Therion

Therion is a Swedish heavy metal^{Heavy metal music} band founded by Christofer Johnsson in 1987. The word "therion" comes from the Greek^{Greek language} therion (θηρίον), meaning "Beast," i.e., that of the Christian^Christianity Book of Revelation. However, the band's name is an homage to the Celtic Frost album To Mega Therion^{To Mega Therion (album)}.

Beginning as a death metal band, they later turned to combining orchestral elements with their metal music, employing heavy use of choirs and classical musicians^{European classical music}, not only as additions to but also as integral parts of the composition. The band is one of the first both commercial and audience-successful heavy metal with fully live orchestra featured. It is also one of the bands which originated, popularised and influenced the symphonic metal genre, cited as "the most adventurous metal band at present". Due to these extents they take in conducting their music, they've been dubbed as "Opera Metal".

Therion's music takes its themes from different mythologies^Mythology and is based on concepts ranging from occultism, magic^{Magic (paranormal)} and ancient traditions and writings. The majority of their lyrics are written by Thomas Karlsson, head and founder of the magical^{ritual magic} order Dragon Rouge, of which Johnsson is a member. The band has seen many changes in line-up and style throughout its history.

Blitzkrieg and Megatherion (1987–1988)

Therion was originally formed under the name "Blitzkrieg" in Upplands Väsby, Sweden. The founder, Christofer Johnsson, was originally the bassist and vocalist, despite having only played bass for a few months prior to the band's formation. Joining him in this new band were guitarist Peter Hansson and drummer Oskar Forss. Johnsson and Hansson had met in several musical groups, while Forss was an old school friend of Johnsson. Blitzkrieg's main influences were Metallica and Slayer, but their sound was similar to Venom^{Venom (band)} and Motörhead. The band however never recorded any proper demos^{Demo (music)}, and only did two concerts together. Blitzkrieg deciding to split up in 1988 due to problems with Forss. Only a few recordings survive to this day.

The band was reformed in 1988 under the new name Megatherion and began to be influenced by the Swiss heavy metal band Celtic Frost. The new group name was originated by their album To Mega Therion^{To Mega Therion (album)}. Johnsson switched [from bass] to guitar, P. Hansson was still guitarist, while Johan Hansson became a new bassist and Mika Tovalainen a drummer. The band name was soon shortened to Therion and the rhythm section was replaced by Erik Gustafsson of Dismember^{Dismember (band)} as a bassist and Oskar Forss returned as a drummer.) and then Beyond the Darkest Veils of Inner Wickedness (500 copies). In 1990, the band released EP^{Extended play} release, Time Shall Tell. It was still technically a demo, as it was only published by a local record store House of Kicks in a printing of 1,000. The sales were more than double of Lepaca Kliffoth. Therion followed up this release with a tour with Evergrey and My Insanity as support acts. After the tour, Karppinen decided to leave the band, but he was responsible enough to find a replacement drummer for the band, Richard Evensand.

In 2001, the official fan club compilation Bells of Doom^{Bells of Doom (album)} was released exclusively to paying fan club members. The album contained rare songs, including some original recordings from 1987, when the band was originally called Blitzkrieg. It also contained a few songs from demos, and rarities not found on other Therion records. The album was later put for sale on Therion's webstore when the fanclub was shut down and replaced.

A selection of the recordings from the 2001 Secret of the Runes tour was released on the 2002 band's first live album, a two-disc Live in Midgård. The album was released celebrating the band's 15th anniversary. and was mostly recorded in Budapest, Hungary.

Lemuria and Sirius B (2004–2006)

After the tour, the band decided to take stock and sort out what they had in terms of music. The seven songs that Johnsson had made had grown to a considerable number, and along with the Niemann brothers' contributions the band discovered they had 55 new songs.

Therion released their first DVD entitled Celebrators of Becoming on May 2006. The set contains four DVD discs, featuring live video from Mexico City recorded in 2004 and other live video materials, bands' documentary from the 2004–2006 World Tour, art movie "The Golden Embrace", all band music videos to date and bootlegs with commentary, and two audio CDs with a live show recorded in Mexico City.

Gothic Kabbalah, classical shows and The Anniversary Tour (2006–2007)

, Hungary, 2007.
On September 2006 Christofer Johnsson announced that recordings of the new album Gothic Kabbalah had been finished and the album was subsequently released on January 12, 2007. In early 2007, the band began promoting the album with a World Tour, headlined together with Grave Digger^{Grave Digger (band)} and with support act Sabaton^{Sabaton (band)}. The tour has included North and South America, and the very first time in the band's history even Japan.

Meanwhile the very band's very first live concert with a symphonic orchestra and choir has taken place in Bucharest, Romania on December 9, 2006. Six months later another classical show has followed up in Miskolc, Hungary on June 16, 2007 in the framework of the Miskolc Opera Festival. Both concerts were played by members of local orchestras and choirs, including even some solists, while one of the soprano solos in Miskolc were sung by Lori Lewis. Each show has contained a full orchestral version of Clavicula Nox, and covers of pieces by Antonín Dvořák, Giuseppe Verdi, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Camille Saint-Säens^{Camille Saint-Saens} and Richard Wagner. The second part of the shows has contained the band's assorted songs, among them Eternal Return, Draconian Trilogy, Sirius B and The Siren Of The Woods. In Bucharest even the orchestra-only version of The Flight Of The Lord Of Flies, and the pure classical fragments of The Khlysti Evangelist and Wondrous World Of Punt were played - together with Clavicula Nox as the first act of this show.

The Romanian Television has recorded and broadcast the entire Bucharest concert (except some Wagner pieces, The Siren Of The Woods and Draconian Trilogy), and also the Miskolc concert was recorded. The latter was released on May 2009 under the name The Miskolc Experience as a DVD + 2CD box set. The CD's are divided upon Part 1 (Clavicula Nox and classical covers) and Part 2 (Therion songs with orchestra and choir - except The Siren Of The Woods, which is also missing from the DVD), and the DVD also contains a "Making of" footage, and the first act of the Bucharest show.

In May 2007 the 20 year anniversary tour of the band was announced. It was limited only for 16 gigs, exclusively in Europe. As an integral part of the shows the entire Theli album was played as the second act of the gigs, which was ended up with the main piece of the Gothic Kabbalah album: Adulruna Rediviva. The rest of the show has included The Wisdom Of The Cage, but the rest of the songs were chosen upon the fans' voting. The only exception was Kali Yuga Part. 1-2. which was played with the occasion of playing Kali Yuga Pt. 3., which is meant to be a song of the new album.

The tour took part in November and December 2007, and included several guest musicians. The keyboard parts were played at every gigs by Ferdy Doernberg, and the first tour legs have also included Piotr Wawrzeniuk and Messah Marcolin. In this part of the tour some songs were accompagnied by a belly dancer on stage. All these guests have returned together with Mats Levén to the final show of the tour, which took part in Paris.

Current history (2008– present)

In April 2008 it was announced on Therion's official site that the core group of musicians were parting ways. Christofer also noted that he was in no way ending Therion. Four months later Johan Kullberg as the new drummer and Nalle Påhlsson as bassist have become the new band members.

On August 5, 2008, Therion released their second live album—a double CD and one DVD set—entitled Live Gothic. The album was recorded in Warsaw, Poland on February 14, 2008 and featuring 22 songs spread over the two discs, and the DVD is the visual version of the same concert.

As promised by Christofer, after the busy 2007 year the band hasn't planned any tour until the year 2010. Neither any concerts were scheduled, except a single open-air festival show in Plock, Poland on 6th September 2006. It has already included the new rhythm section, and as a guest the band's former guitarist Magnus Barthelsson.

On May 10, 2009, Therion announced that Thomas Vikström had become a full-time member. This makes Thomas the first official vocalist Therion has ever had besides Christofer Johnsson. It happened just some days after the releasing of the The Miskolc Experience DVD.

In November 2009 the making of the new album was announced, which has got the title Sitra Ahra in February 2010. According to the new album several festival and Mexican gigs, and a complete European tour is scheduled, but the release date hasn't been set yet.

For the future years the release of the DVD about the Anniversary Tour is expected. It will contain the recordings of the Budapest gig of this tour.in 2007
Therion frequently uses visual symbols on its album covers. Most of them are based on magick^{Magic (paranormal)}, occult, and Dragon Rouge themes.

Hendecagram, the star of Qliphoth, an eleven-pointed star also called Star of Seth, is the most often used symbol by the band. The star symbolises the night side of the Qabalah. The hendecagram is important to Christofer's^{Christofer Johnsson} magick and his lyrics, and has been admitted as a band symbol. There is also a connection between the eleven points of the star and the Dragon Rouge's Draconian initiation, since its 1 + 9 + 1 levels together constitute 11 steps. The symbol appears on all the album covers (not only front covers, also in back and/or inlay) since Symphony Masses: Ho Drakon Ho Megas (1993).

Other symbols used include:
* Pentagram, closely Pythagorean pentagram (one point down), is shown on the Symphony Masses: Ho Drakon Ho Megas cover on the dragon's head.
* Runes shown in the Secret of the Runes^{Secret of the Runes (album)} front cover (and also in the booklet) are Nordic runes with Elder Fuþark^{Elder Futhark} alphabet.
* Celtic cross appears on the Secret of the Runes^{Secret of the Runes (album)} booklet on the page with the lyrics to the song "Helheim."
* Clavicula Nox, a magick^{Magic (paranormal)}al symbol, one of the key symbols in Dragon Rouge, is shown on the Crowning of Atlantis, Vovin (inlay), and "Eye of Shiva" covers.
*Mjölnir, the Hammer of Thor appears on the Secret of the Runes^{Secret of the Runes (album)} inlay cover.
* Three astronomical symbols are shown in the The Early Chapters of Revelation box-set covers: Venus (♀), first quarter Moon (☽), and Sun (☉).
Current collaborators

(No current collaborators)

Lyrics

* Thomas Karlsson – Thomas has written most of the lyrics on albums since 1996#Of Darkness... (1991)
#Beyond Sanctorum (1992)
#Symphony Masses: Ho Drakon Ho Megas (1993)
#Lepaca Kliffoth (1995)
#Theli^{Theli (album)} (1996)
#A'arab Zaraq - Lucid Dreaming (1997)
#Vovin (1998)
#Crowning of Atlantis (1999)
#Deggial (2000)
#Secret of the Runes^{Secret of the Runes (album)} (2001)
#Sirius B^{Sirius B (album)} (2004)
#Lemuria^{Lemuria (album)} (2004)
#Gothic Kabbalah (2007)
#Sitra Ahra (upcoming in 2010)