After a welcome return to form with at the start of last year with Leviathan I, Sweden’s Therion return to remind the world of the power of symphony and grandeur with Leviathan II.
Immediately picking up from the previous effort “Aeon Of Maat” is also a throwback to the Therion of 20-plus years ago, orchestral and laden with complex riffs. Then the souls of Abba transfer into the symphonic metal world with “Litany Of The Fallen” which works really well sandwiched in the middle of “Alchemy Of The Soul” making up the outer layer of this little triplet. This third track has a nice, slow, flowing vibe running through it.
There are things that Therion do spectacularly well and one is to fill a song with atmospheric soundscapes. “Lunar Coloured Fields” is a great example of this, whereas the the rolling riffs and different styles in “Lucifuge Rofocale” make me want to rake through my collection of previous albums. This is easily the highlight track of the album right here.
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As the album progresses into tracks such as “Marijin Min Nar” and “Midnight Star” it’s abundantly clear that the band have really found their groove again. I can’t begin to tell you how just how happy this makes me. This is a band I once travelled a fair distance to see for the first time… and within the first few tracks the venue had a complete a power cut. Gig over! So for me this album feels incredibly nostalgic.
Final tracks, the Candlemass-inspired “Codex Gigas” and “Pazuzu”, further embody this spirit of the past and it’s great to hear Christopher’s varying vocals at the forefront once more, where they truly belong.
I’m already looking forward to the next instalment.
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Leviathan II is out now
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