Author Topic: Reviews of Sitra Ahra (Read 44922 times)

Markus · « **on:** August 19, 2010, 06:32:52 pm »

Hey folks,

I'll post some news about the first reviews of "Sitra Ahra" on the official homepage tonight - with the link to a highly enthusiastic review of the album.

Stay tuned and cheers!

Markus

Markus · « **Reply #1 on:** August 19, 2010, 10:58:15 pm »

Posted!

See here, but also here and here.

Cheers!

Markus

Luth · « **Reply #2 on:** August 20, 2010, 12:11:20 am »

Waiting for a second and more awake read of these reviews... I WANT TO HEAR ALL THE ALBUM RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Arg! I'll try to sleep... perhaps I'll discover I'm already dreaming, and I can do what I wish. Like playing Sitra Ahra in that precise moment!

).

Btw... Thanks Markus. You're and will ever be our Only and High Priest

Markus · « **Reply #3 on:** August 20, 2010, 01:24:21 am »

Your'e welcome, my queen!

This enthusiastic review has fueled my curiosity, too. Also I'm especially looking forward to "Din" as I was, admittedly, missing some hardness in GK.

Oh well, the countdown is running.

Cheers!

Markus

Aluqak · « **Reply #4 on:** August 20, 2010, 05:06:46 pm »

Heya Markus,
Thanks for the links. I must say that the reviews look great, and now I'm pretty eager to hear the whole thing myself. Words like "speed metal territory", "welsh male choir" and "furious double-peddling and blast beats" had sky-risen my expectations. The clock is counting down but not as fast as I would like

lavaniegosII · « **Reply #5 on:** August 20, 2010, 05:09:32 pm »

I´m totally excited with the review! I want to hear every song many times as possible with headphones, with high speakers and in everywhere. I´m excited with the description of Cu Chulain and the probably sound like Thin Lizzy, cause i´m a big fan of Lizzy

. By the way Land of Canaan is just fucking amazing!. I will probably add at the review the soundlike Supertramp in the middle part of the keyboards and the male solo voice, and also the influence of Neil Young with the folky harmonica part feels in the air.

Land of Lavaan!

Persephone · « **Reply #6 on:** August 28, 2010, 10:46:02 am »

So finally I hear the Sitra Ahra track too.

I like it a lot. I have to say. Sometimes the guitars remind me of Secret of the Runes album (which is one of my favs

).

TheOFFman · « **Reply #7 on:** September 15, 2010, 03:37:44 pm »

Hello, I am working night shifts and having exams don't have much time but just wanted to inform you that Sitra Ahra leaked and I have a MASTER PLAN!!! I will order it from Therion Store and in case I don't get in soon enough I will buy another one from one CD shop in Zagreb, will probably try to find someone to buy it for me and send it by bus so I get it as soon as possible. I already found a buyer for 2nd Sitra Ahra that I get

Markus · « **Reply #8 on:** September 19, 2010, 01:32:04 am »

That's indeed what I call a plan! Enjoy and let us know how you like it.

Cheers!

Markus

TheOFFman · « **Reply #9 on:** September 19, 2010, 12:03:47 pm »

I got answer from Therion Store, my CD has been shipped

I hope I'll enjoy in it as you are enjoying! Been reading a lot of reviews and opinions so I have a feeling I know everything about the album, songs I will like and similar even though I have only one song.

And one thing that bother me most is the last song. If you check Sitra Ahra topic on TS you can see that I asked Chris about that song once before and he told me that the correct is After the Inquisition: Children of The Stone and now you are saying that it's written otherwise on booklet and back cover so I am wondering if Nuclear Blast messed up again. Can you judge by the lyrics and the song if the Children of The Stone is first or second part? Cause those songs were supposed to be two different songs but were merged into one.

saphira · « **Reply #10 on:** September 19, 2010, 06:56:34 pm »

4th spin.. it grows on me. I am starting to love it more and more. First time was like..

than..omg this is awesome! Right now Sitra Ahra and Kali Yuga III, 2012, Unguentum Sabbati own me. I don't judge and compare. I just try to feel it and these ones got to me first.

Mystique · « **Reply #11 on:** September 19, 2010, 07:10:26 pm »

I listened to it and it's definitely not my cup of tea, I like Land of Canaan and Kali Yuga III, but that's about it. I don't know, maybe my expectations after Theli, Deggial and SoTR were too high.

lavaniegosII · « **Reply #12 on:** September 20, 2010, 06:41:46 pm »

My personal ranking

1.- Sitra Ahra: An easy one with nice voices and heavy horsey guitars. It fits quite well to play it after Adulruna. 8/10

2.- Kings of Edom: I love the voices, specially in the beggining and the females one. The last changes in the song I would avoid them, but they are ok. 8.5 /10

3.- Unguentum Sabbati: I felt the Castaneda reading feeling when i hear this song, very groovy heavy psychedeillc stuff. I like pretty much the Phanton Of the Opera style at the middle. 9.3/10

4.- Land of Canaan: Very brave to use harmonicca and accordeon. I really like the folkish part and the voice of Snawy. 9.7/10

5.- Hellequin: I really like it, it is very epic and funny (i specially like the voices when they do Hellequiiiiin ). 9.5/10

6.- 2012: Tsss what a groovy song man. The drunky violin is just amazing. I really enjoy this kind of rythms and voices. 9.2/10

7.- Cu Chulainn : Pure heavy metal, and I really enjoy the male chorus a la Era style. 9/10

8.- Kali Yuga III: Very heavy, very rude, very psychedellic and specially a very chaotic and dark atmosphere. 11/10

9.- The Shells are Open: Definitley the introduction is very sick and fits very well in what it is telling the song. The bass voices are just wow, i can not describe them but I get the atmosphera of being in a jungle with Toad Lords or Cococdriles Prayers, I feel very reptilian this song. 9.2 / 10

10.- Din: I really expected something more when I read the review. 7/10

11.- Children of the Stone: What a nice intro, it feel the country side of an esoteric farm. Very nice melancholic feeling i get. This is a song for a cold day and maybe rain. 9/10

Total: 9.03

Luth · « **Reply #13 on:** September 20, 2010, 07:16:44 pm »

I said after hearing it only once (in the car) that it dissappointed me. Now I've heard twice more, with my iPod (I think that it's absolutelly different to play music with earphones), and it has grown on me. I still don't think it's a masterpiece as it has been said, I still feel there are other Therion albums I'll enjoy a lot more. But I'm sure I have to give a second chance to the album... Who knows? I'll write here later, after some plays more

Aluqak · « **Reply #14 on:** September 21, 2010, 06:06:23 pm »

Heya guys!
First of all a confession: I couldn't resist it and simply had to donwload the thingy

... but I'm gonna buy it as soon as it is available here in TenochMetal, anyway.

I'm currently giving it its second spin, and my first thoughts are far more positive than those I had when hearing GK for the first time. The guitars are a bit heavier and the choruses remind me of Vovin at some places, and that's definitively a big plus for SA.
So far, the first three songs are my favourites. Land of Canaan is not bad, but it gave me some problems with the first 2-3 minutes, then it turned out to be a quiet enjoyable song.
Hellequin, 2012 and Cu Chulainn are simply too strange to fully enjoy right now, but they are very complex and have some pretty interesting changes and twists. So, I think that they will grow as I discover all the intricate details they have.

Kali Yuga III is simply good. No surprise there, given that I already heard its live version on June and I liked it a lot. I still have to play it back to back with the two other KYs just to see how they mesh.
The shells are open and Children of the Stone enter into the cryptic category too, but somehow I could enjoy them more easily than Hellequin or 2012... may be, it's because they are at the end of the record and I was already used to its style.
Well, and finally there is Din. This song really tore me apart. On one hand, I found it refreshing: nice riffs, blast beats, heavy growls and so many elements I miss from the old Therion. However, it is so different from the rest of the album that I still have to check if I'm not playing something else by mistake. Soo.....

All in all, I think the album is good... even far better than GK, but it's still quiet far away from the era that spanned from LK to SotR and which is still my favourite Therion. However, after reading what Thomas wrote on the official forum I only have to agree. If you take this album open-minded and don't think at is as strictly metal, but only as music, you are gonna have a very good time listening to it.

Markus · « **Reply #15 on:** September 21, 2010, 07:33:14 pm »

Hey there,

Quote from: Aluqak on September 21, 2010, 06:06:23 pm

Heya guys!
First of all a confession: I couldn't resist it and simply had to donwload the thingy ... but I'm gonna buy it as soon as it is available here in TenochMetal, anyway.

Ego te absinthum.

Hehe, I think I felt like you when I first heard "Land of Canaan", but then it grew hugely on me. "Hellequin" is one one my favourites, too... "La lallalaaa, la lallalalaa

" - isn't that what you'd expect a Hellequin to say? But perhaps my border between music and strange music has shifted vastly when I grew fond of the Fire Requiem.

I also feel different about "Din". To me somehow all the songs of "Sitra Ahra" sound related. No matter how different their musical styles may be, I hear a common sound there.

Anyway, enjoy!

Cheers!

Markus

Luth · « **Reply #16 on:** September 21, 2010, 08:05:25 pm »

Quote from: Markus on September 21, 2010, 07:33:14 pm

Ego te absinthum.

lavaniegosII · « **Reply #17 on:** September 22, 2010, 04:07:36 pm »

For those who don´t understand quite well the intention of the music new direction I suggest some 70s albums that may be will help you to understand some things of the sitra ahra album.

Uriah Heep - Look at yourself (1971)
Grobschnitt - Grobschnitt (1972)
Uriah Heep - Demons and Wizards (1972)
Eloy - Floating (1974)
Eloy - Dawn (1976)
Klaatu - Hope (1977)
Scorpions - Taken by force (1977)
Supertramp - Breakfast in America (1979)

VladH · « **Reply #18 on:** September 23, 2010, 09:53:53 pm »

And for understanding the 2012 direction try Ministry's - Scarecrow... I still think it's some kind of ripoff

Loke · « **Reply #19 on:** September 27, 2010, 02:17:51 am »

With the years i ve learnt not to expect anything from the band, and it has worked out just fine for me, Christofer always surprises me with very good pieces of work.

Sitra was not the exeption, me and me mates just finished all the tracks and found it very good, actually i liked it a lot. Very Sirius B'ish and ....well i couldnt say.

Bottom line, Christofer did it again.

yo yo yo

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Author Topic: Reviews of Sitra Ahra (Read 44922 times)