ALBUM REVIEW: Leviathan II – Therion
Opera, whilst often seen as a different and older genre, has crossed-over with the metal genre more than once to great effect. From Bruce Dickinson’s vocals in IRON MAIDEN to NIGHTWISH‘s cover of The Phantom Of The Opera, there’s something about having the classic, theatrical art form mixed with the chaotic and loud genre like metal. The richness of both genres and how full their instrumentation is makes the unlikely combination a beautiful delight to the eardrums. It also allows for expressive storytelling, as THERION have done so far in their Leviathan trilogy, with Leviathan II fittingly the second part of this saga. But is this album grand enough to join alongside the symphonic metal greats, or does it sink far into the ocean below?
When the opening track Aeon Of Maat begins, the rich and atmospheric sound starts the album on a glorious note, with very strong instrumentation coupled with gorgeous vocals preparing this tale the band are ready to present. As the first half of the record continues, the instrumentation continues its grand presence and expresses the story over a glorious orchestra of electric guitars and strings, stunning drums, and ethereal and incredible vocals within an almost Greek-like choir. This is shown to its full effect in Hades And Elysium, which has an almost outlaw/western sound, marrying the vocal parts, both main and in the choir, with a clever use of the harpsichord. The riff is quite reminiscent in tone and rhythm to The Lonely Shepherd by JAMES LAST, but the lyrics take it somewhere new and exciting for the listener to hear.
A lot of tracks on the album are reminiscent of other songs, namely from bands like GHOST and ABBA, played in part by the use of electronic strings and effects. Despite this, even with the grand setup, the tone in some tracks feels very thin, especially in the string and guitar parts, like it’s requesting more to join and make the riffs and sounds fuller. For example, Lunar Coloured Fields is reminiscent of The Day Before You Came, whilst Lucifuge Rofocule’s bassline is very similar to Does Your Mother Know, both by ABBA. Unfortunately, this is to the detriment of the music, as it takes your mind away from the music and to these other songs instead, which is a shame as the lyrics remain interesting in their depiction of this story. In addition, whilst the beginning of the album feels vibrant and unique, by the end of the album it’s winded down and feels repetitive, making for a very disappointing listen, especially by the time the listener gets to the final track Pazuzu, as it’s a lacklustre ending to the whole album.
Overall, whilst ambitious in structure and execution, the payoff is not as fantastical as expected at first play. Although Leviathan II starts out strong, it almost feels like THERION ran out of ideas and played on autopilot, despite the massive number of musicians behind the music. Whilst the lyrics carrying the story continue to be captivating, the music peters out and doesn’t recapture that same intrigue to keep the listener for the whole album. It’s not a bad album by far, but Leviathan II is definitely a weak point in this trilogy.
Rating: 5/10
Leviathan II is set for release on October 28th via Nuclear Blast Records.
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