THELI

"Theli" starts out with a gorgeous instrumental, a great start to a brilliant album. Heavy, unique, lots of classical and some opera influences, a variety of vocals, and bombastic. The main vocals are a bit on the rougher side, contrasting nicely with the abundance of classical sounds. This is not "typical" progressive metal.

"Invocation of Naamah" is my favorite song here, with a fantastic background choir and some great guitar riffs. "The Siren of the Woods" is also great, featuring some wonderful guest vocalists. Later Therion albums have a wider range of vocalists, but there are still a few guest vocalists here. They include Dan Swanö, lead singer of Nightingale (among many other projects).

The remastered version comes with three nice bonus tracks and a bonus DVD. Highly recommended. 4.5 stars.