Sirenia: Discography (2005-2015)

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Sirenia: Discography (2005-2015)

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Somehow, leading Norway's Tristania to the top of the goth metal heap wasn't enough for vocalist/guitarist Morten Veland, who unilaterally seceded from the union in the year 2000 to found a brand-spanking-new though similar-sounding band named Sirenia. Picking up pretty much where he'd left off stylistically, Veland hand-picked compatriots Kristian Gundersen (clean vocals, guitar), Hans Henrik Varland (keyboards), and French singer Fabienne Gondamin to quickly perform on the following year's At Sixes and Sevens debut. He and Gundersen then found a more permanent support staff in vocalist Henriette Bordvik and drummer Jonathan Perez to work on their 2003 follow-up, An Elixir for Existence. An EP, Sirenian Shores arrived in 2005, followed by the full-length Nine Destinies and a Downfall in 2007.

by Eduardo Rivadavia, allmusic

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Sirenia: Discography (2005-2015)

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Sirenia: Discography (2005-2015)

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The orchestral gothic metal of Morten Veland's Sirenia is more than ambitious on the group's debut, At Sixes and Sevens – it's almost cosmic in scope and epic by any standard. After carefully honing his skills in the more collaborative Tristania, Veland holds nothing back on this 2002 Napalm offering. A cadre of operatic vocalists and classical musicians wrap Veland's songs in a composite sheen that's rare even within a genre known for grand soundscapes. A few plodding numbers (the title track and "Lethargica") miss their mark, but when highlights like the anthemic "Shadow of Your Own Self" get into gear, At Sixes and Sevens rolls like thunder and flows like the bitter tears of Veland's less-accomplished goth/doom colleagues.

by Jason Anderson, allmusic

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Sirenia: Discography (2005-2015)

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Following Sirenia's majestic debut At Sixes and Sevens, An Elixir For Existence is perhaps the most logical second album that Sirenia could have produced. This album takes everything right in the gothic metal genre e.g soothing female vocals, harsh vocals that always command you to pay absolute attention, bombastic choirs and compiles them here. While providing very enjoyable music on its on this is simply more than an album.

An Elixir for Existence takes you on a journey through the darkest and most melancholy parts of the human mind and spirit, brightening your outlook on life. An Elixir for Existence definitely is not for everyone but this type of music rewards fans of the genre and those who are persistent. The price of this album is more than just a price tag or a download, it demands emotional investment.

Musically An Elixir for Existence can easily be described as a "typical" successor to At Sixes and Sevens or Tristania's Beyond the Veil, while mostly true, comparing it to those archetypes is simply not adequate as the atmosphere feels completely different and stands alone. A few songs deal with relatable themes that differ a lot than its predecessors such as drug abuse and suicide which allow you to have deep empathy with Morten Veland. The music also differs too due to the replacement of former female vocalist Fabienne Gondamin with new comer Henriette Bordvik who is just as great but different enough to stand out!

For those who have never heard At Sixes and Sevens or Beyond the Veil, this album can be described as a gothic metal album that could easily be at near incomprehensible levels due to the insane amount of things going on just during one song, however it never crosses the line of lunacy and maintains its perfect balance. There are clean female vocals, harsh and scathing vocals, Latin choirs and clean male vocals. Those vocal styles by themselves provide the listener with enough to absorb barring the distorted guitars, drums, violin and synthesizers!

This has to be one of the heaviest and anti stereotypical gothic metal albums I have heard and for those who think this will is just pop music with guitar due to the stigma the genre has are definitely in for an extreme shock when they hear the harsh vocals dominate almost all the tracks! All the other vocal styles are generously sprinkled out providing deep contrast and enjoyment when needed.

There are some minor flaws that can be waived over time. This is not for casual fans who may listen to this once in a blue moon. Truly this has to be is one of the hardest albums I have ever tried to get myself into and demands you listen to it many times over before you fully appreciate it. It is an enjoyable album first listen nothing more, I highly doubt you will fully appreciate it until at least the sixth listen and that's if you're fast and lucky. The fact that the lyrics use some quite advance vocabulary at times is just another hurdle you have to jump.

Once the prerequisites are fulfilled An Elixir for Existence is one of a couple epitomes of gothic metal and one that personifies all that is excellent in metal music, providing very enjoyable music with the combination of legitimate strong emotional content. Whoever think this is a poor man's equivalent of At Sixes and Sevens need to listen to this much more as the journey is just as good. Those who have the fortitude and perseverance to listen to An Elixir for Existence a few times to finally hear down the line the way the music was intended to be will be rewarded with not just excellent music but also a blissful experience that albums I can count on one hand can only provide.

by Twistedeyes, metal-archives.com

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Sirenia: Discography (2005-2015)

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Although a solid and enjoyable release, “An Elixir for Existence” lacked the unique brilliance and uncompromising aura of beautiful darkness that made “At Sixes and Sevens” a standard by which any gothic metal outfit should be measured. This EP is mostly comparable to the former in terms of its overall character, it contains the same morose shrieks and growls that Veland performs flawlessly, but lacks the brilliant collage of atmospheric elements, namely most of the Latin choirs and Pete Johansen’s somber violin melodies.

“Sirenian Shores” is the featured track and proves to be the strongest track on here. It carries a beautiful mix of keyboard ambiences and crushing guitar lines. Veland’s vocals dominate the fold, occasionally making room for Henriette Bordvik, who is not quite Fabienne Gondamin but performs well as Veland’s female foil. “Save me from myself” is a track off the Elixir album and listens mostly as a quasi-industrial Goth rocker that wouldn’t be out of place in one of the Matrix movies. My principle complaint when I heard it in its original form was a lack of development, and here that flaw is somewhat further exacerbated by the absence of the violin line.

The acoustic version of “Meridian” is quite beautiful and an interesting reinterpretation of the original, thankfully it lacks neither the brilliance of Henriette’s original vocal performance nor the woeful notes of Pete Johansen’s solo violin. “First we take Manhattan” is a cover that I was not familiar with before hearing this release; it mostly features Kristian Gundersen doing a low vocal drone line over a mid-tempo mix of guitars and keyboards. Not the greatest song I’ve ever heard but good enough to avoid it getting skipped. “Obire Mortem” is an instrumental afterthought by Veland that sounds a bit like his old work with Tristania, with a dense atmosphere and the underlying feeling of a dreary winter night.

This EP is an overall good listen, but other than its title track there isn’t anything that is 100% new or groundbreaking. If you were a fan of “An Elixir for Existence” then this falls along the same lines so it will surely be pleasing to the ears. But if you have a limited budget and can’t be bothered with something that is not top of the line, pick up a copy of “At Sixes and Sevens”, that is where Veland and company are truly at their best.

by hells_unicorn, metal-archives.com

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Sirenia: Discography (2005-2015)

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Sirenia – Morten Veland, likely the strongest contender for the title of "Greatest Gothic Metal Composer of All-Time", abandons Tristania to form a project of his own. Sirenia he calls it. Fans everywhere grow apprehensive as they await the new album, ready to hear what this ingenious composer could do with out the chains. Unfortunately, it turns out the new albums sounded just like the old ones, with Tristania. Only, with burn-out ideas, little inspiration, and less talented musicians…

Then, something happens. A rebirth of sound, a new path for Veland to ascend. He turns away from the creepy, Gothic-Tristania-metal with his best foot forward, and tries something new. He creates Nine Destinies and A Downfall, an entirely listenable and enjoyable POP metal album. Honestly, just because an album is a bit more commercial does not mean it has no potential. The creative mind and inspiration here is definitely noticeable, which most pop albums, even metal ones, can not boast.

Choruses and catchy melodies abound, even my Hannah Montana-fan sister enjoys songs from this album. It is very approachable metal. The singing is for the most part clean, with the exception of the track, Sundown, and minor parts in a couple others (“Downfall” and “Seven Keys and Nine Doors”.) Monika Pederson, NDaaD’s newly introduced vocalist, has a simple, comfortable voice that is very easy to listen to, unlike say, Tarja Turunen or Vibeke Stene.

The songs are memorable enough, with standouts and fillers. They are cut at relatively short lengths, the longest track clocking in at 5:35. The musicianship is a bit toned down, however it is much more prevalent than other Gothic-Pop Metal bands. The guitar work is much stronger and noticeable than the majority of other bands in the genre, although there are symphonic keyboards highlighting as well. Veland keeps his trademark strong with the beautifully strong choirs.

Without a doubt, if you somehow wandered to this page and found this review, I recommend this album to you. Anyone with even the slightest interest in gothic metal, Sirenia, or anything like that would find something of value here. Sure, it isn’t the greatest piece ever written, nor is it even close, but it is a part of my collection that never gathers dust all the same. Give it a listen, for you never know what you may find.

Highlights: Sundown, The Other Side, Seven Keys and Nine Doors

by h_clairvoyant, metal-archives.com

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Sirenia: Discography (2005-2015)

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Never let it be said that Sirenia aren't a revolving door when it comes to female lead singers. First, in 2001, they employed Fabienne Gondamin, who was replaced by Henriette Bordvik later that year – and after Bordvik's 2005 departure, Monica Pederson became her replacement in 2006. Pederson left in 2007, and Sirenia hired Spanish vocalist Ailyn as their fourth female lead singer in 2008. 13th Floor, Sirenia's first album with Ailyn, finds them continuing to move in a more commercial direction than they favored in the early 2000s. Sirenia's work is still goth metal, although it is goth metal with a lot of pop appeal. Some metalheads will no doubt accuse this early-2009 release of being a sellout; anyone who called 2007's Nine Destinies and a Downfall a sellout will say the same thing about 13th Floor. But be that as it may, melancholy offerings such as "The Seventh Summer," "Lost in Life," and "The Path to Decay" are enjoyably infectious – and Ailyn's performances have a girlish quality that adds to the pop factor but isn't without goth qualities. 13th Floor has some death metal-ish Cookie Monster growls thanks to Morten Veland; contrasting with Ailyn's singing, those growls give the 42-minute CD a touch of "Beauty and the Beast" appeal at times. But his growls aren't nearly as prominent as Ailyn's singing, and they don't really detract from the overall poppiness of 13th Floor. This isn't Sirenia's most essential album or their most ambitious, but in terms of hooks and catchiness, 13th Floor is a success.

by Alex Henderson, allmusic

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Sirenia: Discography (2005-2015)

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Our hats must be taken off to Morten Veland, after all he is a musical extraordinaire. Veland not only sings vocals, but also plays numerous instruments including guitar, bass, keyboards and drums. Veland is also a songwriter, producer and engineer - the guy just does it all. His band Sirenia is entirely his creation and aside from a female vocalist and a few added musicians to help out with either drums or guitars, Morten Veland basically does it all on his own. We saw his impressive one-man band Mortemia with the release of ‘Misere Mortem’ back in 2010 and now in early 2011, we get to hear the 5th full-length release by Sirenia, entitled ‘The Enigma of Life’.

Where Morten Veland falls short amongst his musical prowess, however, is that he has continued to write the same song, using the same riffs and the same structure on almost everything he’s released since 2007’s ‘Nine Destines and a Downfall’ (a breakthrough album for both Sirenia and Veland). Moving away from the more traditional gothic metal sound that was heard on Sirenia’s first 2 albums, and also back when Veland was a part of Tristania, ‘Nine Destines’ was a slab of “commercial” gothic metal brilliance. The chunky low end guitar riffs, the atmospheric and emotional choirs, plus the combined vocals between Veland and Monika Pedersen (who left the band shortly after the release) was fantastic. Over the following three years, Veland continued this formula for the next Sirenia album ‘The 13th Floor’ and for Veland’s side project Mortemia. While it was no surprise to hear it on ‘The 13th Floor’, the formula eventually ran a little dry on ‘Misere Mortem’.

Hearing the same thing for two more albums shows that Veland has either run out of ideas because he’s so busy doing everything else himself, or that this is the peak of his song-writing brilliance. While ‘The 13th Floor’ was a solid album, new vocalist Pilar Giménez García, aka Ailyn, I felt did not grab me as much as Pedersen did. Whether it was the lack of spice or conviction in her vocals, Ailyn to her defence is a young singer and will most definitely improve with experience.

So on to the new album, ‘The Enigma of Life’ and surprise surprise, the disc yet again continues the same song structures and riffs we’ve already heard before. Yes, even the choirs make it back for their mandatory appearance in the middle of most tracks. Talk about a lack of diversity. This repetitive issue is a double-edged sword – a new listener of Sirenia would find this album to be quite refreshing, interesting and vastly entertaining, while the Sirenia fan who has been there from the start would roll their eyes at realising that the latest cd is pretty much ‘Nine Destines and a Downfall’ rehashed yet again. That might sound like a harsh comment, but in reality I feel it is quite true. We as fans don’t want to hear the same formula repeated over and over on following releases (even if it did work like a treat the first time round), as eventually it becomes stale and boring and loses interest very quickly.

However, taking the album on its merits, ‘The Enigma of Life’ still has a lot going for it. Ailyn’s vocals have improved a fair amount (maybe a tad too high-pitched in areas) and the majority of tracks (despite the severe case of déjà-vu) are done very well. Veland has tried his best to re-shape the song structures so they sound and feel different, but the best part of the album is that there are, in fact, a bunch of kick ass tracks. The atmospheric and orchestral elements throughout each track add depth, while I don’t think anyone can ever get sick of hearing Veland’s ferocious growing tones.

Veland’s guitar-work is also worth another tick, with some top-notch solos thrown in here and there. The tracks on the cd range from the popish side of gothic metal, to the harder-edged and more powerful gothic metal roaring tracks. Highlights include the memorable “All My Dreams”, the groove infused and melodic “This Darkness”, “Darkened Days to Come”, which features Morten Veland on clean lead vocals, “This Lonely Lake” and “The Enigma of Life”, both softer sounding and slower-paced tracks which shows off Ailyn’s ever-improving vocals, and lastly the cd opener “The End Of It All”.

While Morten Veland can still create kick ass and memorable tracks, he’s needs to realise that the identical formula used for each track and also used for the past 3 albums he’s been a part of, will eventually work against him. Fans want change, fans want diversity and fans want their favourite bands to evolve just as they do. Veland’s a creative guy, but for Sirenia I really think he needs to obtain some outside input rather than his rule, his way, 100% of the time. ‘The Enigma of Life’ is quite good (marginally better than ‘The 13th Floor’), but if only it contained material that we haven’t already heard before. For Sirenia newbie’s however, this release will definitely be a highlight in your gothic metal journey.

by TrooperOfSteel, metal-archives.com

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We're almost there. Perils of the Deep Blue is easily the most impressive output from Sirenia with Ailyn manning the helm, but how does it stack up to the band's first two epics? Honestly, it embodies some sort of dynamic cross-section incorporating both At Sixes and Sevens' eclectic nature and An Elixir for Existence's dark atmosphere. While it lacks the wherewithal to fully commit to either end of the aforementioned spectrum enough to match either of said albums, it certainly boasts an atmosphere unique to itself and is a desperately-needed step into erstwhile waters.

After the brilliantly executed (even if a bit long-winded) orchestral intro "Ducere Me in Lucem," the anthemic "Seven Widows Weep" rumbles forth with a damn solid riff that will certainly elicit some raised horns. It doesn't take long for the listener to mentally connect this track with some of the darker, less pontifical cuts from An Elixir for Existence - particularly "In My Darkest Hours." Hell, throw "Decadence" into the same grouping as well, proving that Veland hasn't forgotten where he came from. While Sirenia has disposed of the ability to craft quick and cheerful radio hits like "My Mind's Eye" or "Lost in Life" through this methodology, Veland has ratcheted up the level of aspiration regarding the compositions to fill the void. Through this we get a lot of protracted epics, particularly the twelve minute-plus "Stille Kom Døden," which is of course a highlight. Perils of the Deep Blue is a very long album that consists of a lot to take in at once, but perseverance on the listener's part certainly pays off on this one.

I feel that I have to make a special mention of Ailyn's performance here, as the meager pickings from the last two albums made an objective vocal appraisal difficult to manage. Her mouse-like intonation has come off as a deficiency in the past, but I really think she fits well here now that the music has shifted gears and caught up with her delivery. She has the tendency to over-emote to the point of lunacy at the end of some of her notes, but this can arguably be viewed as a stylistic decision rather than a technical flaw. Her accent is pleasant though, and she certainly has a unique-sounding set of pipes on her. I definitely prefer Ailyn's style to Pedersen's, and put her right up there with Henriette as far as significance to the band's career on the whole is concerned. Well done!

While it can be a tough sell of an album to ears less experienced with Sirenia's output en masse, Perils of the Deep Blue has at least 4-5 tracks that can hang with anything the band has ever released. "My Destiny Coming to Pass" is a decent snapshot of the album on the whole, and manages to fit all of what makes it such a treat within it's relatively succinct running time. The one-two punch of "Cold Caress" and "Darkling" is also not to be missed. I really dig that Veland brought back a lot of the dark atmosphere that was present on An Elixir for Existence and dispatched much of the plastic-sounding, shopping mall-esque orchestrations that dogged the last two albums. There are still a lot of keyboards here, but delivery and tone can go a long way to separate this from cornball records like The Enigma of Life - and a sizable disparity is evident if you listen to both albums all the way through.

The lyrics even bring back the risky, highly melancholic subject matter that reached a height on Sirenia's second album and never really made another appearance - at least until now. This comes so close to the mastery of the first two records, but something small but paramount is still missing that keeps it from achieving greatness. I can't say that it is Ailyn's fault, as she does a commendable job here. Maybe I'm just asking for too much. Attribute Perils of the Deep Blue to a cammed and turboed V8 engine (if you can even imagine it!) that wants to burn rubber, but needs to be tuned to function at it's highest level. You blow through the gears, get the adrenaline rush, then realize that you're only going 80mph, not 140mph. It was fun while it lasted, though.

by Diamhea, metal-archives.com

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Sirenia: Discography (2005-2015)

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Sirenia came into existence following Morten Veland's departure from Tristania. Much like that group early on, this new creation had a very dark start to it's initial gothic metal soaked material. 2002 saw their debut album At Sixes and Sevens drop, garnering plenty of praise from fans and critics alike, as did their 2004 follow-up An Elixer for Existence. As time went on, the band focused more on their Symphonic aspect, and not so much it's darker presence. Four more full-lengths later, all met with mixed reception, and we've now come to the band's aptly titled seventh studio album, The Seventh Life Path, as well as a return to Napalm Records, the label that handled their first two efforts. But have they also returned to their musical roots, or is this yet another release destined to be hit or miss among their fans?

Well, The Seventh Life Path does stick to what the group has been up to lately as far as their performances are concerned, wrapping themselves up with beautiful performances based largely around romance, loss, even mental breakdowns, the latter of which is nicely portrayed in the powerful music video for "Once My Light". Thankfully, considering the aggression found on later tracks, this one still retains a bit of roughness to the overall output, keeping itself from becoming yet another sleek sounding gothic metal band to get lost in the crowd of similar faces. The guitars have a decent bite thanks to the dirtier sounding distortion, not to mention superb echo on the cleaner chords, and the bass is present well enough with a deep tuning that is worth paying attention to when allowed a moment to shine through. Sadly, the drums sound a bit compressed and tinny at times, which doesn't work as nicely as it does for the rest of the instruments. Even Ailyn's vocals seem weaker at times, as if a there's something heavy presenting an obstacle from the full projection being captured.

While the album easily could have been mastered better, a lot of the aforementioned elements, positive or negatively described, actually makes The Seventh Life Path sound genuine by accentuating the themes of each song within the lyrics and music. "Serpent" has some fairly crushing grooves in some of the bridges, as well as the infectious chorus with a background operatic choir, but the main verse really brings Ailyn's singing up a little louder with some additional echo, complimenting the slight burdening sensation that feels as monolithic as the interpretation of said serpent within the song. Morten's raspy vocals add to the lizard-like quality nicely by sticking to a fairly linear pitch one might expect a creature like this to have in reality.

But some of the most impressive material of The Seventh Life Path lies in the more aggressive compositions about half way through. "Sons of the North" introduces this, and it's an interesting mixture of Norwegian black metal influences intertwined with traditional gothic metal. While the latter is kept mostly to the chorus, the main verses capture the first of those two in a fairly blunt, spirit crushing manner that the harshened vocals compliment well, not to mention some of the nightmarish keyboard and symphonic pieces that appear about five minutes in that trudge along in a momentary doom metal trance. That blackened touch is carried into "Earendal" perfectly, though the structuring is about the same other than a momentary progressive metal bass line approaching two-and-a-half minutes in, as well as a Folk angle seemingly influenced by the lore and heritage of the band's home country through wooden landscapes and gypsy/carnival themes, complimenting the sensation of exploration and wonder this segment, the guitar solo, and chorus easily create.

"The Silver Eye", however, is easily one of the most impressive tracks The Seventh Life Path has to offer. The glorious melodies that erupt early on are reminiscent of Amon Amarth for a short time, eventually weaving together Pagan black metal laced with traces of keyboard-driven Helloween influenced power metal. It's an invigorating, albeit shortlived mixture, that gives way to channelling some briefly eccentric tones, usually following the heavily Viking-fuelled chorus that only helps to amplify the already over-the-top piece. But then there's "Elixer", which is basically the polar opposite. It comes across a combination of traditional Goth/Darkwave laced with explosive Moonspell-grade performances and a well executed Neoclassical guitar solo thrown in for good measure. While not the only time it happens, this one shows Morten taking over vocal duties for most of the track, capturing that B-Horror graveyard style atmosphere quite well, even when belting out a mixture of rasps and gutturals in the chorus. By the time Ailyn briefly chimes in, it all feels like some kind of gothic duet influenced by the musical The Phantom of the Opera.

There's so much going on within the confines of The Seventh Life Path that it's almost impossible to compress one's thoughts or opinions into a single review without analysing pretty much every single track on the recording. Sirenia seem to be far more open and creative being signed with Napalm Records, as if Morten and Ailyn were finally able to realize their dream that had been stuck in neutral during their time with Nuclear Blast Records. This album also appears to have been recorded by the band as a whole (according to various articles on-line), and not like the prior three albums that list the recording members as a duo of the two just mentioned by name. Whatever the case may be, this new full-length is a powerful return to the group's roots, combined with the path they've forged for themselves up to this point, a sound that those going in expecting a light-hearted romantic romp on par with the single and music video behind "Once My Light" will be surprised at what they find, either for the better or the worst. At just under seventy minutes of beautiful, crushing music, Sirenia stand their strongest thanks to The Seventh Life Path, which is easily not only one of the most important albums of their career, but also one of the most impressive albums 2015 has to offer.

by ApochWeiss, metal-archives.com