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

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)

2004, Therion except for the majestic "Lemuria" released its twin great album "Sirius B", twin by the meaning that both albums came out at the same time because they are two different ones with different feeling and atmosphere each one of them. Another masterpiece coming from the genius mind of Christofer Johnsson, mastermind of Therion throughout all these years; imposing and at the same time emotional, dreamy and at the same time heavy, another Therion album to haunt our darkest hours as all the previous Therion releases did. The guitar work is stunning for one more time and the symphonic ideas are deeply inspired contributing to the atmosphere of the album along with the vocals, operatic or heavy/power ones, making "Sirius B" another brilliant release. Let the light of Sirius shine upon thee?

"Sirius B" opens with "Blood of Kingu", a raging heavy composition with a dark feeling in the air evoked by the inspired guitar riffing, Mats Leven's expressive interpretation and the beautiful-sounding female operatic voices along with some imposing symphonic ideas making the atmosphere more intense. The album continues in a heavy mood with the one great riff coming after the other surrounded by superb symphonies with "Son of the Sun" in which Kristian Niemann shows his talent as a songwriter. "The Khlysti Evangelist" follows and the riff-machine of Christofer and Kristian keeps on producing great riffs and solos accompanying the ecstatic interpretation of Mats Leven as some symphonies enrich the sounds cape with mystic colors.

The album flows wonderfully with the utterly elegiac composition "Dark Venus Persephone". The whole atmosphere is melancholically dark, the ideal atmosphere for such a tragic figure, Persephone, a Venus forced to pass most of her life in the Underworld. The first part of Kali Yuga" follows and continues the album in a mystic way with nocturnal melodies and experimental distorted vocals at times leading to the second part, a composition with raging guitar riffing and imposing operatic voices evoking an intense feeling in the air with Leven making the heavy metal feeling more vivid for one more time.

A piece of art follows, "The Wondrous World of Punt", and you slowly lose yourself, enchanted by the beautiful melodies, into the euphoria and dream of the world of Punt. Everything that takes part in this song contributes into evoking this melancholic but at the same time dreamy atmosphere pacing with the feeling of the travelers that were so near yet "the vision was so near, it was so real"; the guitar chords, the symphonic melodies, the operatic voices, all of them make the atmosphere so emotionally charged with the inspired guitar riffing escalating the song as it reaches the end leading to "Melek Taus" continuing the album in a heavy metal fever with the guitar riffing flirting in perfect harmony with the operatic voices.

As the album continues you are able to hear the "Call of Dagon" and proceed to the stars, to the infinite knowledge of the universe as imposing but beautiful-sounding symphonies and rhythmic guitar riffing surround you. An instrumental piece, "Sirius B", follows and lets the album flow in a serene way leading to its end with "Voyage of Gurdjieff". After the tranquil opening of the song it turns into a raging composition with inspired heavy guitar riffing, high-quality solos and wonderful symphonies floating in the air as the operatic vocals paint the sounds cape with hopeful sounds ending the album in an emotional way.

"Sirius B", another fabulous work by Christofer Johnsson himself and for one more time he showed what a genius and how inspired he is letting us float in worlds of dreams through his wonderful compositions.