THERION - "A'ARAB ZARAQ LUCID DREAMING" (NUCLEAR BLAST)
THERION - "A'ARAB ZARAQ LUCID DREAMING" (NUCLEAR BLAST)
Did you know that, in 1997, Therion had been around for 10 years? Well, it's true and to celebrate this fact they have decided to release a new CD, a collection of various things actually, by the rather distinctly odd name of "A'Arab Zaraq Lucid Dreaming". Apart from some "Theli" sessions leftovers it contains a couple of covers off Running Wild ("Under Jolly Roger"), Iron Maiden ("Children of the Damned"), Scorpions ("Fly to the Rainbow") and Judas Priest ("Here Comes the Tears"), the soundtrack to an artsy Swedish film called "The Golden Embrace" and the 'Therionized' versions of a couple of songs from same soundtrack.
The CD as a whole is no unadulterated sonic orgy. The covers don't really convince much, and the climax of the CD are the 'Therionized' soundtrack songs. The original soundtrack is not exactly brilliant but, rather, captivating and interesting. With over 70 minutes of music on a well-designed digipak with personal notes by Mr. Johansson himself, I suppose this is still a good buy.
RK
Written September 1997