Sirenia
At Sixes And Sevens

THE REVIEW

The first album by Sirenia, a band formed by Morten Veland right after leaving his previous band, Tristania, is a true masterpiece of gothic metal...

In this CD, besides all the characteristic elements of gothic metal (dark atmospheres, choirs, female vocals, growls, "clean" male vocals...), we also find numerous electronic effects. The violins are a must, sometimes duetting with the guitars and creating extraordinary pieces.
The artists' voices are very beautiful: Fabienne revealed herself as a singer well-suited for Sirenia's pieces and Morten has further improved his growl. His method of composing has also improved (though after an album like "Beyond the Veil" it's almost impossible to improve...).

In this album, Morten, besides composing, singing, and playing guitar, also plays all the other instruments (except the violins)... the other members (the second guitarist and the drummer) only perform live... The album starts with "Meridian", a very striking song where choirs, growls, violins, and heavy guitars are abundant... the instrumental part before the choirs is beautiful... in my opinion, "Meridian" is the best song on the album because it is energetic yet melancholic... it continues with "Sister Nightfall", a very beautiful and energetic song whose chorus easily sticks in your mind... the third track, "On the Wane", is another masterpiece... this song lacks nothing... indeed, here you can find both electronic effects and lyrical vocals, adorned with beautiful duets between guitars and violins... the chorus, with Morten constantly changing his voice, is beautiful... after this wonderful song, we find "In a Manica", a striking and quite energetic song... noteworthy is the end with choirs and Morten whispering the chorus... in short, a song that deserves attention... then comes the moment of the title track, a unique song that must be listened to... there really are no words to describe it... the lyrics are quite macabre (in fact, at one point it says, "I can feel the flames the fire lick me in vain"), Morten's voice is more aggressive than sweet, and the choirs and electronic effects make it even darker, but the piano at the end totally soothes the atmosphere...

It's time for "Lethargica", a very nice and striking song that never tires throughout its 6-minute length. Thus, we reach another masterpiece of the album: "Manic Aeon"!!! This song is too beautiful!!! The choirs are wonderful, as are the violins that, alternating with the guitars, create magical melodies... all beautifully enhanced by the wonderful voices of Morten and Fabienne who seem to chase each other throughout the song!!! It continues with "A shadow of your own self"... the chorus sung in growl is very beautiful!!!

The album concludes with the splendid ballad "In Sumerian haze", in my opinion, the most beautiful ballad I've ever heard... here, the violins are more present than ever, playing sweet and melancholic melodies... the song is entirely sung by Fabienne with Morten whispering...
In short, folks... "At sixes and sevens" is truly a beautiful CD... I remember not liking it much at first, but once understood, it’s a fantastic CD that gives you so many emotions!!!