To paraphrase what I said about Don Caballero recently, if there's ever been a group that I only needed one album of, Therion would be that band. I bought Theli real time, and it impressed quite a bit back then. Even my new (at the time) bride liked parts of it! And she despises metal. (Still does). So off I went to buy the album before it, and many after it. They're all long gone from the collection. The predecessor Lepaca Kliffoth was still too entrenched in their death metal roots (never a style I warmed up to), while the later titles were almost sleepy and formulaic in their approach.
Theli captures Therion turning the dial from one to the other, and is truly an excellent album. It has the angst of their youth combined with the sophistication of the later years, to create that one-of-a-kind brilliant statement. Certainly Theli is not a masterpiece, but there are hair raising moments here that one rarely gets to experience. A true blend of aggressive heavy metal and serious symphonic music, complete with choirs. I approached this revisit with trepidation, fearing I had completely misread the band, and wasted way too much time and money on them. Instead, it reinforced my initial position. As far as my tastes go, Theli is the only Therion album worth pursuing.
Ownership: CD: 1997 Nuclear Blast (USA). Purchased new online upon release. Nice new album layout with poster booklet and lyrics.
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