Band:	Therion
Album:	Sirius B
Style:	Symphonic metal
Release date:	May 24, 2004
A review by:	Deadsoulman

01. Blood Of Kingu [feat. Mats Levén]
02. Son Of The Sun
03. The Khlysti Evangelist [feat. Mats Levén]
04. Dark Venus Persephone
05. Kali Yuga Part 1
06. Kali Yuga Part 2 [feat. Mats Levén]
07. The Wondrous World Of Punt
08. Melek Taus
09. Call Of Dagon
10. Sirius B
11. Voyage Of Gurdjieff (The Fourth Way)

Already two years since Therion's last album, the almighty Secret Of The Runes. And now our Swedish dudes show they've not spent these two years hanging around drinking beer and eating junk. Two new albums in one shot, it's quite rare, and it's a real treat for every fan. Since these albums have a distinct existence in the words of the band, two separate reviews are necessary.

So I'll start with Sirius B, which sounds less like your everyday Therion than Lemuria. This statement is not true on every song, especially as the beginning really has Therion written all over it. 'Blood Of Kingu', my favourite track, is a high-paced song with a true heavy metal riff. The vocals are particularly excellent, just like on the other heavy songs 'Son Of The Sun' -this one has only lyric vocals- and 'The Khlysti Evangelist'. These three songs are similar in the songwriting, since they are both quite simple and direct, without too much orchestral arrangements. They are also the most catchy songs of the album. 'Call Of Dagon' and the epic closing-track 'Voyage Of Gurdjieff' send you back two years earlier: they have been written in the style of Secret Of The Runes, and they are quite different from the rest in the sense that they are the only really symphonic songs.

There is another side to Sirius B though. Thinking that it is only a rip-off of Therion's previous works would be an enormous mistake. As always, the band has experimented a bit. That leads to strange and unusual results, such as 'Dark Venus Persephone'. This song has a regular basis, but the vocals give it a nicely dark atmosphere. In the same way, both parts of Kali Yuga (above all the first) are not usual Therion's songs. The recording of the vocals and drums make it sound like an old gramophone from the 30's. The result is weird, uncommon but great nonetheless. Experiments go on with the acoustic 'The Wondrous World Of Punt', which is almost a ballad with only clean guitars and a piano. 'Melek Taus', at first sight, can be considered like a rather normal song. But something seemed curious to me everytime I listened to this song. Eventually, I came up with the conclusion that its structure is a bit twisted and stretched in every direction, and this effect is emphasized by the fact that a good thousand singers (at least!) appear on this song. You need to listen to it closely if you want to taste every arrangement instead of hearing a rather messy song.

Two words to sum up Sirius B: not common. Although the beginning is quite classic, the rest is much more innovative and original. I don't know which kind of Therion I like best, all I can say for now is that both moments are interesting and catchy. Just like its counterpart Lemuria, Sirius B is a must-have. However, I must warn you. If this is your first encounter with Therion, maybe you should start with Lemuria, which is more immediately accessible while this one has a more experimental and opaque aspect.

Highlights: Blood Of Kingu, The Khlysti Evangelist, Dark Venus Persephone, Kali Yuga (part 1 and 2)