:: Therion - Gothic Kabbalah

Therion

Throughout their twenty-year history, Swedish based symphonic/progressive metal act Therion has continued to push the boundaries of its chosen field with every new release, which in turn has seen the four-piece act uphold a standard within the scene that many have been measured upon since. Following on from their critically acclaimed two-album set ‘Lemuria’ and ‘Sirius B’ from 2004, Therion has returned with a new double album set in ‘Gothic Kabbalah’. Never ones to do the same thing twice, Therion has opted to minimise the symphonic elements of its sound this time around with their latest effort ‘Gothic Kabbalah’ far more direct sounding and metallic based for the most part. Another big change is in the vocal department, with Johnsson relinquishing vocal duties, allowing Mats Levén and Snowy Shaw to handle the leading male vocals, while female contributions come from Katarina Lilja and Hannah Holgersson.

The opener ‘Der Mitternachtlöwe’ is a perfect example of how the recent changes within Therion have helped the band change direction, with the symphonic elements of the band’s sound replaced with a greater guitar dominance, while the choral/female lead vocals will ensure listeners that the core elements that make up the Therion sound are very much intact. The title track ‘Gothic Kabbalah’ only pushes the guitar heavy approach even further with the male/female vocal trade offs pitted against a middle-eastern influenced backdrop, while Levén puts in a commanding performance on the bass driven ‘The Perennial Sophia’ and ‘Son Of The Staves Of Time’, while Shaw shines on the darker sounding ‘Wisdom And The Cage’. Elsewhere, songs such as the heavy/folk influenced ‘Trul’ and the power metal based ‘Tuna 1613’ stand out as the heavier cuts on the album, and conclude the first half of the album. The latter part of the first disc and the beginning of the second disc are off to a shaky start with the female lead vocals on ‘Close Up The Streams’ sounding out of place, while ‘The Wand Of Abaris’ and ‘Three Treasures’ seem directionless and uninspired. Shaw’s contribution to the operatic ‘Path To Arcady’ helps the middle section out of its lull, while the riff driven/shredding ‘TOF - The Trinity’, the equally impressive ‘The Falling Stone’ and the towering grand finale ‘Adulruna Rediviva’ bring the album to a bombastic close. Perhaps a little excessive as a double disc,‘Gothic Kabbalah’ still manages to impress and succeed for the most part, and is another successful venture into bold new territory for the ever-evolving Therion.