Therion bio

Christofer Johansson - guitars & vocals Kristian Niemann - guitars Johann Niemann - bass

Founded in 1987 in Sweden by bassist & vocalist Christofer Johnsson, guitarist Peter Hansson, and drummer Oskar Forss as Blitzkrieg, the new band's impending break-up one year later would not mark the end of the collaborative efforts between these musicians. Fueled by the influence of Switzerland's Celtic Frost, Christofer switched to guitar and sought a new incarnation as a creative death metal band under the name MEGATHERION (inspired by Celtic Frost's 1985 release, To Mega Therion) with former bandmate Hansson, and both soon re-welcomed drummer Oskar Forss back into the fold. The band's name was ultimately shortened to THERION, but by no means would the career that awaited them be abbreviated. Their full-length 1991 debut on Deaf Records, Of Darkness… earned the band their first success in the metal underground, and especially notable was what the song "Symphony For The Dead" accomplished with its use of keyboards, female vocals, and clean male vocals. In the wild years of experimentation that followed, THERION explored occult lyrical concepts, the use of keyboards, Persian music scales, jazz, industrial music, gothic chanting, and classic '80s metal sounds. The results were the innovative albums Beyond Sanctorum, Ho Drakon Ho Megas, and Lepaca Kliffoth.

Strangely enough, while the band was busy charting new musical territory, their future remained uncertain. Member turmoil, few touring opportunities, and small recording budgets resulted in another transitional phase for THERION. After a crucial demonstration of belief & support from their new label Nuclear Blast and after hiring freelance musicians to fulfill his musical vision, Christofer poured his energies into creating 1996's Theli, lauded as the album where THERION broke loose from all genre confines and started a musical revolution of their own. Featuring (among other things) two choirs (one classic, one rock) and an avalanche of keyboards, Theli was received with such fervor that THERION was now receiving multiple tour offers, secured a manager, re-negotiated their label contract, and thus paved the way to all that the band has accomplished to this day.

A seventeen-year career in the music industry as an independent artist is no easy feat. As a tribute to the unorthodox achievements which stand as landmarks in THERION's history, Nuclear Blast takes great pride in releasing the band's first box set entitled Celebrators of Becoming. Two versions of this impressive career-spanning six-disc set (one regular; one luxury; both to include 4 DVDs + 2 audio CDs) will be available in North America on June 13th.