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Therion > Lepaca Kliffoth > Reviews > Khull
Therion - Lepaca Kliffoth

Successful Bridging of Polar Opposites - 90%

Khull, May 28th, 2009

Yeah, this is one of those albums that straight up kicks your ass. Lepaca Kliffoth is perhaps the most overlooked album of Therion's career; plenty of people have heard their death metal oriented stuff, and of course their fame as a symphonic outfit, but by and large Theli's smashing success really prevented this album from getting the attention it deserves. Lepaca Kliffoth sadly escapes the ears of many a metalhead and Therion fan, which is a damn shame considering the music found here is, like most Therion releases, unique to itself and utterly genius.

Lepaca Kliffoth is the 'bridge' between death and symphonic era Therion; there are a number of little quirks that mark the beginnings of their later sound, including extensive keyboard usage and soprano female vocals. However, Christofer just wasn't ready to let go of the death metal mentality completely, as the guitar distortion and technique are quite reminiscent of their first three works. Drumming mimics that of their death days too; complex and ever changing beats aren't heard at all, instead fairly routine yet standard drums are laid on each song. The end result means Kliffoth is something like an extra-heavy, heavy metal album, and it works brilliantly.

There's stuff here for every type of Therion fan. Wings of the Hydra, Darkness Eve, and Melez are simple crushers serving as the last remnants of the dying style; Darkness Eve even featuring some of the best riffs of Therion's life. Evocation of Vovin, Lepaca Kliffoth, and Beauty in Black herald in the now-signature symphonic style, offering dynamic melodies, soprano female vocals, and a number of verses utilizing keyboards. Evocation of Vovin, the closer, is especially well placed on the album. Perhaps the most different than any of the other tracks, it's place makes for the ultimate closure of Therion's death metal days. It's also one of the best tracks on the album.

One of the bigger negatives, or turn-offs, are Christofer's vocals here. His pitch is the same as that of death-era Therion, especially Symphony Masses, but this time around all the harshness has gone out of it. What you're left with is a voice freakishly resembling that of a man with too much food stuffed in his mouth, trying to sing without taking the time to swallow. No better is this shown than the chorus of Black. When taken in context of Kliffoth's sound as a whole, they aren't that out of place, but expect them to feel quite goofy the first spin or two. In addition, certain tracks suffer from an overly-chuggy sound, especially Wings of the Hydra and Melez – those still largely riddled with death influences. While the songs eventually please the ears, the initial listen could generate potentially negative feelings – I personally feel they were two rather bad choices for starting tracks, but I'm not Christofer to decide that.

All in all Lepaca Kliffoth is a damn solid Therion album, one that most certainly deserves more recognition than it gets. Highlight tracks include Darkness Eve, Black, and Evocation of Vovin.
The recommendation here goes out to any Therion fan, as well as those digging straight heavy metal in general. You're doing yourself a disservice, especially as a fan, by not listening to this album. This isn't a death metal album; this isn't a symphonic album. Lepaca Kliffoth hovers somewhere in between, a heavier sort of heavy metal.