Review by Joshua on November 16, 2004.

Therion are known for atmospheric innovation. One would assume their new album would dazzle listeners with inventive compositions, orchestrated interludes and harmonized choral arrangements, right?

Wrong.

My first reaction to this disc was, "What just happened here? I put in Therion, but I'm hearing 1995 Iced Earth. This is track three from Burnt Offerings." The structures, riffs and distortion are identical. Christofer Johnsson sounds just like Iced Earth's then-singer, Matthew Barlow. Therion's only distinguishing feature was a choir that appeared one minute into the song.

This is not what you'd expect from the band. It's progressive/power metal with some gothic and orchestral influences. Apparently, Therion spent the last three years listening to Iced Earth, Savatage, Helloween and Anacrusis. In fact, some parts even sound like old Rhapsody songs with testosterone.

The orchestral accompaniment is minimal and mixed so far into the background it sounds like a keyboard. The sound is more an appropriate sequel to Lepaca Kliffoth, rather than the ethereal goth-metal we heard on Secret of the Runes. However, parts of the record show remarkable improvement because Therion rediscovered how to play guitar. Then again, other parts sound like concepts rejected by renaissance fairs. Herein lies this album's greatest defect – double-album or not, both CDs are poorly arranged and definitely not cohesive. On Lemuria, the worse of the two, skipping forward a track is like switching to another band. However, the first five songs on Sirius-B are marvelous power/progressive tracks. "Uthark Runa," "An Arrow from the Sun," and "Typhon" are standout songs. In fact, the death metal elements on "Typhon" are almost enough to please those fans that continuously pester Therion to make another death metal record. Sadly, it's only one song!

On the other hand, some songs really suck. The worst tracks are clearly on Lemuria. It might as well be a B-side collection. "Feuer Overture" is stale German synthpop warmed over and "Kali Yuga Part 2" literally sounds like it was recorded underwater. I have no eloquent descriptor for songs that give me diarrhea. These are all atmospheric, acoustic ballads showcasing Christofer Johnsson's "profound" vocal skills.

What vocal skills? He sounds like he's singing through his nose! Whitesnake could have written these songs about their girlfriends, and that sound should have died in 1981.

Naturally, such a diverse collection of songs makes it difficult to rate this album, so I arbitrarily adopt the following system: Therion win no points for originality, as most of the concepts here were developed by earlier bands. On the other hand, Therion deserve praise for impeccable musicianship. Overall, they lose points for lacking coherency, which is this double-CD's greatest flaw.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 8
Atmosphere: 6
Production: 6
Originality: 4
Overall: 7

Rating: 6.2 out of 10

Review by Felix on February 14, 2024.

Double strike from the two biggest Austrian cities: Vienna and Graz. Their city coats of arms adorn the locally patriotic cover. Given the fact that Vienna is the capital of the “land of mountains”, I start with Mortal Strike. Honour to whom honour is due. But before I try to describe the musical content, let me lose some words about the format. I think it's pretty stupid to make a seemingly complete album out of four new songs that would have made a good EP by throwing in four cover songs. But well, this nonsense is not limited to Austria.

Okay, what do Mortal Strike present, the unit with the coolest band logo ever? Well, do you see my dirty teeth while I am grinning broadly? It’s pure thrash metal and especially “A Storm Will Overcome” can compete with the highlights of their killer full-length from 2014. The sharp riffs, the perfectly portioned melodic elements, the dynamic in view of the well constructed breaks and the individual, powerful and bossy vocals create a fascinating track. Even the fact that it takes a lot of time until the song accelerates the tempo does not affect its impact in a negative way. “P.T.S.D.” also has the potential to leave an unmissable footprint, only its chorus goes nowhere. On the other hand, both tracks can enjoy their mega-cool production. Everything is in a perfect balance, even the bass guitar is not neglected. The cover songs are also okay. I am almost sure that Mortal Strike’s version of the Darkfall track sounds better than the original, in particular with regard to the great vocals, and yes, I have no idea why the Vienna crew covers Gerre and friends again and again, but Tankard’s stupidity has always been entertaining. Anyway, the lead vocalist ornaments the German lyrics with some “Wiener Schmäh” and that’s somehow cool. 78% for the entire performance of Mortal Strike is an appropriate rating. (By the way, if they originate from Favoriten, it is 90%, but when they are from Hütteldorf, it is less than 0%, haha – little football insider joke.)

Now let’s put the spot light on Darkfall. Their style is described as “melodic death / thrash metal” and honestly speaking, I did not know so far that such a genre exists. Furthermore, I will never understand why adult musicians play a song of Manowar (a band whose stupidity was always just embarrassing). This silly number kills almost eight minutes of the album. Cause of death: unbearable boredom.

Anyway, their own songs are much better (no wonder!) and have a dark touch. “The Gates Are Open” does not only score with a tension-building start and “Tides of War” also houses exciting moments. Some very profound riffs cut through the ears of the listener and the instrumental parts are quite convincing. On the other hand, I cannot ignore the overuse of the double bass and the death metal vocals that suffer from the typical lack of diversity. It is no bad performance of Darkfall, but maybe it is no surprise that their best song is the one which originally originates from their partners in crime. Either way, the professional production meets the expectations and – with the exception of the Manowar quote – the Grazer boys avoid serious deficiencies. 66% from my side for Darkfall. Thus, the overall rating of 72% shows that this split is like a holiday in Austria. It is definitely nice there, but it is no “must-have” for those who have other ideas for their vacations.

Rating: 7.2 out of 10