as stand-in)
source: Wikipedia!
The albums Vovin, Deggial and Secret of the Runes are all primarily choir vocals and orchestras (some songs have classical soloists, too). Later albums have a mix of rock/metal vocals and choir, and more metal with less orchestral
"Schwartzalbenheim" would be a good sing to look at, also
"Adulruna Redeviva"
"Rise of Sodom and Gamorrah"
Originally, spankin' melodic death metal. (Beyond Sanctorum ❤️)
If you another insane track from Therion, you can try Land of Canaan. it would also leaves you speechless.
Agree!
One of their best for sure! A truly entertaining listen, especially for the first time.
The siren of the woods is great too. And Sirius B ;-) The lyrics will blow him away
Land of Canaan is a great example of Therion's musical skills.
Land of Canaan would be amazing indeed!
Therion are a phenomenal band and have had many personnel changes over the years. Different configurations of the band. A great line up for them was on the Live Gothic DVD, which you can watch on RUclips. They have 4 lead singers. 2 male and 2 female and it is just fantastic. another, more recent band you might want to check out is Heilung. German for 'healing'. They are a band made up of Scandinavian and German players. Viking style chant and throat singing with this one female singer who has an amazing, angelic voice. Very ancient, Northern European tribal folk music. A great song to watch and react to is "In Maidjan" live from the "Lifa" concert. I promise you, you will be amazed.
Hi Doug, you should also check out Secret Of The Runes album by Therion. Each piece is about one world in Norse mythology. It is also sung in diferent languages and has very interesting choirs and arrangements.
Cheers!
More precisely, each song depicts various spheres ("worlds") of Norse mythology, so it is like a huge tone poem, based on myth like Ginnungagap (hope I spelled right...), and what springs from it.
THERION, WHAT A BAND! You have a lot to analyze with Therion, every song is worth listen! So keep going...
Eternal respect for these legends!
Therion Clavicula Nox is a must! Surprised you haven’t listen to way more. Best band ever!!!
Fuck yeah! At last!! Therion is in the house!!! Grandpapas of symphonic metal! I'm suggesting this band to several reactors for at least one year!!! Hope this is just the first oneI strongly recommend the live perfomance with a full orchestra named "The Miskolc Experience". Cheers!
Therion is one of the best (the best) symphonic metal band ever!!!
OH YES THERION! i love 'em!
Therion is always changing their vocalists and musicians
i'd recommend Schwarzalbenheim or any song from the "Secret of the Runes" album :D ty for the video!! \m/
Can you believe that Therion was a death metal band in the first era? 😉 Theli, Vovin and many other great albums from this great bsnd!
Yeah! I knew them first by their death metal sound in The mid 90s
I love all their eras, amazing band.
I’m big fan of Therion but Before / Believer on the Album Dimensions 1993 was doing symphony Metal with Opera and chorus
They did a crossover thrash kind of thing before their death metal era, but they really starting finding their stride building off a foundation of Celtic Frost - with weird, slow, doomy songs with oriental folk sounds and choirs and the works - a few albums into their career, and really never looked back from there. It's kind of fascinating to listen to those crude early punk/thrash demos and wonder how they got from there to symphonic metal to strange, symphonic covers of '60s French pop songs over time....
I'm not familiar with Before / Believer but I think Therion would be the first to admit that they were copying Celtic Frost's 'To Mega Therion' (1985) and 'Into the Pandaemonium' (1987), and Celtic Frost would be the first to admit that they were building on a foundation of avant-garde rock experiments from earlier decades still, only pushing things that the Moody Blues or the Beatles or earlier rock acts were experimenting with earlier on, into new post-hardcore extremes. I think Manowar also mixed choirs and the odd classical instrument into a couple of their songs through the '80s as well, completely independently of Celtic Frost (if there's any connection between the two bands, I don't think I've heard of it before, so I'm thinking it was an experiment whose time had come by the mid '80s, and metal bands were ready to take that next step!) I am curious now about Before / Believer, though, as I've never heard of them before!
Wow, thanks!
Take any song from "Theli" or "Vovin" and see what you have to say about this band - the music, the vocals, the works...
Speaking of "Carmina Burana", Therion made "O Fortuna" on this very album.
Totally eargasmic!
Theli is recommended !!!!
Therion is in my top 3 fav bands of all time. I've listen to them since 1997, they're still awesome!
I can see Doug reacting to O Fortuna, from Therion. That must be right of his alley
Awesome band, you´ll love the album VOVIN, and also Secret of The Runes.
Oh my, this takes me back to my 20's! So glad You enjoyed it. Thank you for this upload since Therion never got the recognition they deserved.
What a surprise!! Therions is the grandfather of all symphonic metal and they are beyond great.
I really enjoy this kind of reaction because we can see the excellence a few bands like Therion reached playng heavy-metal music. You just can imagine how this kind of band was worshiped by metal fans around the world playn this stuff? Its just not the usual people you could think that hear just noises and some other kind of bullshit. Its real music. And real music comunicate real things.
For me, beeing a Swede and also that old that i have grown upp with Therions music from the very beginning i am glad that you have found them,
Therions music has evolved very much through the years but still remain their core in style, wich is what you just listened to, and yes they have a lead singer, and singers, and guest artist .. Therion offers a great deal as a band and their music is truely something else,
Finaly! I'm so happy to see you react to a Therion song and this was a good choise.
Yes, they have main singers, usually at least one male and one female, often two of each. One of the most famous female one is the American Lori Lewis. Nowdays Thomas Wikström is the main male singer. Check those out.
I also recommend you to check out songs as 'Clavicula Nox', 'Rise of Sodom and Gomorra', 'Raven Of Dispersion', 'Birth Of Venus Illegitima', 'Ginnungagap', 'Lemuria' and 'Sirens of the woods'.
Therion have also done some live recordings with full orchestra and choir.
THANK YOU! Therion is up there with the absolute BEST of composition in modern music and don't get the praise they deserve outside of a really more underground fanbase.
I would like to shift your attention to two other bands, about whom one can say the same.
Seeing that you liked this (Therion yay!), I really recommend the band HAGGARD with their title "Eppur Si Muove" (Album version, the live recordings are terrible!) Its a song about Galileo Galilei, they use a baroque chamber orchestra and sing in English, German and Italian using Growls, Clears and Classical Voices, solo and choir.
I'd also really like to have you opinion on the compositions of SHYLMAGOGHNAR , a dutch Progressive MeloDeath project who use classical theme and chord progession to make absolut wonderful haunting pieces. A good one would be "Transience".
Siren of the woods is one of the best song, really a must, full of emotions
Finally! I've been waiting for Doug to discover Therion. The best Symphonic Metal band in the world, followed closely by Nightwish. Other bands don't come even close to the grandeur and masterful sound of Therion.
Septicflesh, Haggard, fleshgoog apocalypse?
Therion is one of my favorite bands ever! Their albums Secret of the Runes, Vovin and Gothic Kabbala are one of my favorites. They've magestic progressed from their first album that was death metal to their most recent ones that are most operatic. They are just amazing. I'd recommend for you to watch their 2007 concert, it's one of their best alignments IMO
One of the very awesome bands that has survived all my musical progression through the years. They've always been there for me. Love that band.
THERION!!!! Im glad you did them finally. Thank you!
Oh I loved ur reaction to Therion! I'm happy to see how my favourite bands become rediscovered, and it's especially dear to me that your journey here started from the same composition as mine did many years ago. Via Nocturna hooked me on the first listening in like 2005 and I've been always awed by Therion since then.
I love that you did a reaction video on Therion, partially being a swede myself. I am intrigued by the mythology in their songs, and they switch language from time to time between english, swedish, german and spanish, very cool. To be a pain in the unmentionable, I'd love to see a reaction video of Focus - Hocus Pocus live '73. :)
Yes please, Hocus Focus Pocus, it's totally weird! haha
Yes!! Therion is such an amazing band!! The perfect mix of metal and classical music!
Wow, Therion ! Amazing band !
That album is a master piece... Can we have more Therion?
In the next album Lemuria they had over 140 singers. The band is fairly rotating and every album is quite different in concept and execution. There are various lead singers over the albums. Not necessarily my favourite but Thomas Vikstrom is their current lead and he is very impressive.
Therion are great, a good live band too. They do have lead vocalists but it changes depending on when in their career and which song. You can’t go wrong with any song off Sitra Ahra, Gothic Kabbala or Levithan their latest. As an interesting extended listen you could try Beloved Antichrist which is Christopher’s own Opera essentially. It met with mixed reviews as some people were expecting something different and it is what it says on the tin, a metal opera over two discs. I enjoy it for what it is when I fancy listening to it but it is best heard in one sitting. I believe their are 32 different characters all played by different vocalists.
3 discs. It's 3 1/2 hours long.
Yes, Therion does have a lead singer, changing over time. Fantastic band with hopefully more to come from them on this channel.
"I am using their studio recording" - EXTREMELY UNDERRATED POSITION FOR A REACTION RUclipsR.
Thanks for the review! I did not hear that for 10+ years! Now I know what will be tuned at my office on monday !
you should listen to a german band called Haggard, they have a whole orchestra, sopranos etc. perfect mix of classical and metal. and they sing in a bunch of languages, like italian, german, english spanish, even latin.
therion: Midgård, Adulruna Rediviva, The Rise of Sodom and Gomorrah, Draconian trilogy, Ginnungagap.my favourite album is Secret of the Runes
Rise of Sodom and Gomorrah is the song that got me hooked
Therion is an awesome band. The first song I heard was To Mega Therion. It blew me away.
If you're looking for Halloween songs, you might check out:
- Kind Diamond - Sleeples Nights (live), a quite unusual voice
- Alice Cooper - Steven
- Helloween - Halloween (has already been mentioned)
For other classical inspired metal songs, I recommend
- Rhapsody of Fire - The Kiss of Life
- Turilli / Lione Rhapsody - Arcanum (A band related to Rhapsody of Fire. It's complicated.)
- Haggard - In a Pale Moon's Shadow
- Saviour Machine - American Babylon
- Helloween - The Keeper's Trilogy
- Trans Siberian Orchestra - O Fortuna (or the Beethoven's last Night album, a Faust like concept album about Beethoven's last night. The song Mephistopheles is simply awesome.)
King Diamond - yes yes yes!
Rhapsody and Turilli/ Lione Rhapsody. Plus Helloween. That's the ticket! 🤘🤘🤘🤘
...yes and x3 times yes for Haggard ..
As a Finnish person I'm loath to say it, but the Swedes really make the best metal music in the world! Doug, it's time to react to Dark Tranquillity! Not sure which song to recommend as there's so many to choose from. It's another band that has kept to their roots, but always making a little changes to sound a little different in each album. But you always instantly recognize their style.
Dark Tranquility - I used to really like them 20 years ago in high school and they always felt like one of those bands that I should've been super into but it slipped by. I'm gonna load my phone up with their discography to listen to at work.
Doug, that "relation" with Mendellson's song, be sure it is not by chance... Christopher Johnson is fascinated by classical compositions, I am tottaly sure that he knows about that song that you've mentioned, and that could have been some inspiration to the themes on this song!
And they sing in french too, Therion is simply amazing.
This is one of their best songs, awsome review.
As many others have done, I reccomend the song Schwarzalbenheim from the album Secret of the Runes or any song from that album or Clavicula Nox, another great track.
Therion my favourite band of all time, with big discography and so many beautiful songs.
I can't choose the best album because i love them all 😜.
Every one different from the other but has it own magic.
Eternal respect to Christoffer Johnson and Therion band.
I can't wait the new one album in 2022 the second of leviathan trilogy.
Very good reaction and please do more, you will love them, they are unique and have big history.
I had no idea Leviathan was a trilogy. I'd be super psyched if the Niemann brothers rejoined the band, the new incarnation seems more poppy and Vidal is under utilized as a shredder.
Yes Leviathan album is trilogy, next release 2022 and the third 2023.
I like this album very much but indeed i missed the big solos of the past, Nieman brothers are fantastic and i love that era with them.
And Yes Too! Therion made a cover by CARMINA BURANA! jajaja on his album....Deggial
A big shout-out for bringing "Die Erste Walpurgisnacht" into the discussion! The (musical) culture, at least the Rock-Metal part of it, really goes full circle nowadays, drinking deep from the Classical fountain, so to speak. :) And they lean on same, or similar, historic/ethnic/cultural tropes for inspiration - you ought to only listen to EPICA's "Once Upon a Nightmare" (a beautiful, moving song in its own right), to find another example of Classicist-Romantic inspiration... I will not spoil it all, just a hint - Schubert wrote ein Lied on that same topic. ;)
On the matter of lead singers, in most albums THERION have 3 to 4 leads that they mix and match effectively. But actually the "Deggial" album remains in my memory as almost entirely choral... could it be? - Need to pull it off the shelf and re-listen now!
Btw, is one of your correspondents named Gourdjieff? (Tough to pronounce, thus not sure!) If so, that guy is just as deep into THERION as the one who uses their moniker. Since the G-guy is also a character in at least one of THERION's albums. :)
I hope he makes a reaction to Haggard - The Observer
More Therion please!! And then, Savatage (still waiting!) and Queensryche "silent lucidity" (studio version with M. Kamen orchestra) 👍🤟
Therion is the Rush/YES et. al. of progressive symphonic metal. One of the pioneers. Odd that nobody has proved to be superior. Greatest musical act our species has produced.
I searched for a Therion reaction in your channel and was not disappointed.
More Theron please! Especially anything on secret of the runes.
Yessssss
My favorite. Vovin is the best Therion cd. They really are the band that invented symphonic metal. The Rise Of Sodom and Gomorrah is by far their best song. I just love this band, named my cat Therion
I think it's time to listen to some Haggard
Yes!! Eppur Si Muove could be a good option
Therion and Haggard the best symphonic bands.
@@ivanaguilar3492 haggard is a really underrated band
In words of their lead singer they are a classical music band with metal elements
@Doug Helvering: Haggard has a lot in common with Therion. But they have growls, sometimes.
@@AlfW Therion too, not in this song bueno they do have
Thanks! Therion have been my favourite band ever since I discovered them in 2000.
Now, they're not called Amorphis (another of my favourite bands), but they kinda are amorphous. At the time of Deggial, Vovin before that and Secret of the Runes afterwards, they did not have a lead singer. Later they got one (Mats Levén, then Snowy Shaw, now Thomas Vikström).
As for not being able to understand the lyrics:
You mentioned the mix. That's one part.
But the Swedish band singing in English actually hired a German Choir (North German Radio Choir) to sing on that album, so that got in the way as well. And frankly, a choir singing in that style is always hard to understand. I have trouble understanding German lyrics if they're sung like that. Or German opera.
Anyway, your facial reactions are priceless. I had a lot of fun with this video. So again, thanks.
- Mikrotherion
My deep thanks for your support as well as your insight!
Via Nocturna undoubtedly is a masterpiece, as well as many others. You should to check out for example "The Khlysti Evangelist", "An Arrow From The Sun", "Mon Amour, Mon Ami", "Ten Courts Of Diyu"
Great review! Great band! I can totally relate to your expressions when hearing first.
Give a try to "Adulruna Rediviva" to get some symphonic and prog !
Finally! Therion 🤘
i love the song ''Sodom and Gomora'' from them, they're a great band.
Therion is amazing!
Christofer Johnsson just shared this video on Facebook. That's why I saw it.
Therion!!!. At last. Thanks Doug. I only found these guys a few months ago. Can't get enough of them. A lot of Symphonic Metal is ruined by growling vocals, These guys very rarely do this. I enjoyed Vovin, Sitra Ahra, and Gothic Kabbalah.
For me it is amazing and fascinating how art can touch an erudite person like Doug, similarly i guess to the way it moved me in my teens, and its a pleasure to see him describing the composition in technical terms and how it is original, surprising, etc. Im 34 yo, and know therion for approximately 20 years, deggial was the second album i listened, first one was secrets of the runes, and definitely my favorite.
Finally... Right band, right album. My favorites are Seven Secrets of the Sphinx and Deggial thou.
Yes, they do use lead singers on some of their other albums including Lemuria, Sirius B, and Gothic Kabbalah. If you like Therion also check out Dol Ammad - Star Tales.
Yeah! Más de Therion por favor. Saludos!
So many GREAT Therion songs. This one is one of my favorites. The Beauty in Black is my favorite. When I was in college in the mid to late 90's, I'm the same age as you, I made a mix tape of Therion songs for the University Choir professor. Christofer Johnsnon was the original death metal vocalist before focusing on guitars and the choir doing the vocals.
Glad to see Therion on the channel! The Live Gothic is, in my humble opinion, their best album. You should definetely check tunes like Schwarzalbenheim, The Perennial Sophia, Sons of the staves of time
I agree, one of my favorite live albums! Very interesting too since the choir is condensed to 4 vocalists that are very different and really complement each others. Plus the band plays really well together, which is always tricky since therion's music can vary so much in between albums, especially with so much orchestral music!
Great! More Therion, please :)
You are witnessing the work of a genius, Mr. Christopher Johnsson, mystical and musical master.
Lol, odd, but refreshing, and there was so much more refreshing metal being produced in the mid 90s in Europe. Excited to hear you'll be putting your teeth in The Gathering as well. Same era, 'same genre', yet quite different, and much evolving, and improving, afterwards. Enjoy any further exploration of the origins of symphonic/goth metal!
#mandylion #nighttimebirds #howtomeasureaplanet #ifthenelse
Haggard is still around. ;-)
@@trokoshea1 Good ole rockers never die. The Gathering just happened to have released their first song of a new upcoming album. :^)
They've come a long way from doom metal 'Always' to their present day atmospheric trip rock.
@@grungegrumpy3585 without Anneke?? Hear about it for the first time.... No.. Old The Gathering with Anneke is awesome, but it is not comparable with Therion, though other genres....
Therion \/ " Show". Via nocturna... Lemúria..secret of the runes
Please, More Therion reactions!
Therion rules, one of my fav bands, seem them live a couple of times, if you liked that you should listen to some Haggard
You totally right about the reaction, Therion is unique because all the elements together sounds badass. I love their music cause is something unique.
Anything by King Diamond would be amazing!
100 percent agree!! Especially from Them or Abigail. 🙂👍
@@sarahcathousecritters Yes, Graveyard is a great one too, very underrated gem, especially production wise (amazing vocal production)
Black Horsemen
There's a definite Carmina Burana vibe to this. Extended listen: Uriah Heep 'Salisbury' from the album of the same name. Early symphonic metal, IMO. Ken Hensley, keyboardist and composer, was the Tuomas Holopainen of his day. David Byron, vocalist, one of the unsung greats. All the musicians were great. I saw this band live several times and love them to shreds.
And please do Steve Hackett performing "Cinema Show". From an old Genesis fan, what a show! Steve Hackett - Cinema Show~Aisle of Plenty (THE TOTAL EXPERIENCE LIVE IN LIVERPOOL) or Steve Hackett's "Firth of Fifth" with orchestra. ruclips.net/video/RCnzDy2tSk0/видео.html
Then there's Peter Gabriel as a solo artist, "Red Rain (Growing Up Live)" ruclips.net/video/jPQ8S0rVjs0/видео.html moves me to tears.
Therion ...in my heart.
Nice, Therion! You really need to give Epica a few more listens as well, Design Your Universe Live Retrospect should cater well to your love for orchestra and choir!
Definitely!!
They sound too overproduced.
@@melgibsonfan9082 No, they just sound good; tight production. Which is sometimes a rarity in the metal world.
@melgibsonfan9082 to your terrible ears maybe
Therion will do this alive with orchestra next month in Mexico CIty!
Glad to see your reaction. Please react to "The Way" form Therion too, from the early albums.
I've heard a lot of Therion, but not this album. I really liked this track. Interestingly from the piano break onwards it reminded me alot of Ozzy's Revelation (Mother Earth).
they have a leadsinger, but some of their songs he is in the background. His name is Thomas Vikström
Therion's album Theli (1996) is widely considered to mark birth of the 'symphonic metal' genre.
I'm really glad to see you tackle Therion! Fits probably best to you of all reactors (though I do wish more people would check them out). The material on "Theli" from '97 has more traditional metal approach, at least to a degree, but some very interesting songs and the albums following "Deggial" took less choir-oriented approach again. Looking forward to more reactions! Recommendations: The Siren of the Woods, anything from "The Secret of the Runes", Perennial Sophia or Summernight City (Abba cover!).
Therion songs tickle the ears of the musically inclined.
guitar in background isnt too loud, it is excellent! More of therion, please
Hey Dough, did you realize that Christopher Johnson (Therion’s mastermind) shared your reaction video on Facebook? Congrats on that! There are a couple of titles wonderful and exiting song worth to react to: Alduruna Rediviva and Land of Canaan. Give them a try please!
I am really delighted to see that there's Therion on your channel. What is more, with one of my favourites.
Another Therion recomenndations to consider:
- Any song from Secret of the Runes (I'd highlight Ginnungagap, Asgard, Secret of the Runes, Schwarzalbenheim and Nifelheim)
- Adulruna Rediviva
- The rise of Sodom and Gomorrah
- The siren of the woods
Nice, another one that i did not have any idea existed and this band has really a one of a kind style. Well, Since you are in European mode, it is about time to react to some Eloy. Will ya?
I agree. "The Apocalypse" might be long enough for a Friday reaction...
ELOY RULE
@@petersteenjensen1362 Yep, all these europeans bands Doug has been reacting to are good but none of them are, in my humble opinion, as iconic as Eloy.
Therion! I love them as in fact al that kind of music.
Please therion - Adulruna rediviva, this song is very cool
I asked for That one too!
Therion is a band with many many songs for Review. Is one of the bands for this channel
Please do another video for Therion: The Wondrous World of Punt (from the album Sirius B released as the twin albums Lemuria/ Sirius B). It is a wonderful treat and you can tell there was more budget that was readily available for these releases (Lemuria/ Sirius B) as opposed to Deggial. I appreciate your breaking down of the instruments as well as movements! Call me officially subscribed for your channel. ☺
Now That finally Therion has arribes here in Doug's channel, I think The song "Adulruna Rediviva" deserves his analisis.
Thanks You Doug for to make one Therion.
Greetings from Colombia.