Soundtrack to an ambitious opera - A review of Therion's Beloved Antichrist

Therion have taken some serious risks and made some debatable choices over the past few years. The last regular studio album Sitra Ahra was released almost eight years ago when the band was on quite a run with a series of critically acclaimed releases and energetic live shows. Instead of keeping this momentum, the band has gone through numerous line-up changes that might not sit well with certain supporters. The group released a record consisting of cover songs of French chansons from the sixties and seventies in form of Les Fleurs du Mal which I adored very much but which was understandably seen as an odd release by many fans. Therion's mastermind Christofer Johnsson then started an odd psychedelic rock band with satanic themes in form of Luciferian Light Orchestra and its short self-titled debut that I didn't find too appealing. Now, Therion has come back with a new release after a very long break but Beloved Antichrist isn't exactly a normal record either. It's quite outstanding, even by Therion's groundbreaking standards. This release features three discs, forty-six songs and a running time above three hours. As if that weren't enough, this album is basically the soundtrack to an opera Therion is working on which means that the entire visual concept is missing here and that this album is merely a soundtrack. To make matters worse, the release is quite hard to find as both my father in Germany and myself in Canada couldn't find the record in different stores. Media attention and promotion was also surprisingly modest for such an ambitious record. When I discussed the record with friends, they just laughed and said they didn't have the time to listen to symphonic metal based upon a still non-existing opera project for more than three hours in a row. To keep it short, Therion's Beloved Antichrist appears to be commercial suicide. Plus, many other bands have recently failed with more elaborate conceptual records. Dream Theater's The Astonishing was at times sleep-inducing and Ayreon's overlong The Theory of Everything lost my attention within a few minutes. Therion is taking quite a few risks with the release of Beloved Antichrist.

However, in my book, these risks pay off. Therion's Beloved Antichrist isn't perfect but much better than anticipated. It's a very good soundtrack that can only be fully evaluated once it is played in combination with the operatic stage acting that might be presented in the future. The symphonic elements are smoother and more atmospheric than usual, underlining the project's conceptual approach and actually recalling actual operatic music. The modern instruments are rarely let loose but have their shining moments in a few faster tunes. The gloomy bass guitar has a few shining moments in the opening parts, the drum play is smooth but precise throughout the record and the acoustic and electric guitar is mostly in the background giving the classical instruments the occasion to shine or complementing them to add a more epic touch. The outstanding element on this triple record are the vocals that are performed smoothly and skillfully. Since most tracks are slow or mid-paced, the elegant melodic male baritone vocals and the enchanting female soprano vocals unfold perfectly. Occasional majestic choirs add a more bombastic dimension in the few longer tracks. As a matter of fact, Beloved Antichist is much closer to classical and operatic music than to any metal sub-genre. In ideal circumstances, this album should be reviewed by experts who are more familiar with classical and operatic music than I am to compare this release to other works of these genres. From my personal point of view, I find the vocal work phenomenal, the classical instruments atmospherically fitting and the record's flow and pace coherent and entertaining. If one accepts the fact that this album isn't a metal record and has an open mind for operatic and symphonic music, Beloved Antichrist is an almost excellent record that can already be evaluated as criminally overlooked as we speak. The obvious downside of such a release is of course its sheer length even though the release doesn't contain any bad or vapid songs. Personally, I find the dynamic first disc and the epic third disc better than the second disc that rather focuses on storytelling and connecting the opening and closing parts.

In order to fully enjoy Beloved Antichrist, you must like operatic and symphonic music, bring a lot of time to digest more than three hours of music in a row and be interested in the album's ambitious concept. If these elements apply to you, Beloved Antichrist could be seen as one of Therion's very best albums and certainly as one of the best symphonic and operatic metal releases of this decade. Beloved Antichrist is an ambitious project that has never been attempted before and that should write history. A final rating is difficult to apply since this is the soundtrack to an opera that doesn't exist yet. It would be interesting to see how the music complements the stage acting in the future. As it is now, I consider Beloved Antichrist a positive surprise with outstanding vocal performances, smooth classical instrumental passages, a few occasional rock and metal elements that are rarely but very efficiently used, an intriguing concept and a surprisingly smooth flow despite its excessive length.

If I had to point out a few songs, I would cite the bass-ridden opener ''Turn from Heaven'', the fast and uplifting ''Anthem'' with its vivid power metal elements, the amazing half-ballad ''Jewels from Afar'' with melodic guitar play, harmonious classical instruments and breathtaking vocal performances, the diversified, gloomy and rhythmic epic ''Forgive Me'' that is almost ten minutes long, the nearly equally epic ''Burning the Palace'' with its majestic choirs and the closing ''Theme of Antichrist'' with sacral choirs, harpsichord melodies and cool bell sounds. Still, Beloved Antichrist is best enjoyed as a whole from start to finish without any interruptions. Many bands have claimed to have written metal operas in the past but this is the first time this claim might actually be true.

Final rating: 90%