Therion - Sitra Ahra

Sitra Ahra is  the fourteenth full-length album by Therion and the first to be released after some changes in the band. Guitarist Christian Vidal, the drummer Johan Koleberg and the bassist Nalle Påhlsson are the new mates of Christofer Johnsson.
This new album doesn't bring anything new to the sound of the band, but that's not a bad thing, this is probably one of their career's best effort. 
Sitra Ahra is an excellent album where once again the classical and operatic sounds are joined perfectly with the power of heavy metal. If there is a band out there capable to mix these sounds in one, that band is Therion.
Every sound seems to embrace the others without the listener feeling the diverse sounds were forced to match up. They make it sound simply and naturaly. And this last album proves it... once again.
The album concept is a continuation of what has begun with albuns like "Lemuria" and "Sirius B".
The album opens with an operatic introduction, feminine voices seems to want lead us to some misterious and dark place. Nothing special in here, but it opens in a good way this last work from this swedish band.
Sitra Ahra, is the first song of the album, this track with the same name of the album, is a classic mid- tempo Therion's song. Here we can listen the contrast of both voices feminine and masculine, one singing operatic other in a more agressive way . The best of this song is the chorus. All the voices together create a catchy piece of the song, it's impossible to listen to it without starting to sing.
Kings Of Edom, starts with a beautiful sound of piano and flute.
Here we find some folk influences. During the 8min52, the tempo constatly switchs from calm to speed up to the metal territory. One of my favourite, the folk presence, done by the flaut sound, it´s a great acquisition to this melody.
Unguentum Sabbati, is the fourth music, most heavy than the previous ones, this music is quite simple and direct, there´s not too much arrangement on it. The guitar, with its symmetrical powerfull riffs is the predominant instrument on this track. It's a constant march 'till we reach the middle/final of the song, where we can hear some keyboard riffs from Phantom Of The Opera. Another great song.
Land Of Canaan, well well, this is the longest track on the album. With 10min32, this is an epic and strange song. Beginning with sounds that remind us the Oriental sounds, passing to Arabic voices influences, or even french popular sounds, those all mixed transport us to different times and places. In this song there's a lot of various instruments used. From flutes, spanish guitar, piano,to violins, we are even able to hear some harmonica in here.
Just listen and travel with the music to a different place and time that is possible to created by using differents cultural influences. France, The Arabian, or even to the land of mumies, where is your destiny?
Good chorus in here too.
Hellequin, is another great song. The chorus in here are simply magnificent, well structed.This music like others in the album has some 70's influences, mainly in Keyboards. Having nothing more to talk about, this is just another good track.
2012, the lyric is about the Mayan prophecy, the end of the world, or just the end the world as we know nowadays. Once again the chorus are perfectly well done. Catchy and still misterious, they can capture the listener and make him travel in some kind of gothic horror scene. "At least i feel it".
Not the best song in the album, but still a great track.
Cu Chulain the choir is very catchy and happy, and for some reason it sounds familiar with something already done in the past, 70's, 80's maybe, but i didn't find what...yet. That's the first song in the album that didn't seduced me. It's an "okay" song, nothing especially.
Kali Yuga III, the song is the third part of the songs from their Sirius B album.
Kali Yuga in Hinduism, is a dark age of suffering, the final era before the end of the world.
One of the most heavier track on the album, it has some 70's very notable influences on the keyboard. The chorus once again is well structered. Very nice song.
The Shells Are Open, finding the beginning of the song a little ridiculous, i realised that the chorus of this track are one of the best in the album, so enigmatic, misterious, powerfull, without doubt the highlight of this song is the chorus. They appear almost in all song, great great chorus, they could be used in some real vampire film, not the gay thing that is being around on our theatres and tv on these last years, but a real dark vampire old style vampire movie.
Din, why they made this song? Really, why? well the song's structure is weak and poor, mixed with a ridiculous dark, angry voice. Don't waste your time on this song. It's the weakest point on the album. Don't get me wrong, i love heavy music, but this is bad. Next please... And with Children Of The Stone - After The Inquisition,  we reach the end of the album.
Music begins with a beautiful accustic guitar riffs, then the piano comes along with childish chorus.
Once again the keyboards are highly influenced by the 70's.
It's a calm and a beautiful song.
With a Pink floyd influences, this track closes this amazing album in a good way not perfectly but in a good way.



Well structed, great songs,good lyrics (inspired by mythology and prophecies), amazing chorus, make this album what it is. Sitra Ahra highly influenced by the 70's is a great album, probably, the best album of the year.
The great production, allow us to listen every instrument clearly what is rare nowdays, for example, this is one of the few albuns that the bass isn't muffle by the sound of the guitars.

It's a must have album