Customer Reviews

Sitra Ahra

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

After the embarassment of the Gothic Kabbalah, which sounded very much like a cheep, low-budget knock-off/imitation of the Therion we used to know an love, they've come back with an album that goes back to awesome orchestrations and layered vocals. It seems they either found some funding, or realized the bland, thin sound of GK really wasn't their style.

I was pretty leary of picking up this title after the immense let down that was GK. I'm glad I took the risk, and that Therion has returned to the sound of greatness we usually associate with them. Thank you for coming back to the dark side of symphonic/daemonic rock Therion!

The Lineup:

The band was dismissed and this album comes in with mostly new members. It has basically the same sound that therion always had except the new drummer sounds a lot more basic and simple compared to the previous melodic and progressive drummer (petter karlson). I do miss the old drummer in this album. While the drummer takes a step backwards, the new bassist is amazing.

Besides the fact that the amazing lori lewis is on this album, there really aren't too many female parts. It's mostly choirs and males with a few small parts for female vocals.

Album Background:

Therion writes a new album after Deggial but instead of making it they make Secret of the Runes. Over time they have enough material for 3 albums so they release 2 at once- lemuria/sirius b. They were going to release the 3rd album next, but instead wrote new material and made Gothic Kabbalah (though the first and last song on this album are the original songs for the 3rd album). So this album is actually mostly old material written at the same time as Lemuria/Sirius b.

Beyond that they recorded it so it would sound like an old album from the 70s. So it has that old analog sound. In some ways it is much richer and fuller of a sound, feels more eerie but in other ways a weak mix. Overall we can just say it sounds different from most modern releases.

The Sound:

Which gets us to time travel... take all of Therion's old albums (each one with a different sound, but still recognizably Therion) and put them in a blender and you get Sitra Ahra.

This is about as typical of a therion album as you can get. For a long time fan it is an *ok* release, mostly rehashing the same old techniques used in previous albums (only this time it doesn't sound as fresh) with copying guitar riffs from old 70s songs (commonly done by therion).

The album cosists of 11 solid tracks. None of them suck, but some of them take some getting used to. So depending on your tastes each person has a different list of songs they love or don't like.

Personally I find Kings of Edom to be a bit boring. The song is predictable and rehashes old melodies from the 70s with the same old riffs used in previous therion songs coming together in an easy to listen to but unamazing track. The song has some cool parts (like the acoustic guitars) but just drags on too long for me. So really a bland *ok* song, even though many people find it to be their favorite. The simple but solid drums tend to bore in all the songs compared to previous releases.

Unguetum Sabbati is amazing, one of my favorites. But again it rips off of fantom of the opera stealing riffs from nightwish.

Land of Canaan is my favorite track. A long epic 70s rock sounding song with great vocals and symphony, solid guitar riffs and so forth. However it rips off several elements from 70s rock bands and is a bit of a tribute to klaatu or similar to the 1964 Animals- House of the Rising Sun only more "symphonic".

Cu Chulain is one my favorites as well with awsome riffs, great vocals, cool guitar solos and solid riffs. It sounds like something from lemuria/sirius b.

Children of the Stone has pink floyd sounds to it.

Overall it is a tribute to 70s rock, a blend of old therion styles as well. It's mostly like a vintage 70s esque version of lemuria/sirius b with a few progressive Gothic Kabbalah elements.

There's really nothing unexpected here, a totally typical Therion album, no filler songs. It's not my favorite album from Therion, but not a disappointment either.

This is not a commercial-sounding proggy metal album like Gothic Kabbalah was, nor is it an epic plodding and coherent operatic work like Secret of the Runes. Sitra Ahra is more a mishmash of 70s Scorpions, King Crimson, Theli, and Lemuria/SiriusB, with some wild excursions like Unguentum Sabbati and Din which are more metal-like. So if you're mainly into technical, prog, death, and/or black metal then you may be disappointed. If you're okay with avant garde, retro, 70s rock, melodic metal, and indie/experimental stuff, then you may appreciate it more.

Sitra Ahra was intentionally recorded to have a 70s analog sound. This was done for artistic, honorary (to 70s artists), and experimental reasons. On the plus side, this gives it a more direct, personal, intimate sound. While that allows for good separation among the various instruments and vocals, for kicks I threw 20% basic plate reverb on the songs and it sounds friggin'awesome through headphones that way. The biggest surprise though was the Bass guitar tone ... wow!

Overall, the album is more focused on simple but elegant melody, catchiness, and groove than epic ambiance or technical prowess. The song composition itself isn't simplistic though, there's actually a lot going on and it's elegantly stitched together. Think of Scorpion's Virgin Killer album, which was a tight bundle of good catchy melodies. Same with Sitra Ahra.

The vibe on this album is more celebratory and euphoric with more astral/occult overtones than previous albums, slight Swing Diablo Orchestra vibe. Though I wouldn't call this music dorky unless you're some curmudgeon in corpse paint. For me it has good re-playability. In my opinion, Hellequin and Land of Canaan are the best song on the album. I'm giving Sitra Ahra 4 instead of 5 stars because it's only the beginning, and not the zenith, of the new lineup, and Amazon won't allow 6 stars for the next album.

I honestly don't get the one and two star reviews. Is the new Therion album ground breaking? No. Does it utilize the tried and successful formula for creating bombastic orchestral progressive rock? Yes, big time. This album obviously proves that the sole person behind Therion is Christofer Johnsson. A whole new lineup and yet you would not even notice it. Every song is immediately catchy. It is my second favorite Therion album behind the double release of Lemuria/Sirius B. Upon the first listening experience I was hooked immediately. Much better then Gothic Kabbalah. Din even dives into black metal territory. This is sumptuous music.

Therion didn't invent symphonic metal, but after Theli's runaway success, Cristopher Johnsson (the band's only constant member and musical driving force during the band's career) became the father of this subgenre to most metal pundits, since that album was the first successful coupling of two very disparate musical camps and for once, the symphonic parts sounded like they were composed alongside the riffs and not added as an afterthought. After this seminal album, Therion kept repeating this winning formula with bigger budgets by replacing samples with real instruments and adding more opera singers in each subsequent album with varying degrees of artistic success. After reaching a second artistic peak with the Lemuria / Sirius B double album, Mr. Johnsson decided to go after a simpler, more stripped down approach on 2007's Gothic Kabbalah, which in hindsight proved disastrous, since Therion's signature sound is all about symphonic bombast, and frankly, without full classical embellishments, the metal element is kind of lame at worst and painfully generic at best.

Thank goodness then that with this album, Mr. Johnsson doesn't pull any punches and returns to the over produced classical bombast featured on Vovin, Deggial, Secret of the Runes and the aforementioned double album: aside from an 18 piece classical chorus, a children's chorus and a full symphonic orchestra, we get a top notch band that includes metal luminaries such as Thomas Vikstrom, Waldemar Sorychta and the legendary Snowy Shaw.

So ultimately, this album is just business as usual in the Therion camp: a nice addition to the band's signature, classical bombast heavy sound that's not really in league with its most celebrated works. Fans of the band will hail it as a return to form and everyone else will just ask what all the fuss is about.

As a side note, even if you're not a big fan of the band, don't miss this album's tour: the set list and pacing of the show are absolutely perfect, the live band sounds as tight as can be, and the four vocalist's performances are short of unbelievable. I saw the band perform last October on a medium capacity theatre, and it was literally one of the best metal shows I have ever witnessed in my twenty five years of headbangin'.

I've been a Therion fan for about 10 years and seen a lot of the changes the band has gone through. I actually like all the Therion albums, including this one.

However, this album is an enigma. The first half of the album is excellent, some of the best Therion. It's strongly thematic (Canaanite / Kaballist -- but I'm no expert on the subject). However, the second half is, at its best, extremely generic and, at its worst, simply bad songwriting and performing.

My favorite songs on the album are "Land of Canaan" and "Hellequin." "Land of Canaan" features strong lyrics and excellent music (with various dramatic timing changes, as well as vocal and instrumental style changes). "Hellequin" is a Therion masterpiece-the four part vocal performance is pure Therionesque genius.

But immediately after Hellequin, we get "2012." This is possibly the worst song Therion has ever written and performed. The singing sounds strained and unnatural. The music is repetitive. The choral performance seems completely out of place. The lyrics seem wandering and pointless. I've removed the song from all of my devices.

The rest of the songs after 2012 are somewhat better, but still very generic. They simply don't add to the album at all.

I'm glad I bought the album. The price is well worth the first five songs.

I had heard good things about Therion's new CD Sitra Ahra. I have no idea what the titile means, but the CD is very good. Lots of different types of music. Because of the diverse music on the disc, it takes a couple of listens to really get into it. So if you're looking for something new and different, pick up this disc.

Therion has had more members in it than a sorority girl at [insert slutty college here]. Sitra Ahra features yet another change personnel. The best lineup, in my opinion, was the Wacken '08 and the subsequent North American tour lineup. Specifically, Snowy Shaw, Thomas Vikström, Lori Lewis, and Katarina Lilja on vocals; Christopher Johansson and Kristian Niemann on guitar; Johan Niemann on bass; and Petter Karlsson on drums. For Sitra Ahra, the whole band (save for Johansson) has been changed out. Despite what Wikipedia says, Katarina is not on this disc, which is a shame since she was my favorite singer. Lori Lewis and Snowy Shaw are on the CD, but aren't technically members of the band, as they are "close collaborators".

Though 3 of the singers from my acclaimed lineup appear on the album, the vocal style of the album has regressed to a Secret of the Runes-esque vocal sound, mixed with some Sirius B-type lead vocals. Heavy use of choirs throughout the disc give the album an operatic feel that wasn't present (and wasn't missed) on Gothic Kabbalah. No, it's not necessarily bad, it's just that I was hoping they would pick up where Gothic Kabbalah left off.

Musically, it's somewhat different than most of their recent albums. There are some faster songs than on previous album, such as "Din", as well as some harsh vocals here and there. Are they trying to respect their roots or something? Because they shouldn't. Death metal Therion should never be revisited. Ever.

"Unguentum Sabbati" has a Phantom of the Opera riff in it. That song is fine until the Phantomriff. Once that hits, I have completely checked out of the song and am thinking about Nightwish.

You've no doubt thought to yourself, "You know what Therion is missing? Children's choirs!" Well, your wish has been granted. No, they don't ruin the album like you'd expect they would. But I'm sure you are feeling as uneasy about it as I was when I found out.

There is a smattering of lyrical subject matter here, relative to a typical Therion album. All the songs are based on myths from various civilizations, as opposed to a singular mythology (à la Secret of the Runes). For example, "Cú Chulainn" is a Celtic heroic figure, "Kali Yuga Part 3' is based on the Indian version of Armageddon (parts 1 & 2 are found on Sirius B), and "Sitra Ahra" is part of Kabbalah ... mythos? I don't know what to call it.

Unlike Gothic Kabbalah, this album doesn't really have any tracks that stick out. As an album, it's pretty solid, but there aren't any songs on here that I would specifically seek out later.

Sitra Ahra is a decent album, especially if you're a fan of the stuff they released in the first half of the decade. I'd recommend a different album, such as Gothic Kabbalah, to someone who isn't already into Therion before I would recommend Sitra Ahra, though.

(Originally written for SteelResolve.com)

One of the things that's always been impressive about Therion is how Christofer Jonsson has managed to keep Therion moving forwards and continually evolving despite almost constant lineup adjustments. Gothic Kabbalah was a case in point; a fresh approach but still distinctively Therion. So what happens when the entire instrumental core of the band, particularly the outstanding Niemann brothers, is lost? What about the loss of a couple of key singers in the form of the very appealing (Katarijna Lilja) and the truly great (Mats Leven)? Could Christofer pull it off?

Well if you a fan of highly experimental rock, say a heavier Pink Floyd or possibly something like Alice Cooper, then maybe. But if you're a fan of the focused, powerful and commanding presence that Therion has been over the last ten years or so, the answer may very well be no.

I'm in the latter camp so I may as well just spit it out. For me, Sitra Ahra isn't awful, its probably ok for background music, but really, thats not what I like Therion for. There are some good bits here and there, but they never come together in any coherent way or develop in a clear direction. Whats worse, is that there is an equal or greater measure of elements that come off poorly; things like singers trying to sound imposing and authoritative, but ending up sounding weak and goofy, lots of quasi-classical momentum killing instrumental breaks, and abrupt tempo and arrangement changes that don't make a lot of sense.

For someone with my point of view, the easiest way to sum it up is that this version of Therion just isn't all that good. There is a huge difference in musical capability - the new players aren't anywhere the caliber of the departed, the vocals are pretty mediocre, and the writing is unfocused and scattershot. Sitra Ahra lacks any kind of impact; with the kind of lyrical and thematic approach Therion has, the net effect is, well, just dorky. It seems Christofer just couldn't reproduce the magic this time; as if he settled for who and what was around and available and just pasted together what he could to keep things going.

As others have pointed out, Sitra Ahra does have a sort of "retro Therion" sound. Those who prefer 1990s Therion; particularly the more abstract and experimental aspects of it, might be more open to it. Those who prefer the more powerful and heavy groove of 2000s Therion might not be so accommodating. Either way, the sample clips available on Amazon are a pretty good indicator; you can get a pretty good feel for how much you'll like Sitra Ahra by listening through them.

I know I'm in the minority in saying this, but in my (not so) humble opinion, Therion hit their peak in 2007 with Gothic Kabbalah. That was a double album's worth of stellar production, phenomenal performances and great songs full of drama, mystery and life affirming grandeur. I consider it the band's masterpiece and always find it a pleasure to bask in the glory of its golden rays.

Now Christofer Johnsson has returned with the 2010 version of Therion in the form of Sitra Ahra, and once again we have a new lineup. The Niemann bros. and Mats Leven are long gone, and to say the band has suffered by their absence would be an understatement, with only new bassist Nalle Pahlsson making a positive impression. In the three years since Gothic Kabbalah's release, Therion have gone through a creative collapse and put forth their worst album since Theli broke the band big in 1996.

The album art is ugly and stupid, featuring what appears to be a giant clam, which once pointed out needs no further elaboration. The band photos would be hilarious if I didn't care so much, but since I do, they're pathetic, sad and embarrassing. If the metal community were like high school, these guys wouldn't make it ten feet down the hall before getting wedgies and thrown into lockers. I mean, things were starting to get silly before, but now they've crossed the line into outright goofiness. All of this would be easily forgiven if the band delivered a killer album which Sitra Ahra is far from.

The production isn't much to speak of with the worst offense being the weak guitar tone making for the least heavy and least rewarding listening experience the band has offered to date. The songs themselves are a mishmash of good and bad ideas thrown together with no rhyme or reason, and though there might be twenty minutes of quality here, it's scattered all over the place in bits and pieces. My favorite track is "Unguentum Sabbati," which on Gothic Kabbalah would have been 16th best, but here it's the highlight merely by being the most decent among a sorry lot of songs. The rest is an uninspired mess, the product of a band whose well of creativity has run dry and is now forcing the issue. The finale alone serves as the band's "jump the shark" moment where its ridiculous children's choir shattered my crumbling devotion into a pile of dust.

The Therion concept is overbaked at this point, and with Sitra Ahra, the band has become a parody of itself in every way, shape and form. I'm sorry, but it's time for Christofer Johnsson to dismantle the thing and start over because he's lost his way and released an album not worthy of the band's legacy. I know people's taste in music is a personal thing, and so one man's crap sandwich is another man's ice cream sundae. Speaking for myself, Sitra Ahra is a crap sandwich that's left me sick and struggling to reach the bathroom before untold horrors are unleashed upon innocent bystanders.