A n experimental Swedish death metal band , Therion was formed in 1987 by Christofer Johnsson (vocals/guitar), Peter Hansson (guitar), Oskar Forss (drums) and Erik Gustafson (bass) and, after recording demos with a certain old-school edge signed a contract with Peaceville for one album. Of Darkness " and Beyond Sanctorum were competent enough, but the world's metal fans had plenty of other bands to occupy them and it was only with the signing of a long-term contract with Nuclear Blast that Therion developed an avant garde edge. This came to the fore on 1993's Symphony Masses: Ho Drakon Ho Megas , recorded by a new line-up comprising Johnsson, Magnus Barthelson (guitar), Andreas Wallan Wahl (bass) and Piotr Wawrzeniuk (drums). Bass player Frederik Isaksson joined Johnsson and Wawrzeniuk on the ensuing Lepaca Kliffoth , while Lars Rosenberg (bass) and Jonas Mellberg (guitar/keyboards) helped record Theli and 1997"s covers album, A'Arab Zaraq Lucid Dreaming . T...