12/21/2017 17:15

Therion

Therion: 'Beloved Antichrist' meal opera out in February

When 15 year old prodigy Christofer Johnsson founded Therion as a death metal band in 1987, little did he know that exactly 30 years later he would put the final touches to a project that will go down in history as symphonic metal's most ambitious release. While "metal operas" are no longer an unusual creation, this term will forever receive a new meaning on February 2018, when the curtain opens for Johnsson's lifelong creation: 'Beloved Antichrist' is the title of his spectacular brainchild, consisting of 3 full-length CDs and is more than just a concept album, but a complete rock opera with multiple chapters, unveiling a sweeping story partly based on and inspired by Vladímir Soloviov "A Short Tale of the Antichrist".

Act I
01. Turn from Heaven
02. Where Will You Go?
03. Through Dust, through Rain
04. Signs Are Here
05. Never again
06. Bring Her Home
07. The Solid Black Beyond
08. The Crowning of Splendour
09. Morning Has Broken
10. Garden of Peace
11. Our Destiny
12. Anthem
13. The Palace Ball
14. Jewels from Afar
15. Hail Caesar!
16. What Is Wrong?
17. Nothing but My Name

Act II
01. The Arrival of Apollonius
02. Pledging Loyalty
03. Night Reborn
04. Dagger of God
05. Temple of New Jerusalem
06. The Lions Roar
07. Bringing the Gospel
08. Laudate Dominum
09. Remaining Silent
10. Behold Antichrist
11. Cursed by the Fallen
12. Resurrection
13. To Where I Weep
14. Astral Sophia
15. Thy Will Be Done!

Act III
01. Shoot Them Down!
02. Beneath the Starry Skies
03. Forgive Me
04. The Wasteland of My Heart
05. Burning the Palace
06. Prelude to War
07. Day of Wrath
08. Rise to War
09. Time Has Come/Final Battle
10. My Voyage Carries on
11. Striking Darkness
12. Seeds of Time
13. To Shine Forever
14. Theme of Antichrist

This metal opera will be released on February 2nd, 2018 on CD (3 discs in digibook) and 12" vinyl (6 vinyls boxed set), via Nuclear Blast Records.

With an incredible total of 29 different roles and characters, whoall required a unique voice, Therion hired not only a big choir, but also 29 vocalists to bring the epic story to life. With long-time collaborators like Thomas Vikström, Lori Lewis and Chiara Malvestiti, fans will hear the classical Therion vibe but also be able to drown in a magical maelstrom of many new as well as familiar voices.

Divided into several chapters, the opera reaches a full length of 3 and a half hours and Therion are currently working on the possibility of bringing the entire production to the stage. And while this monumental undertaking still simmers away in the Swedish production halls, the band has announced a pan-European tour where they will perform some of their new masterpieces live in a classical concert setting. Support comes from Russia's symphonic metallists Imperial Age and Germany's Null Positiv.

(source: Therion / Nuclear Blast Records)