Sirenia's 'Riddles, Ruins & Revelations' - Album Review

Norway's Sirenia, which in truth has always largely been the solo vehicle for multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Morten Veland, is a band that I have liked for probably around 12 years at this point - but I am not sure that I have ever truly loved them. My introduction to the band was 2009's gothic, yet very accessible, The 13th Floor. I picked the album up not long after its release and it was something that was really in my wheelhouse at the time. Around that time my favourite bands in the world were Nightwish and Kamelot, and I was gaining an appreciation for the wider symphonic and power metal worlds. While I feel that Sirenia are more of a gothic metal act than a truly symphonic one, The 13th Floor was accessible and symphonic enough to appeal to me at the time. It was never going to challenge the Nightwishes and Epicas of the world, but it was an album that held my attention for that year or so. After that however, Sirenia pretty much dropped off my radar for a while. I totally missed 2011's The Enigma of Life (I did pick it up quite a long time after its release but it is still not an album that I am really familiar with), but I did jump back on board with 2013's Perils of the Deep Blue (which I did not cover at the time, for some reason). After flirting with poppier sounds, Perils of the Deep Blue was very much the band returning to their gothic metal roots in a big way. It was a dark, heavy album - and this was a sound that the band carried forward into 2015's The Seventh Life Path (which I reviewed here). I listened to both Perils of the Deep Blue and The Seventh Life Path quite a lot at the time, but it was not long before I fell of the Sirenia wagon again. I am not sure why this happened, but both 2016's Dim Days of Dolor and 2018's Arcane Astral Aeons passed me by somewhat (again, I have both, but they are not albums that I am hugely familiar with). This is probably because I would only really consider myself a casual fan of the band, and if these albums came out at times when a lot of other albums were being released then they almost certainly would have been overlooked. I did not want the band's tenth album to suffer the same fate however, so Riddles, Ruins & Revelations (which carries on the alliterative theme of their last couple of albums) was pre-ordered as soon as it was reasonable to do so. The album arrived a couple of weeks ago, and I have been enjoying a lot since. It is fair to say that the album has grabbed me in quite a big way, and I was not really expecting it to - especially as Riddles, Ruins & Revelations marks something of a change in tone for the band. The band's tenth album is much more commercial than anything the band has done to this point, and breaks the dark, gothic metal trend that Veland has been following again since 2013. Riddles, Ruins & Revelations is even poppier arguably than The 13th Floor, with electro-pop elements mixing perfectly with more familiar gothic metal trappings here. This is not a bad thing however, and the accessibility of this album is what makes it so enjoyable. It is also possibly the most band-orientated album that the band have done - with Veland letting go of the reins somewhat. Guitarist Nils Courbaron, on his second album with the band, handles nearly all of the guitar solos here; and it seems that Veland has finally ditched the plastic programmed drums of previous Sirenia albums with newcomer Michael Brush (Magic Kingdom; Ark Ascent; Holy Tide) laying down the drum tracks (either that, or Veland has some better drum software!). The star here though throughout is frontwoman Emmanuelle Zoldan who, on her third album with the band, shines - her poppy melodies the perfect counterpoint for Veland's still-tough riffing.

While certainly not as poppy as a band like Amaranthe, Riddles, Ruins & Revelations is still an album that is likely to have a wider appeal that the average gothic rock album does. The album's lead single Addiction No. 1 perfectly showcases, from the off, the band's new approach - and it is the sort of song that is likely to draw you in straight away. The song's sound is not so different that long-time Sirenia fans will feel let down, but instead the newer pop sounds have been fused well with the band's usual dark, riffy approach to good effect. The song opens in a haze of industrial grooves and a dancing synths - before a tough metal riff kicks in topped by a poppy keyboard lead. These opening 30 seconds or so really sum up the approach of the album as a whole, with the track showcasing the best of Veland's current songwriting style. Synths often take the lead here, but occasional heavier riffs sometimes kick in to bring the band's old sound to the fore - which helps to keep things fresh. With Courbaron on board, there are a lot more guitar solos here too - with the effort here following one of the heavy riffs with a shredded ease, adding some metal excess to what is otherwise a poppy and accessible song. Not all the songs here are quite as poppy as Addiction No. 1, and there is still plenty of gothic rock goodness to be found throughout the album. Towards an Early Grave certainly has a lot more of a metal bite to it, with a driving early In Flames-esque riff kicking things off - before a crunchy verse takes over that sees Zoldan singing atop a knotty, heavy guitar/drum combination. Sirenia have always been a melodic act, but I feel that, even during the more typical-sounding songs here, melody is given more prominence this time around. Despite the song's gothic trappings, the chorus here is a real winner - and has a vocal melody that sinks into the brain after only a couple of listens. It is also the first song here to feature Veland's harsh vocals, with his barks filling a heavy bridge section after the second chorus that provide a great contrast to the anthemic melodies found elsewhere. Veland growls less on this album than usual however, but these sections only hit harder as a result. All of the elements here add up to make Towards an Early Grave one of my favourite Sirenia tracks, and it really shows how a band can shake up their core sound by adding new elements and still sound familiar. Into Infinity is similar, but with perhaps more of a focus on industrial beats and grooves. This song shows another great integration of old and new, with a metal guitar leads doubling the synth riffs to create a big sound, although the chorus really goes all in for the desired electro-pop vibe with pulsing rhythms and catchy hooks. It is worth noting at this point that this is the band's first album to not feature a choir. This does mean that some of the band's trademark gothic vocal depth is missing, but it does allow the choruses to shine with a new-found simplicity. The lack of a choir works well for the type of sound that Veland is going for this time around - with the dark riffing and occasional harsh vocals there to provide familiarity.

Passing Seasons opens quite slowly, with dense keyboard layers and some distant spoken word - with Zoldan soon joining in. Her vocal approach throughout the album is much more straight forward than usual, but this song sees her use her slightly more classical approach throughout. This adds some emotional depth to the track, and allows for some great old-school symphonic metal moments - particularly a double bass drum-led section that sees her taking a pseudo-operatic approach that contrasts greatly with the poppy melodies found elsewhere. In many ways, this song sounds much more like one that could have appeared on one of the band's older albums, with much less of the pop to be found here. There is still a lot of old Sirenia here despite the shift in tone, and again it shows how successfully Veland has introduced new elements into the band's sound. We Come to Ruins takes the in-your-face pop of Addiction No. 1 and arguably takes it further, while also really dialling up the heaviness. This is a song that really meshes the band's old and new sounds together perfectly - presenting light-hearted melodies one moment, before soon diving headfirst into growled verses and pummelling double bass drumming. Shown in this context however, the industrial grooves and synth leads take on a menacing tone; and shows that the band's trademark darkness and melancholy is still alive and well despite the stronger focus on melody here. As a result, the song is another highlight for me; and it is great to hear Veland's harsh vocals really pushed to the fore - with the verses essentially being a duet between him and Zoldan. It is also one of the most dynamic pieces here too, as the song really tones things down in the middle, with a Pink Floyd-esque warm keyboard-led section taking over - before Courbaron launches into another impressive guitar solo. Downwards Spiral is another great example of Veland's sound fusion - and the melodies here make it another album highlight for me. The chorus is arguably the poppiest thing the band has ever done, while denser atmospheric sections elsewhere add some gothic depth. Regular collaborator Joakim Næss adds his vocals to the song's chorus, with the poppy melodies benefiting from the call-and-response approach taken by him and Zoldan. The chorus here is probably the closest this album comes to the all-out pop metal of Amaranthe - but there is still enough gothic murk during the verses to ground the track in the Sirenia canon. Veland's only guitar solo on the album is featured as the song draws to a close - his slow-burning, atmospheric approach here different to the shredded style used elsewhere. Beneath the Midnight Sun is heavier, but packed full of great synth-based grooves - Veland's early harsh vocals contrasting well with the pulsing beats. It is similar to We Come to Ruins throughout, but with perhaps a bigger emphasis on programmed beats. Some of the synth patches used here are a little in-your-face and over the top, but they still work well against the backdrop of gothic riffing and the occasional operatic Zoldan vocal. It is perhaps not as memorable as some of the tracks here, but there is still a lot to enjoy - with more of the band's old sound pushed to the fore despite the synth prominence.

The Timeless Waning is more of a groove-based piece, with a main riff that has a strident, old-school Marilyn Manson-esque strut to it which, when merged with the synths, has a strong, danceable feel throughout. In something of a role reversal, it is actually the harsh vocal-led sections here that are the catchiest - largely because they use the song's opening riff to form a chorus. It is rare for bands like Sirenia to use their harsh vocals during the choruses - but it works really well here, with Zoldan's low-key, atmospheric verses building up slowly towards this explosion of groove and heaviness. Courbaron's solo here is also much more groove-focused than usual. He dispenses of his usual shredded style for a more lyrical approach - with some subtle harmonies throughout that really suit the more deliberate pacing that the song has overall. December Snow opens with some rolling piano melodies, but it is not long before another mid-paced synth-enhanced riff kicks in to add some classic gothic heaviness. It is another very dynamic and catchy song however, and recalls earlier tracks like Towards an Early Grave with a great mix of poppy melodies and heavy atmosphere. The verses here are quite low-key, with subtle piano melodies and emotionally-charged vocals, before the chorus makes great use of the early riff as a backing for stadium-worthy hooks that again will instantly stick in the brain. It is another song that is extremely memorable, and is another highlight as a result. The last original track here is This Curse of Mine, a more overtly-metal track that pushes the synths etc. into the background a little more to allow Veland's riffing to shine. His guitar playing throughout the album is as heavy as always, but quite often the synths overpower it sometimes - but that is not the case here. As a result, the song certainly has a bit more of an old-school Sirenia sound - but with the focus on poppy vocal hooks remaining. The chorus is packed full of them, and it really is the meat that the rest of the song is hung from. It is probably one of the simplest songs here from an arrangement perspective, but it works well to bring the best out of Veland and Zoldan once more. While This Curse of Mine ends the 'main' album, all versions come with a cover of Desireless' 1986 synth pop hit Voyage Voyage - a song which perfectly sums up the band's current fusion of sounds. The song is obviously heavier than the original, with riffs and guitar solos throughout, but the melodies are just as catchy. The band have done a great job to make the song their own, so much so that it sounds like an integral part of the album. For some, this will be song that makes the band's change in tone make sense - as the heaviness and the poppiness sit perfectly side-by-side here. It is the perfect end to a great album, and shows the band's fun side - something which is not on display too often. Voyage Voyage proves, if it needed proving, that Sirenia's mix of sounds on Riddles, Ruins & Revelations really works. It is the Sirenia album that I have enjoyed the most so far, and it is certainly making me want to go back and properly acquaint myself with the albums of theirs that I missed out on. Whether this new poppy direction will be a permanent one for the band remains to be seen - but it works very well here, and it is an album that I will be listening to a lot going forward.

The album was released on 12th February 2021 via Napalm Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Addiction No. 1.