Sirenia, for most of us still “the new band of Morten Veland”, have released their seventh album, The Seventh Life Path. Throughout this album and previous albums, the number seven is a recurring theme – a bit overdone, if I may say so.
And that brings me to my main point of critique of this album: it is overdone. Everything is a bit over the top, and the soul has fled their music. The year 2015 is not the year 2005 or 1998 – and nobody ever got better when they decided to just close themselves off from the world and keep doing exactly what they are good at. The Seventh Life Path is not necessarily a bad album – it is just terrible bland. I listen to the album, and after listening I don't remember a single track or a single solo or passage that stands out. You could as well take all the previously released gothic metal albums, mix them together, and serve up this tasteless porridge of mediocrity.
A second point of criticism I have is the production of the album. For all the respect the metal world has for Morten Veland, I just can't understand why somebody would ever mix music so poorly for such a respected artist/band. The drums sound like tin cans, the vocals have too much reverb on them, the bass is barely to be heard, and the rest just sound compressed together.
Highlight of the album for me is “Sons of the North”, which I only noticed after the fifth time I listened to the album, which reminds me a bit of Leaves' Eyes. Great piano solo – pity that it is not mixed well (the solo could pop out much more).
Anyway, here's another gothic metal album. And while I have always been a huge gothic and sympho metal fan, and am saddened by the slow demise of the genre, I am not that desperate that I would enjoy this album. Too mediocre by all means. Sirenia can do better than this.
Tracklist
- Seti
- Serpent
- Once My Light
- Elixir
- Sons of The North
- Earendel
- Concealed Disclain
- Insania
- Contemptuous Quitus
- The Silver Eye
- Tragedienne
Label: Napalm Records
Website: https://www.facebook.com/sirenia
Score: 6/10
