If you are in search of a grandiose album that is sure to sweep you off of your musical feet, then look no further than Therion. With the impending release of Beloved Antichrist in several exquisite parts, this immense endeavor is soon to hit the ears of fans all over the world. RockRevolt’s very own Anabel DFlux got to pick the mind behind this masterpiece, and ask all of the riveting questions you’ve been dying to know.
RockRevolt Magazine: Hello! Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me today. How are you?
Therion: Hello! I’m just fine. Out on the road again. Today, we are in Manchester England and it’s great. I love touring.
RR: Let’s jump right into it and chat about your recent ambitious release, “Beloved Antichrist”. I’ve never heard anything like it before, what a unique concept. What drove you to pursue such an epic endeavor?
T: Yeah, it’s a big one. There are some rock operas out there, but I think that this is the only one that exclusively uses classical voices. This is an idea thatChristofer has carried around for some years and felt that now is the right time. It’s been a great thing to be a part of the creation of this monster.
RR: Vladimir Solovyov was a Russian philosopher in the 19th century- credited as contributing heavily to in the development of Russian philosophy and poetry. What was it about his writing of the Antichrist that made you want to adapt the story in music form?
T: This short novel is simply perfect to make theatre around. We had to reconstruct the story and characters a little bit though. For example, in the book there are not many female characters so we created that. It’s about good and evil but in an unusual way.
RR: What was the recording and production process for “Beloved Antichrist”?
T: In one word: LONG!! But it was really fun to have a frame and a story to write from. The recordings took a little while. But it’s very cool for me to work with Christofer who is one of my closest friends. And even though we are in some points very different from each other but we work extremely well together. And the spirit is very relaxed and fun. It’s also interesting to bring in musicians and singers who doesn’t have a clue about Therion and see how they “color the painting”
RR: How did you choose the musicians to play the characters of the story? How long did it take you to assemble them all?
T: Over the years, we have come to know a lot of people and I have been in different musicals and operas so I just had to lift the phone. Nobody said no. The hardest part is to schedule it since most of them work in several other productions. The guy who does the role of Apollonius for example is a childhood friend to me that today is one of Sweden’s biggest opera stars. His name is Marcus Jupither (which is pretty cool in itself)
RR: Do you have any adventurous future plans with this operatic masterpiece?
T: We want to try to put it up in theatres. Not necessarily with Therion – like a franchise. But those plans are in the future. First we must tour, we have a massive tour ahead now.
RR: Of all the acts and scenes, is there one in particular that is your favorite? Why?
T: I love the “Palace ball” for example. The choir arrangements is a masterpiece. And now I love when we play “The Theme of Antichrist” on tour. It’s such a cool feeling to watch people sing along to a song that I wrote in my sofa in Stockholm. But there are many parts that I like. It’s hard to pick one or two.
RR: What can fans expect from your upcoming live shows? How are you bringing the album to life?
T: We present Beloved Antichrist now as we would present a normal new album. We play some parts from it and people can buy the album directly after the show. Since we can’t bring all the singers on the album on tour I sometimes sing other male characters parts live. It’s not ultimate, but it’s how it must be done this time.
RR: Any music video plans for any of the songs?
T: Not at the moment but maybe later. Since we live in different parts of the world right now it’s hard to gather all of us. But let’s see what the future brings.
RR: Why symphonic metal? What is it about the genre that lures you in so deeply?
T: I think it’s the fascination for the grandiose and big which is significant for both metal and opera. Personally, I love flamboyant stuff in everything – movies, food and music. Minimalism is nothing for me.
RR: Anything you want fans to know before we conclude this interview?
T: I hope you all will enjoy the new album, and that I will see you somewhere on tour. The fans are the most important for us and I love them very much
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