By many "Vovin", the follow-up to the mighty "Theli", is hailed as best THERION-album. For many years now I am an avowed THERION-fan and dare to disagree.
Compared to the all-time-milestone "Theli" "Vovin" is a lot calmer, the Metal-share has been heavily reduced, while the classical element has been equally emphasised. Basically you could call "Vovin" the most "arty" album of the Swedes around mastermind "Christofer Johnsson", evil tongues yet also claim the most sedative...
Only the aptly titled "The Wild Hunt", with former GAMMA RAY and now PRIMAL FEAR Ralf Scheepers on vocals, and parts of "Wine Of Aluqah" remind of the furiousness of the predecessor, the rest is dominated by quite measured compositions with rather gentle choir- or solo-vocals and invite you to float away. "Eye Of Shiva" or "Birth Of Venus Illegitima" are prime examples for this, sometimes I feel reminded of some theatre-play with some electric guitars as fitting musical element, I can vividly imagine people in tuxedo and tie or evening gown listening to the sounds, sitting in their cushioned seats...
The "Draconian Trilogy" of "The Opening", "Morning Star" and "Black Diamond" then offers us a journey through the calmer side of THERION, covering everything from the dreamy until the intensive passages that you would expect of the Swedes in this department. And the closing "Raven Of Dispersion" is another highlight full of intensity, especially vocally.
All in all an album that should rather be viewed as a piece of art than a Metal-album, I personally (apart from "The Wild Hunt") miss the pepper in it, but on the other hand it is a very flowing album, which might have paved some fan's way into the Metal and also some ardent classic-fans might have had to admit that Metal is at least a little more than only noise and thrashing...
