Casually, the symphonic metal band 'Sirenia' released their tenth album 'Riddles Ruins & Revelations' and at the same time celebrated their 20-year career, after the very good 'Arcane Astral Aeons' dating from 2018. Alongside the Norwegian leader' Morten Veland ', we still find the two Frenchmen' Emmanuelle Zoldan 'on vocals and' Nils Courbaron 'on guitar, to which the drummer' Michael Brush 'joined in 2019. With 11 compositions for 52 minutes of listening they offer us a symphonic metal with always accessible melodic lines and remarkable vocal harmonies but, like other formations of this style, without going to the rather radical change of 'Within Temptation', this opus shows a certain modernity, the keyboards evolving, here and there, towards the use of more electronic sounds.
This is what the first track 'Addiction No. 1' attests with its electronic introduction and its marked rhythm quite quickly joined by sampled choirs that recall the grandiose side of symphonic metal, this mixture working perfectly, then , 'Towards An Early Grave', a very catchy track, offers us a memorable melody and could serve as the start of concerts (when it will be possible !!) and 'Into Infinity' adds a good dose of electro atmosphere in a very lively, thus showing once again this desire to modernize. Change of scenery with 'Passings Seasons' which returns in the verses to the more classic symphonic with one of the highlights of this album, the kind of title that fully suits 'Emmanuelle Zoldan' who can indulge in a few masterful flights, then , 'We Come to Ruins' continues in this mix between saturated guitar riffs and electro in which the growls of 'Morten Veland' are more present contrasting with 'Emmanuelle Zoldan' who admirably modulates her voice according to the intensity of the moment. With the catchy and melodic 'Downwards Spiral', as they had already done in the album 'Dim Days Of Dolor', the duo 'Emmanuelle Zoldan'/'Joakim Næss' works perfectly and the choirs are much more playful and move away from the symphonic, which should make an essential composition in concert with its heady chorus, then, 'Beneath the Midnight Sun' is the most contrasted title between the older 'Sirenia', more gothic, 'Morten Veland' having a good place in this title and the evolution brought in this album, the modernity of the rhythm and electro sounds being finally quite close to the last 'Within Temptation'. The last third of the album features a vigorous 'The Timeless Waning' with beautiful alternations of intensity between muscular and saturated guitar riffs and calmer verses, then 'December Snow' with a new heady melody still in the line of 'Within Temptation' and the hit 'Curse of Mine' which should be all the rage in concert, the last track being a beautiful cover of the French 'Claudie Fritsch-Mentrop', better known as 'Desireless' with, like you must imagine, a slightly more muscular interpretation than the original and interpreted very beautifully by 'Emmanuelle Zoldan'.
In summary, 'Sirenia' continues to offer us an energetic symphonic metal which, little by little, takes on a little more modern allure while keeping melodic lines always very catchy and, if you liked the last 'Within Temptation', you should also enjoy with 'Riddles Ruins & Revelations'... | |
