Therion – Leviathan III

Welcome to the world of Symphonic Metal. What started with Leviathan in 2021 and was continued with Leviathan II in 2022 will find its finale with Leviathan III. Of course we are talking about Swedish symphonic metal legends Therion who have just completed the Leviathan trilogy now.

Leviathan III

Ninkigal

No more words wasted, here is the opener with its dramatic beginning. Clear female vocals take turns with rough vocals and a driving guitar sound. All hell is breaking loose! My vision is, the harpies lure you in a bitter sweet way to take their revenge. A furious guitar solo rounds it up. More, I want more!            

Ruler Of Tamag

But we slow down, we almost become romantic. An acoustic guitar intro followed by lovely female vocals as if an angel sang, nearly lull you into well-deserved sleep. A heavy guitar tune and male choir fall in as an interlude. Indeed, this is a song to dream away if there wasn’t the guitar crashing in from time to time to wake you up again to listen to the female choir. To sum it up, the song is very symphonic, very therionic and very leviathanic.

An Unsung Lament

A drumbeat  gives space for the guitar, gives space for the choirs, gives space for a very catchy and epic song. The song is very far away from “unsung”, but sure there is a meaning behind it. Do you want to find it out? It is worth it. Even seven minutes length seem to be not enough for this little masterpiece with all its rhythm and tempo changes.

Maleficium

We remain catchy, almost in an opera-like style! Did I write “almost”? I must correct myself. This is modern metal opera of its best. If Mozart lived today, this would be his style. A very rough guitar at the end makes very clear, this is metal though. Perfect!                     

 Ayahuasca     

More electric guitar work now! Even more choirs! The song is a dialog between male and female vocals, interrupted by a mean guitar, continued by an epic choir. There is a good reason why this is longest song of the album with nearly eight minutes. Indeed, here is so much to discover once you get into it and concentrate on every sung and played note. We even hear a very 70s-like organ, remarkable!

Baccanale      

A heavy guitar breaks in; it is time to speed up a bit.  We are not on the harsh Death Metal side though, be assured. Instead, we remain melodic and symphonic, just a bit faster now. Nevertheless, it would also make a brutal death metal song in the hands of the right – or wrong – band. Therion sail around it in a perfect manner.

Midsommarblot

Now it is time to talk about blood, the Swedish title sounds quite familiar to all of us. It is no blood bath or massacre though, but a fine tune. It is more like A Midsummer Night’s Dream of W. Shakespeare than Texas Chainsaw Massacre if you know what I mean.               

What Was Lost Shall Be Lost No More

Cello and violin open this track. Guitar falls in. We seem to remain on the “rough” side of symphonic metal. Is there really a rough side? What do you think? The song is long and short enough to include everything you need for a good metal medicine without overdosing you with too much sweetness. 

Duende          

Now it is time for something completely different. Welcome to the land of Flamenco and Spanish guitars. That’s a nice intro for a change! And we remain Spanish and hot-blooded when it is time for the heavy guitar tune! Wait, it is interrupted by brass instruments and it goes on like this! How can someone get the idea to write such an exceptionally different, genre mixing song without getting lost? How, just how? Brilliant!

Nummo

Back on the track for opera-metal! You demand, Therion deliver. You command, they obey. If this song isn’t what you expected or hoped to hear, you are listening to the wrong album.

 

Twilight Of The Gods

Didn’t I just start to listen to the album? We are already at the last song? You are kidding! But this song is a real twilight. It is mean. Where is the sweetness of the previous tracks gone? Is it eaten by the gods? Even the clean female choirs don’t sound lovely but like the harpies being back! This one is a real killer, the right and only possible closer of the album and the trilogy!

What should I say?

Forget about those Wannabe Symphonic Metal bands which pop up every now and then, just to fade away after the first EP or album. Therion with Leviathan III and the whole trilogy is the real deal. These guys know exactly what they are doing. They have known it for 35 years. With every year they become better. They are like a small cask of single malt whisky. You take a sip every year, thinking it is perfect but too precious to drink it “now”. A year later you come back, have another sip and realise, it became even better! It is not different with Leviathan III.

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proof reading by DerminBoad