Therion "Sirius B"

Sirius B is the twelfth studio album by Swedish symphonic metal band Therion. The album title refers to the star Sirius B. It was released simultaneously with Lemuria.[1] The cover artwork was by Thomas Ewerhard.

In an interview with Global Domination, Johnsson said that the album title is a reference to the twin star to the ordinary Sirius A.

The album makes references to ancient culture and mythology:

• Kingu was a monster in Sumerian mythology. According to Enûma Elish, all human beings were created from his blood after he was killed by Marduk.
• Son of the Sun was the title of Pharaoh Akhenaten, who preferred to worship Aton, god of the Sun, over all other gods. His reign was unsuccessful, and people believed that other gods had cursed him.
• Khlysti was a controversial Christian sect in Russia. Grigory Rasputin, the major character of the song, is believed to have been a member.
• Persephone is the wife of Hades, the god of the dead in Greek mythology.
• Kali Yuga in Hinduism is a dark age of suffering, the final era before the end of the world.
• Land of Punt was a mysterious lost kingdom in ancient east Africa.
• Melek Taus is the supreme deity of the Yazidi, commonly depicted in the form of a peacock.
• Dagon is an ancient Semitic god of the sea. He appears in many H. P. Lovecraft books of Cthulhu mythos.
• Georgy Gurdzhiev was an Armenian mystic philosopher and traveller, an expert in Yazidi culture.

Track listing

1. "The Blood of Kingu" 5:45
2. "Son of the Sun" 5:35
3. "The Khlysti Evangelist" 5:38
4. "Dark Venus Persephone" 4:02
5. "Kali Yuga, Part 1" 3:27
6. "Kali Yuga, Part 2" 5:48
7. "The Wondrous World of Punt" 7:19
8. "Melek Taus" 5:31
9. "Call of Dagon" 4:14
10. "Sirius B" 3:43
11. "Voyage of Gurdjieff (The Fourth Way)" 5:56

Total length: 56:58

Recording information:

All drums, bass, guitars, balalaikas, domras, rock/metal vocals and most of the opera soloists were recorded at the Modern Art Studio in Stockholm, Sweden from April-July and September, 2003.

Orchestra, choir and additional opera soloists were recorded at Smečky Studio in Prague, Czech Republic during September, 2003.

The mix and the recordings of hammond organs, mellotrone and narration were done during September/October, 2003 at Sun Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark.