Therion - Sitra Ahra (2010)

It's a safe assumption that Swedish mainstays have jumped the shark at this point, their best material long behind them, their last stretch of interesting work beginning to gather dust. Sure, Secret of the Runes, Lemuria and Sirius B all had their moments, but the previous album Gothic Kabbalah was average its best, lamentably lame for the remainder of its playtime. The problem really is that the band has become a caricature of what it once created: the fusion of dark, occult themes and symphonic overtures lanced through a fat metallic boil. The male and female choirs have grown stale like old bread, no longer feeling so fresh as they did in the days of a Theli or Vovin, and the band seems to be recanting themselves and not progressing forward. Stale bread might be suitable for starving dogs or the squirrels and crows that clutter your back lawn, but not for someone seeking a deeper musical inspiration.

The reason that Therion's progression is important, is that the band carved out their name upon such an inflated sense for exploration in sound, transforming their death metal roots Of Darkness... and Beyond Sanctorum into the slightly bewildering Gothic death/thrash masterpiece Lepaca Kliffoth and then into a more accessible, bigger budget productions that launched the band out of the underground and into the radar of Nightwish drones, Everquest addicts and closet Renaissance fairgoers the world wide. Truth be told, though, they were still putting out some good music, but that all changed with Gothic Kabbalah, which felt like some phoned in approximation of the band's former strengths, drowned in pomp and cliche. I might not have been the hugest fan of, say, a Deggial or Lemuria, but at least there I still recognized the craft of Christofer Johnsson and his troupe, deep at work. With Gothic Kabbalah, that all came to a roaring halt as the lame fairy metal vocals and such overtook the work.

I feel like Sitra Ahra continues along this same downward, weeping path, though the album as a whole is subtly stronger than its predecessor, successful in at least a few of its tracks. With all of the original lineup now long in the past, only Johnsson remains, surrounding himself with his latest traveling circus. Johan Koleberg of Lion's Share on the drums, Nalle Påhlsson of Treat and recent prog metallers Vindictiv, and guitarist Christian Vidal make up the core, with vocals contributed by Lori Lewis of Aesma Daeva, Snowy Shaw of Notre Dame, Dream Evil, King Diamond and so forth, and primarily Thomas Vikström, who fronted Candlemass on their worst album, along with several progressive metal oriented projects. Obviously, this is a metric shit ton of talent and experience, not selling short Christofer himself, who is the sun at the center of this mutant solar system.

Like previous Therion efforts, both the male and female vocals are contrasted between a pair of styles that provide for most of the album's 'diversity'. The male opera choirs and shrill female opera vocals are both executed well enough, as we've come to expect since the band dropped Theli in the 90s. Whether or not the actual lines are that interesting depends on the particular track, but the non-operatic vocals on the entire album are generally quite weak, from the acidic and goofy males to the standard fairy metal tripe of Lewis. Occasionally, you will hear additional voices in between these two sets of poles, usually acceptable, but the album is constantly cycling through highs and lows of brilliance and awkward, unformed ideas that should have been left in the Johnsson's belly to gestate before being shat out across the album. Below this, the music shifts between traditional metal with sporadic flavours of ethnic and progressive influence, woodwinds and so forth.

It's a giant mess, with a number of songs jumbled together like a jambalaya of suck. "Land of Canaan" in particular is a snoozefest of laughable constituents shoved together to prove the band's ability to drop on a dime through various genres, as much Billy Joel as Diamanda Galas. Hearing such a 10.5 minute monstrosity makes me long for a simpler time, when Johnsson himself performed Tom G. Warrior-like riffs and vocals and the band kicked ass upon a dark, mesmerizing platform. This track is simply folly, and so many unfortunately follow suit, like the forgettable and predictable "Cú Chulainn" or the not so epic progressive metal opener "Introduction/Sitra Ahra" with some pretty terrible female vocals that only occasionally border on welcome (it sounds like something Epica might write, but with a male opera singer guesting). Of course, the band drops in hints of power metal as they have since "The Wild Hunt" on Vovin, appearing here on the brief "Din", "Hellequin" or the often raging "Kings of Edom", which in parts is one of the best songs on this album.

I mentioned earlier that there were several effective compositions here, and that is the truth. I found myself somewhat submerged in "2012", which feels for the most part like a mid 90s Therion piece, despite the acidic, higher pitched vocals which counterbalance the shrill female backdrop and doomed atmosphere. This seems to gel together through its entirety, and I appreciated the Godzilla-like horn sections. "Unguentum Sabbati" makes the best use of Shaw's vocals and a dirty, pumping gait whilst the guitars and horns once more excel in unison, though there are a few puddles of weak sauce dotting its landscape. "The Shells Are Open" has the best, pure choral segments on the album and "Kali Yuga III" feels like Therion took a bite out of Senmuth's acid ethnic doom-prog and supplanted it back within its own fertility center to spawn a beautiful little offspring. "Din" rocks, even with the King Diamond wannabe vocals.

So, with half the album being a busted vein of scrotum tightening Gothic vampirella vaudevillian wretchedness, and the other half proof that Johnsson still has the muster to craft the carnal, occult mystique that made us adore his band in the first place, the ability to immerse oneself in this spectrum of sound will rely on just how apathetic you've been towards the last (shitty) record and all the superior work that came before it. There are bits and pieces for fans of almost any phase in this band's career, with the exception of the first two death metal records, but it very often clashes, with the band lurching from one style of music into the next, the only glue fixing them together being the vocals or production. Nothing feels so fresh or fulfilling as the band's evolution throughout the 90s, and to that extent it does seem to be playing it safe, treading little to no new ground. For about 20-30 minutes of Sitra Ahra, I sat with rapt attention like the rest of the squirrels and birds as they squabbled over the scraps being fed out, squandered against the lamer compositions, but too soon did I feel the urge to go inside and close the door on this forever.

Verdict: Indifference [5.75/10]

http://www.megatherion.com/

Therion - Of Darkness (1991)

If your attraction to Therion's music stems solely from their later work, which incorporates increasing use of choir and orchestra to create conceptual, gothic metal symphonies, then their earliest albums might be a little outside your comfort zone. But there was a time in which Therion produced some bleak and evil death metal, with only the barest hint at the band's future direction.

This hint comes in the form of synthesizers, which are used on the opening track "The Return" to create another level of atmosphere behind the dense and central guitars. The guitars are so thick on this album, broiling beneath Christopher Johnsson's reverbrous grunts, that you feel like you are drowning in molasses. "Asphyxiate With Fear" is a faster flurry of vomitous death metal, more in line with early, thrashing Pestilence. In "Morbid Reality", the Hellhammer/ Celtic Frost influence shines through the churning guitar rhythms, though it's faster to the point of grindcore. "Megalomaniac" has a good melody to follow, and "A Suburb to Hell" is one of my easy favorites, from energetic thrash to grinding disgust, and some haunting melodies thrown in there. "Genocidal Raids" is Hellhammer-inspired thrash that opens with a doomed atmosphere, and "Time Shall Tell" revisists this pervasive hybrid, with some sick leads. "Dark Eternity" ends the album with some beefy grooves.

Fighter, rider of the human rights
The killing decision is coming from behind
Disinter the background of this obscene hell
Discover the fear, the sickness and the death

Though charming enough for classic purists of the genre, Of Darkness is far from Therion's best work. The lyrics are average at best, and downright silly in some places. They range from the occult to the more relevant, social topics you'd find in thrash metal. McDonalds feed their cows with our children's lives. I knew there was a reason I liked to eat there.

You can hear the roots of Lepaca Kliffoth here, and the album holds its own against many forgotten peers of the age, but Johnsson and band would have grown bored writing more than a few albums like this, so the orchestral evolution of the band was a wise choice. It's pretty interesting to go back to this or Beyond Sanctorum, then explore the band's incrimental metamorphis through Symphony Masses and Lepaca Kliffoth to their later, diverse concept albums with all the guest musicians.

Highlights: The Return, Megalomaniac, A Suburb of Hell, Dark Eternity

Verdict: Win [7.5/10] (exonerate your head)

http://www.megatherion.com/

Therion - Theli (1996)

The one thing I’ve always loved about Therion is that they keep surprising me at almost every turn with the direction they take with their music. Theli was made soon after Lepaca Kliffoth, and showcased the band moving towards a more operatic style.

Theli achieves the interesting blend of operatic, symphonic and who knows what else that Therion is perhaps best known for. Whereas Lepaca Kliffoth was a transitional phase, Theli represents the style that Therion has morphed to, and will keep for several albums and years to follow (and since we’re talking about Therion, this means that while they remain recognizable, they sure as hell keep introducing variation into their work).

So, how about the music itself? Well, Theli is composed more or less in the form of a single work. Beginning with a prelude, stopping in the middle with an interlude and ending in a finale, the album functions as if it was the soundtrack to some fantastic opera, telling tales of strange and eldritch events. All the songs are tied to each other in some way, so as not to stand out too much. The songs retain their unique sound, and when played back to back become a grand compilation of feelings ready to carry you away to the sea of obscure magic and myth.

Identifying stand-out songs in the album is a little difficult to me, as so many of them are so very, very good. If I had to give one, which stands above all others, it would be “To Mega Therion” with its generous use of operatic female vocals and extremely dynamic structure. Like many of the songs on the album, use of peculiar melodies and Therion’s heavier roots form a glorious symbiosis in “To Mega Therion”, which is pure fuel for imagination. Other peculiarities worth mentioning include “In The Desert of Set” with its blend of nigh-middle-eastern melody, and “The Siren Of The Woods” which slows the album to a tranquil, beautiful end, before throwing one final thrill with “Grand Finale/Postludium”.

Theli is definitely worth checking out if you have a taste for strange music, and good music in general. Therion’s songs are extremely evocative, and their new direction was first showcased in Theli, making this album an interesting starting point for those who might be more averse to Lepaca Kliffoth and Therion’s earlier albums.

Verdict: Epic Win (9/10)

http://www.megatherion.com/

Therion - Lepaca Kliffoth (1995)

Though it was their fourth full-length, and we had been given a sampling of their symphonic/gothic direction with Symphony Masses: Ho Drakon Ho Megas, Lepaca Kliffoth remains the stunning and memorable masterpiece of the band's career. A transitional phase between the band's death metal roots and the hybrid of symphonic, gothic metal they would carry forward for the rest of their years. This is an extremely dark album. The band retains their fascination with obscure occult magicks and prophecies within the lyrics, and the music revolves around very simple mid-paced metal riffs drenched in the vocal libations of Christofer Johnsson.

The album starts off strongly with "The Wings of the Hydra", and from there on the serpent has snaked about your spine. An addictive piece with an obvious Celtic Frost influence, chanting vocals, simple synth tones and arabesque guitar melodies which evoke the mythical age of the song's namesake. "Melez" begins with an unforgettable bass trot, soon covered in glorious octave chords and speed-picked, almost flamenco acoustic guitar, then breaking into a simple but mesmerizing verse, an interplay of keyboards and more of that Middle Eastern feel to the guitars. But the true joy is the excellent, creepy flute/guitar exchange late in the track, which feels like the introduction to some daemonic snake charmer. "Arrival of the Darkest Queen" uses flutes and keyboards to herald the album's 'hit single', "The Beauty in Black". Glorious and gothic, it uses a pair of operatic vocalists (male and female), a sort of predecessor to the revolving door of guest musicians the band will use on later albums. Other excellent tracks include the charging "Riders of Theli", the crushing doom of "Black" which would have fit almost perfectly on Into the Pandemonium. Speaking of Celtic Frost, and as if to prove the massive influence they have, Therion offers a cover here of "Sorrows of the Moon". The rest of the album is equally dark and enchanting, with other standouts being the title track and "Evocation of Vovin".

Some might have found the production on the album crude yet I love it to this day. Synthesizers, flutes multiple vocalists, and the core of the band are all clear and precise throughout, yet it still carries a very raw and dark, ominous tone to it which trumps the later studio efforts. This may not be quite as symphonic as many Therion fans demand of their material in recent years, but it clearly marks the point where this band transformed from a slightly above average death metal band into the gods of crushing gothic death. There are very few parallels to something like this, and it belongs in the collection of any fan of quality occult metal.

Verdict: Epic Win [10/10] (give up your gods)

http://www.megatherion.com/