My other half is a complete Therion fanboy, and therefore they are possibly the most heavily rotated artist in this household. While admittedly it does get a little tiresome hearing Theli for the 6th time in one week (variety is the spice of life, is it not?) I do consider myself to be a reasonably big fan of their music. Their sound is as diverse and as ever-changing as the line up – those who follow their career closely will be aware that Christofer Johnson is the only member to have been with them since day one and they get through more musicians than Tiger Woods does women. As diverse as they may be however there is a kind of consistency to their albums and they have a distinct sound that is instantly recognisable. So naturally it’s always a bit exciting when you go to listen to a new Therion album as you know it’s going to be good but you can’t necessarily predict what it’s going to sound like. With Lemuria and Sirius B they seemed to go for a catchier sound that was more guitar-driven than previous stuff, and ‘Gothic Kabbalah’ seemed to progress quite naturally from there introducing more of a progressive influence while toning down the operatic elements quite a bit making an album that was pretty special and unique in sound. So what can you expect from Sitra Ahra?
Well the opening track, entitled ‘Sitra Ahra’ basically sounds very typically Therion – it hits with maximum impact ploughing through with a mighty metallic riff that sounds very reminiscent of the guitars on Sirius B. The momentum doesn’t wane as it flows through to ‘Kings Of Edom’ – string sections work their way in between the heavy guitars, and there are even some rather beguiling flute melodies floating around in the mix giving an Eastern flavour in parts. Everything is big, bombastic and highly theatrical with the dramatic male vocals and the female vocal wails of ‘Edo-o-o-m’ which fit wonderfully. It’s an album that is very much larger than life and is the kind of aural spectacle you can imagine being played out on the stage with lots of colour and swagger, with the Phantom Of The Opera making an appearance during ‘Unguentum Sabbati’ in the dramatic brass instrument that suddenly blares in.
‘Land Of Canaan’ is really the focal point on this album, a stunning 10:32 minute epic that takes you on so many twists and turns that you lose track. I love the mystifying opener with its fluttery female vocals. The melody has a bit of a progressive leaning, and the hard sounding keyboards rock to and fro before spinning off into a dream-like waltz, eventually stomping into a funky rag and bone rhythm with plinky plonky piano, changing yet again and this time I detect more of a Yiddish vibe to the music and warbly vocal style. ‘Hellequin’ sees the vocals reach just about their most operatic point, as a rich baritone booms out with great power, and there’s a kind of urgency as this track builds up whilst once things get into swing it has a rather jaunty rhythm.
‘Cú Chulainn’ sways to the breeze with a calm and wistful melody while the sturdy rhythm section has a nice crunch. The vocals here are clean and powerful, while the bright and chirpy ‘la la la’s here add a certain feminine allure. ‘Kali Yuga pt.3’ assumes a more hushed tone, while ‘The Shells Are Open’ has some quirky sinuous guitar melodies. ‘Din’ is surely an appropriate name as it’s just about the most straight forwardly heavy number on the album – it thrashes away while the vocals sound raspy and aggressive. ‘After the Inquisition: Children of the Stone’ draws you in with its relaxing and rather melancholic panpipes that take you into the desert, and the child-like vocals are a nice touch. Therion have yet again created an excellent album and one that will no doubt get many, many more plays in this house. I look forward to seeing the new stuff live in October.
http://www.megatherion.com/
http://www.myspace.com/therion
