Symphony Masses: Ho Drakon Ho Megas

Symphony Masses: Ho Drakon Ho Megas is the third studio album by Swedish symphonic metal band Therion, released in April 1993. The album was remastered and re-released by Nuclear Blast in 2000 as part of The Early Chapters of Revelation box-set.

Etymology
In Ancient Greek Ho Drakon Ho Megas means "The Great Dragon". Uttering Ho Drakon Ho Megas is typically used at the end of ceremonies and rituals when conjuring Draconian force in a magical order Dragon Rouge, in which head of the band Christofer Johnsson used to be member.

Recording and production
Active Records, Therion's music label, decided to scale down their operations and the band was switched to the new owners, Megarock Records. The band was recording the album from December 1992 to January 1993 in The Montezuma Studio in Stockholm, Sweden, with the aid of engineer Rex Gisslén. Symphony Masses: Ho Drakon Ho Megas was released under changed line-up; only Christofer Johnsson remained. During the playing Beyond Sanctorum tour, band ran into a few personnel problems. Oskar Forss decided to leave the band, Peter Hansson quit the band after health problems. Piotr Wawrzeniuk, from the band Carbonized in which Johnsson also played, took up drumming duties. The guitar was taken up by Magnus Barthelsson, an old school friend of Johnsson's, while Andreas Wahl took up the bass.

Songs
The song "A Black Rose" has been included in a Nuclear Blast DVD compilation Death... Is Just the Beginning Classics released on March 25, 2002.

Reception
Symphony Masses: Ho Drakon Ho Megas mostly gained very positive reviews. It has received 4 of 5 rating by Allmusic with songs "Dark Princess Naamah", "Dawn of Perishness" and "Ho Drakon Ho Megas: The Dragon Throne/Fire and Ecstacy" picked by its staff, and 3.47 of 5 by Rate Your Music community being number 473 in its 1993 ranking.

Track listing
All songs were written by Christofer Johnsson.

Personnel

 * Therion
 * Christofer Johnsson – vocals, guitar, keyboards
 * Magnus Barthelsson – guitar
 * Andreas Wallan Wahl – bass guitar
 * Piotr Wawrzeniuk – drums


 * Production
 * Rex Gisslén – engineer, producer
 * Cover design
 * Kristian Wåhlin – cover illustration
 * Mikael P. Eriksson – cover photographs and design