Sirenia
Nine Destinies And A Downfall

We finally see Sirenia re-emerge, a band founded in 2001 by Morten Veland after leaving Tristania; after the disappointing "An Elixir For Existence," a point of sudden decline in artistic originality, the band presents this new album, which proves to be a relatively decent and quite satisfying chapter, although it doesn't fail to stir criticism.

It seems Sirenia has decided, as is more logical to do when short of ideas after an unexpected failure, to remodel their sound and attempt to restore their reputation. A successful attempt. More or less. In fact, listening to "The Last Call," we immediately feel that something is missing... But also that something else has become part of the work. Firstly (is it written like this??? 0.o), the growl has almost disappeared. Yes, the growl that contributed so much to making the scene dynamic and atmospheric and gave that touch of gothic decadence to the group's music, has become much less present and involved compared to previous works. However, it must be admitted that it's not a bad start: Veland's voice has been largely replaced by the clear singing of Monika Pedersen (a rather daring choice), and beyond that, we can note with some surprise that the typical melancholic and underwater environments of Sirenia are fairly neglected, making way for music that is more distinctly cheerful and, I would dare say, more akin to alternative than true gothic. As for the Gregorian chants, they are ever-present, strategically placed throughout the various tracks and as grandiose as usual. At least they persistently remain. Continuing with "My Mind's Eye" and "One By One", excellently crafted tracks and certainly better than the opener, we constantly see the band's shift unfolding, with melodies that are at times very energetic and rhythmic. With "Sundown" we hear the return of our dear old growl, and the guitars magically become sharper, and the atmosphere resembles so much the first "At Sixes And Sevens": the female vocals and Veland's growl intertwine in a perfect spiral, with ever-present and enjoyable choirs that guide the entire composition, progressing in parallel without ever clashing violently with our expectations. The following tracks "Absent Without Leave" and "The Other Side" are undoubtedly appreciable, despite the possibility that the listener may be left astonished by a structural repetitiveness present throughout the album, namely the incessant static exposure of the various orchestrations. In simple terms, it is true that the new sound may be liked, just as it is true that Sirenia is in some way trying to regain dignity... However, it is impossible to deny that from the very first track of the very first album we always have to hear the same voice - choir - voice - choir composition; an attentive listener familiar with Sirenia’s style, even hearing any song for the first time, could guess thirty seconds beforehand when in that song the choirs will be heard, or at what point the voice will resume... Ultimately, it's all TOO predictable. I don't know if I’m making myself clear... Anyway, overlooking this quite significant flaw, we could enjoy "Downfall" and "Glaes Of Summer", with pleasant and evocative melodies, where the growl makes a comeback surrounded by choirs. The concluding track, "Seven Keys And Nine Doors", is beautiful but roughly similar to the others, and here we feel somewhat irritated by the overly persistent voice - choir - voice - choir scheme, even though it differs from the rest due to a very simple interlude, followed then at breakneck speed by the usual scheme.

Certainly, the score for the CD is 3 (actually it would be 3.5). This is a CD that might be greatly appreciated by those listening to Sirenia for the first time, but from an objective point of view, it deserves a normal decent rating, and, as the French say, sans plus. Nothing more, especially for a band that has so far shown itself to be in permanent limbo.