OOSTERPOORT, Groningen, support-acts: LOCH VOSTOK & LEPROUS

Het is alweer enige jaren geleden dat Therion, de band rond Christofer Johnsson op hetzelfde podium in Groningen stond en de zaal tot groot enthousiasme bracht. Nu mochten eerst het Zweedse Loch Vostok en het Noorse Leprous het publiek opwarmen.
 
Loch Vostok, aangevoerd door de zwaarlijvige gitarist-zanger Teddy Möller, speelde een vrij harde set die neigde naar deathmetal, maar met zo hier en daar prachtige gitaarsolo's en melodieuzere passages. Voor de gemiddelde progfan is dit echter geen geschikte muzikale kost. Veel meer progressieve naast avantgarde-elementen waren te ontdekken in de muziek van Leprous, het jonge Noorse gezelschap met een hoofdrol voor zanger-toetsenist Einar Solberg. Diens geschreeuw sprak me echter minder aan maar zijn 'normale' zang en de diverse instrumentale passages waren zeer genietbaar. In sommige stukjes was onmiskenbaar de invloed van Pain Of Salvation  herkenbaar.

Na de twee support-acts volgde een twee uur durende show van Therion. De lange, wilde haren van de recent vader geworden Christofer Johnsson zijn verleden tijd. Hij voerde het achtkoppige gezelschap aan, dat vooral door de albums Sitra Ahra en de albums daarvoor heen wervelde. Men kreeg wederom het publiek vol achter zich. Statig was de verschijning van Thomas Vikström, wulps en uitdagend de uitstraling van Katarina Lilja, een machtig sopraangeluid van de charmante Lori Lewis en de joker in het gezelschap heette opnieuw Snowy Shaw. Diens outfit en zijn veelzijdige zang, van grunts tot klassieke tenor, waren prima smaakmakers. De rol van het meesterbrein op het podium was, zoals de laatste jaren bescheiden en hij liet vooral gitarist Kristian Vidal en de vier vocalisten schitteren in dit indrukwekkend theatrale muziekspektakel. Opvallend is dat het gehalte aan melodieuze stukken steeds meer toeneemt naarmate de jaren vorderen. Met name door de vier door de wol geverfde vocalisten is Therion zowel als kijkspektakel als bekeken van de progrock de moeite waard. Leuk om te zien hoe sopraan Lewis ook nog piano speelt en dat Vikström de dwarsfluit weet te hanteren.

Twijfelende proggers die Therion van vroeger kennen, moeten toch deze muziek nog maar eens een herkansing geven. Met een dirigent als Johnsson aan het roer gaat Therion zeker het 25-jarig jubileum halen!

ENGLISH:

A few years back, I had the pleasure of seeing Therion in the same venue with their Gothic Kabbalah-show. Instead of Therion's new frontman Thomas Vikström (ex-Candlemass), back then there was Mats Levén, accompanied by the same three vocalists as on the bill now, namely Lori Lewis, Katarina Lilja and Snowy Shaw. Because of maybe another musical direction, another image or whatever other reason, mastermind Christofer Johnsson decided to fire his band and recorded Therion's latest offering Sitra Ahra with Johan Koleberg on drums, Christian Vidal on guitar and Nalle Pählsson on bass. For the tour, however, Pählsson was replaced by Waldemar Sorychta. To my surprise the venue Oosterpoort was almost deserted when I came to collect my photo pass. It turned out that the show was transferred to the small hall, instead of the main hall, where it had originally been scheduled. Apparently, the ticket sales were somewhat disappointing...

Indeed, when the first support-act Loch Vostok came on stage, the hall - and only downstairs - was only filled halfway. This five-piece from Sweden, fronted by the heavy weight guitar player Teddy Möller, played a kind of raw hardcore-metal combination. In spite of the impressive guitar solos and some fine melodic bits and pieces, the majority of the music by Mano Lewys (guitar), Tomas 'Tym' Jonsson (bass), Fredrik Klingwall (keyboards) and Lawrence Dinamarca (drums) was just not progressive enough and too raw and heavy for my ears.

Next in line were Leprous, a young five-piece from Norway fronted by Einar Solberg (synthesizers, vocals). He wore dreadlocks and just like his band mates he was dressed in red and grey. The band looked much sweeter than their music, an interesting combination of metal, avant-garde, pop and progressive rock. Although I do not like grunts or shouts, parts of the music most certainly proved to be appealing to a lot of people in the audience. Together with his young band mates - ages from 19 'till 24 - Tor Oddmund Suhrke (guitar), Halvor Strand (bass), Øystein Landsverk (guitar) and Tobias Ørnes Andersen (drums), the set featured their album Tall Poppy Syndrome, but according to Solberg's remarks, there's a new album on the way! Influences from the eighties synthi-pop, Pain Of Salvation and A.C.T. could be distinguished. The stage performance was focused on Solberg, dancing and making gestures behind his keys, while both guitar players tried hard to stay glued to their positions for the whole set. These youngsters don't have a lot of experience yet, although the band was founded back in 2001. Talented enough, however, and as far as I'm concerned surely worthwhile to review their forthcoming album!

Then Therion: most of us will know that the band plays a very different kind of music compared to the early days, although some classical influences were present from the beginning. The long, thin hair of founding member Johnsson was cut and the composer of most of Therion's music now looks like a perfect gentleman in his costume, bow tie and high hat. Only the gloves were lacking! Then the vocalists: Lori Lewis, a good looking American soprano kept amazing me with her powerful voice and her impressive range. And then the evocative Katarina Lilja, playing the audience with her challenging looks and versatile voice. The appearnace of Therion's new  frontman Thomas Vikström, was both solemn as well as intriguing. He didn't seem to have any difficulties to take part in the theatrical performances of his companion vocalists, while he managed to use his voice as a trained tenor and exceeding my expectations in his performance of Blood Of Kingu. At times Thomas played the flute too. Last but not least the entertainer of the show: Snowy Shaw. His outfit and appearance alone were enough to get the audience ecstatic. Growling grunts, classical singing as a tenor, high screams, a clear voice, Shaw mastered all of those very convincingly. His wild blond hair, black moustache and Alice Cooper-make up were a perfect combination to lift the whole spectacle to a higher level. Too bad only the bottom floor of the Oosterpoort"was filled. This show certainley deserved better.

Christian Vidal, the new guitar virtuoso from Argentina, played with much skills and with ease and seemed to be relaxed in his new role as lead guitarist for Therion. Johnsson, as always inconspicuously but still the undisputable director of the theatre and only once at the microphone to thank the loyal fans and introducing the second encore To Mega Therion. To my surprise Lori Lewis played the piano on several tracks while the other keyboards seem to come from a disc or lap top. Johan Koleberg did a perfect job high above the others, but the smoke screen made him as good as invisible. In the shade and with a rather poor stage act, the stand in bass player Waldemar Sorychta was visually the less interesting part of the show. One of the unexpected highlight was a great rendition of Clavicula Nox, a re-arranged classical piece from the Miskolc Experience album. Musically there was a lot to be enthusiastic about, also from a progressive rock point of view. Though the roots are metal, the musical, pop, classical and folkloristic influences make the music of Therion from a different dimension and hard to put in a box. Symphonic gothic metal maybe could be the most accurate description, but what's more important, Therion are not done yet and presumably the music will only get better still. Surely their last album Sitra Ahra could be worth checking out. This evening was definitely worth watching.

Setlist Loch Vostok: Dystopium, Absence, A Mission Undivine, Navigator, Repeat Offender, Energy Taboo.

Setlist Leprous: Unknown (my apologies), Phantom Pain, Dare You, White, Unknown (apologies again), Passing.

Setlist Therion: Sitra Ahra, Wine Of Aluqah, Typhon, Perennial Sophia, Hellequin, Niefelheim, Clavicula Nox, Voyage Of Gurdieff, Ljusalfheim, Dies Irae, Ginnungagap, Kali Yuga III, Call Of Dagon, Siren Of The Woods, Enter Vril-Ya, Blood Of Kingu, MLemuria, Abraxas, Unguentum Sabbati.

Encore 1: Rise Of Sodom & Gomorrah.

Encore 2: To Mega Therion.