SIRENIA – Riddles, Ruins & Revelations

Techno Goth Metal

From Norway comes the 10th full length album from Goth Metal veterans Sirenia titled Ruins, Riddles & Revelations. Known for their operatic female vocals and backed by heavy guitars and ethereal, over the top production, Sirenia has given us another solid release. The band was formed in 2001 by multi-instrumentalist (guitars, bass, keyboards) and aggressive vocalist Morten Veland (ex Tristania) who had a hand in founding gothic metal as we know it today. The band is fronted by vocalist supreme Emmanuelle Zoldan, her hypnotic voice moving easily from pop sounds to opera as she belts out the strong melodies and anthemic choruses. Rounding out this solid lineup is Nils Courbaron on guitar and Michael Brush on the drums.

Top-Notch Production

Ruins, Riddles & Revelations has a more Techno-Metal feel at times than previous work, as synthesizers blend nicely with the catchy power riffs and thumping drums. Though not as simple as Techno, the underlying beat has that same pulse and tempo on several tracks. Production values are high as the band blends sound effects, ethereal choirs and symphonic sounds with over the top heavy riffs that bounce along at a dance tempo. The overall effect of this blend of sounds adds a depth and character to the album, making it a fun listen.

Favorite Tracks

Some of the standout tracks include “Towards an Early Grave” with its cool 6/8 time signature, Heavy Metal shuffle and killer middle 8 as Morten Velan growls aggressively. Another fun track is “Into Infinity” with its eerie sci-fi sounding overtones and haunting melodies backed up by a punchy, poppy chorus. Don’t miss “We Come to Ruins” with its nice and heavy growls, cool sound effects and progressive timing that showcases the talent of drummer Michael Brush.

Final Notes

Sirenia has gone through a lot of lineup changes over the years, but have found a solid group of musicians that are on the right track as they get a little better with each album. The band offers a mixture of Gothic Metal, Melodic Rock with classical orchestrations, in addition to elements of more Extreme Metal that make them a great listen. For fans of Melodic Gothic Metal with an almost Techno twist, Ruins, Riddles & Revelations is a solid choice for your collection.

Lineup

Morten Veland – Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Keyboards
Emmanuelle Zoldan – Vocals
Nils Courbaron – Guitars
Michael Brush – Drums

Riddles, Ruins & Revelations – Tracklist

01. Addiction No. 1
02. Towards an Early Grave
03. Into Infinity
04. Passing Seasons
05. We Come to Ruins
06. Downwards Spiral
07. Beneath the Midnight Sun
08. The Timeless Waning
09. December Snow
10. This Curse of Mine
11. Voyage Voyage (Desireless cover)