Therion

Founded in 1987 by Christofer Johnsson, Therion is a Swedish band originally playing death metal, but which later evolved toward a symphonic style combined with more traditional heavy metal. The band's name was inspired by the title of Celtic Frost's album To Mega Therion (1985), which in Greek refers to the beast of the Book of Revelation. Since the release of the album Symphony Masses: Ho Drakon Ho Megas in 1993, the themes of Therion's albums draw on various mythologies (Sumerian, Scandinavian...) as well as a multitude of occult themes. If one sets aside the band's early albums, which are very close to death metal, Therion gives pride of place to operatic singing as well as to instruments such as the cello, uncommon in the metal world. The band returned to death metal, but under the name Demonoid.