In some days Therion will release their newest album, the live album, "Live In Midgard". So, it's a great occasion to ask someone from the band about some interesting things and, of course, to talk about their newest album. I decided to talk to Kristian Niemann, the guitarist, because as I know nobody from Poland made an interview with him before. The another one reason of my decision was the fact, that in the internet one cannot find too much him, so I decided to change it a little bit :)

Thor: Hello Kristian. Therion has just released "Live In Midgard". What reasons made you to put this exact set of songs on it?

Kristian Niemann: Since Live in Midgard is a document of the Secret of the Runes tour, the songs are exactly those we played on that tour, more or less in the same sequence too. When we put together a liveset we try to pick songs that are fun to play and that have lots of energy in them, and also we try to come up with a few surprises each time so that the people who've seen us before dont get bored! On this tour we played an unusually long set since we knew it would be recorded and possibly released, and we wanted to include at least one song from every album.

"Live In Midgard" was recorded in Columbia, Budapest and Hamburg, why not in other countries?

We recorded on several different locations and chose the best version of each song for the album.

The DVD was supposed to be released at the same time with "Live In Midgard", but it was not. Can you say what was the reason of that delay?

We were in the process of adding some more material to it to give you more value for your hard-earned cash!

Therion is working on the new album now, can you share some details with us? When will it be ready?

Yes we are indeed writing for the next album but it's too early to say what direction it will go in. Speaking only for myself, I've written a quite diverse collection of songs; slow majestic ballads, aggressive thrashmetal songs etc. One thing I can say is that this next album is probably gonna be the most diverse (and best!) we've done so far!
Recording will start sometime next year. The important thing is having absolutely KILLER material so there is no point in rushing.

You took part in recording two albums, Deggial and Secret. In your opinion, which one is better?

Secret of the Runes, no doubt. Better songs, better playing, heavier production.

Have you learned anything new while working with Chris?

Good question! I've naturally have had to adapt my playing to fit his vision, thats for sure. We have totally different tastes in music so the way I would approach a piece of music in terms of guitar orchestration is very different from Christofers'. Also being on tour, communicating with an audience every night is something he's done a lot more than me so Iêve learned from that.

Which Therion's song was the hardest for you as a guitarist? Most complicated or difficult?

The guitarparts usually aren't very complex; the orchestra and the vocals have the toughest job I think!

In the past the only Therion member was Chris, the rest was only session musicians. What about you, are you a session guitar player, or a regular member?

There are definitively no session musicians in Therion at this point. We are all bandmembers.

Can you tell us something about new drummer?

His name is Richard Evensand and he's a kick-ass metaldrummer for sure! His previous bands include, among others, Ebony Tears, Southpaw and Dog Faced Gods, which he is still a member of. He has done a bunch of studiosessions around Stockholm in various styles of music and is also giving private drumminglessons occasionally. And he's a really nice guy.

In the past you have played in a band, but there`s no info about it. Can you tell something about it?

There's not much to tell. I've played in many bands but none of them ever managed to get signed or anything. Just gigging locally around town.

Was there any concert, that you recall as special in any way? Is so which one and why?

With Therion? To be honest, there are a lot of special memories mostly because of the wonderful crowds we've played to...Athens, South America, Poland. If I have to choose one I have to say Dynamo '99, my first gig with Therion. 25000 metalmaniacs going completely crazy! Fuuuun!

How did you begin your adventure with guitar?

I don't really remember but I think my dad showed me a few chords one day and, inspired by Metallica and Iron Maiden, it just took off from there.

You have played few times in Poland. Is there anything you remembered most from the time you spent in this country?

The great audience!!! Itês always a great pleasure to play in Poland because everyone really seem to enjoy themselves so much and are there to have a good time! One of my favorite places to play, and I MEAN it! I'm not just kissing your ass here (big laugh)

Many people is concerned about your concerts in Poland. Do you think there is the chance to see you here this winter?

No, that's probably not going to happen. We're going to concentrate on writing the new record and that will take up a lot of time.

Ok, thank you very much, see you at your next show in Poland.

The pleasure was all mine.

___

28th September of 2002, by Thor
All rights reserved

Thanks goes to Ivo