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In their own way, there are Nordic groups like Nightwish and Epica that have made it for some time now (...to steal money from several "die-hard" fans). In terms of sales, Within Temptation are an irreplaceable certainty for the decadent symphonic metal fans. I don't feel like mentioning Evanescence because "they are the best you can imagine," even if they disappear from the scene from one album to another, then with each return they break the bank... (15 million copies of the first album, at that time I still remember some had the courage to label them as an innovative gothic rock band, the second over 5 million copies).
The question now is plausible: do the Sirenia of 2009 have the right to take a seat at the table of the "greats" of symphonic metal, with the guidance of a new female voice? Well yes, going into details, already starting from 2008 I noticed a change in the Sirenian ranks; ...and I realized that for the umpteenth time, Sirenia had made the decision to break ties with the singer of the previous work, Monica Pederson (this had happened again before the debut of "Nine Destinies and a Downfall") to enlist the winner of the Spanish edition of X-Factor: I'm talking about the semi-unknown Ailyn. I think it's pointless to talk about the mix of this new album if we know the work of 2007: keyboards in the foreground, operatic temptations, Morten's growl well blended with the voice of the current beauty, an almost obsessive search for the romantic chorus, all in order to conceive a clear and clean album, without too many touches. Steps forward compared to the last full-length? If we mainly had the desire to listen to their previous work, the rate of innovation is zero percent. There is nothing that deviates from the tracks of "Nine Destinies and a Downfall" and this can only once again discourage the seekers of originality. Symphonic/Gothic Metal in decline? We only have to thank the existence of some bands that, with the publication in recent years of real milestones, have not yet made them lose too much importance.
On the one hand, honestly, we feel slight gratifications humming vocal melodies that have the merit of exploding into real catchy and irresistible choruses, ("Lost in Life", "The Path of Decay") backed by a roaring counterpart by Veland himself, alternating growls and screams to emit violent and evil breaks; on the other hand, continuously tasting the same old soup causes an unbearable sense of nausea. Perhaps the only thing we can truly appreciate is the video clip of the track "The Path to Decay", with truly original and theatrical background shots. The abilities of composers and musicians are there to bring something innovative to the market but perhaps it is precisely the willingness to step "out of the box" to take that flight that has always been missing from the Norwegian band.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 The Path to Decay (04:17)
Life brings nothing for the sane
Keep searching new days on the horizon
While time just seems to slip away
I'm leaving no trace along the way
Seems like I'm falling deeper,
deeper inside myself
Feels like I'm growing weaker,
much weaker each day
along the path to decay
The lights are fading day by day
No cure for the lost, there's no ascending
When life could not become more pale
a new dawn is here, another day
Seems like I'm falling deeper,
deeper inside myself
Feels like I'm growing weaker,
much weaker each day
along the path to decay
Darkness within us all
We're feeble and stand to fall
The daylight has long since gone
but a new dawn has yet to come
Seems like I'm falling deeper,
deeper inside myself
Feels like I'm growing weaker,
much weaker each day
along the path to decay
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Other reviews
By azucena1510
"If you listen to it attentively, you will notice that the refined sound, the interplay between growl and female voice, the terribly enigmatic lyrics... make it a complex yet pleasing album to listen to."
"The first single 'The path to decay' is beautiful: the electronic effects before the initial riff set the CD's atmosphere well."
