''Leviathan II'' is the eighteenth studio album by Swedish

symphonic metal Symphonic metal is a cross-genre style designation for the symphonic subsets of heavy metal music subgenres. It is used to denote any metal band that makes use of symphonic or orchestral elements. The style features the heavy drums and guitars ...

band Therion. It was released on 28 October 2022 by

Nuclear Blast Records Nuclear Blast Records is a German record label with subsidiary, subsidiaries located in Germany, the United States and Brazil. It was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Donzdorf. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label moved on ...

. It is the follow-up to the first ''Leviathan'' album. According to Christofer Johnsson, this second part of the trilogy attempts aimed towards a "more moody and melancholic" sound, that rekindles the "mystic, melancholic aura" of their groundbreaking work ''Vovin''.

Lyrical themes

As with most Therion albums, all songs are based on various mythologies, as well as other mystical traditions and lore. * '' Aeon Of Maat'' is about the next spiritual era of mankind, prophesized by

Aleister Crowley Aleister Crowley ( ; born Edward Alexander Crowley; 12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947) was an English occultist, ceremonial magician, poet, novelist, mountaineer, and painter. He founded the religion of Thelema, identifying himself as the pr ...

. * ''Litany Of The Fallen'' talks about the rebellion and defeat of

Lucifer The most common meaning for Lucifer in English is as a name for the Devil in Christian theology. He appeared in the King James Version of the Bible in Isaiah and before that in the Vulgate (the late-4th-century Latin translation of the Bib ...

and the fallen angels that accompanied him. * ''Alchemy Of The Soul'' is about the works of

alchemy Alchemy (from the Arabic word , ) is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and protoscientific tradition that was historically practised in China, India, the Muslim world, and Europe. In its Western form, alchemy is first ...

and the

philosopher's stone The philosopher's stone is a mythic alchemical substance capable of turning base metals such as mercury into gold or silver; it was also known as "the tincture" and "the powder". Alchemists additionally believed that it could be used to mak ...

. * ''Lunar Coloured Fields'' talks about Life on the Moon. * ''

Lucifuge Rofocale ''The Grand Grimoire'', also known as ''Le Dragon Rouge'' or ''The Red Dragon'', is a black magic goetic grimoire. Different editions date the book to 1521, 1522 or 1421. Owen Davies suggests 1702 is when the first edition may have been created ...

'' is about Lucifuge, the demon lord of Saturn from the ''

Grand Grimoire ''The Grand Grimoire'', also known as ''Le Dragon Rouge'' or ''The Red Dragon'', is a black magic goetic grimoire. Different editions date the book to 1521, 1522 or 1421. Owen Davies suggests 1702 is when the first edition may have been creat ...

''. * ''Marijin Min Nar'' is about the legendary

djinn Jinn or djinn (), alternatively genies, are supernatural beings in pre-Islamic Arabian religion and Islam. Their existence is generally defined as parallel to humans, as they have free will, are accountable for their deeds, and can be either ...

from Arabian tradition. * ''

Hades Hades (; , , later ), in the ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, is the god of the dead and the king of the Greek underworld, underworld, with which his name became synonymous. Hades was the eldest son of Cronus and Rhea ...

And

Elysium Elysium (), otherwise known as the Elysian Fields (, ''Ēlýsion pedíon''), Elysian Plains or Elysian Realm, is a conception of the afterlife that developed over time and was maintained by some Greek religious and philosophical sects and cult ...

'' is about those locations of the afterlife from

Greek mythology Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of ancient Greek folklore, today absorbed alongside Roman mythology into the broader designation of classical mythology. These stories conc ...

. * ''Midnight Star'' is about

Zorya Zorya (Literal translation, lit. "Dawn"; also many variants: Zarya, Zaria, Zorza, Zirnytsia, Zaranitsa, Zoryushka, etc.) is a figure in Slavic folklore, a feminine personification of dawn, possibly goddess. Depending on tradition, she may appear ...

, the goddess of dawn from Slavic folklore. * ''Cavern Cold As Ice'' is about the cave where queen of sorcessess Agrat bat Mahlat dwells. * ''

Codex Gigas The ''Codex Gigas'' ("Giant Book"; ) is the largest extant medieval illuminated manuscript in the world, at a length of . It is a Romanesque Latin Bible, with other texts, some secular, added in the second half of the book. Very large illumin ...

'' is about the book of the same name and its legend, that states it was inspired by the demons. * ''

Pazuzu In ancient Mesopotamian religion, Pazuzu () is a demonic deity who was well known to the Babylonians and Assyrians throughout the first millennium BCE. He is shown with "a rather canine face with abnormally bulging eyes, a scaly body, a snake-h ...

'' is about the Persian demon of the same name, that protects from foul winds. * The album cover art features a

fallen angel Fallen angels are angels who were expelled from Heaven. The literal term "fallen angel" does not appear in any Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic religious texts, but is used to describe angels cast out of heaven. Such angels are often described ...

next to the seven-headed

Dragon A dragon is a Magic (supernatural), magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but European dragon, dragons in Western cultures since the Hi ...

from the biblical book of Revelation (also previously depicted in the cover arts of '' Lepaca Kliffoth'' and '' Symphony Masses: Ho Drakon Ho Megas'').

Reception

''Leviathan II'' was well-received;

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

considered that, because of its diversity, it wouldn't appeal to every listener, but it still "does offer plenty for those who enjoy the more classical and prog metal characteristics in the band's sound".AllMusic review
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Track listing

References

{{authority control 2022 albums Nuclear Blast albums Therion (band) albums