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│ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │
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│ P R E S E N T S │
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│ + Sirenia - The Seventh Life Path + │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Information ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Release Date.Jan-25-2016 Encoder......L3.97 -V2 --vbr-new ║ │
│║ Genre........Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │
│║ Year.........2015 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ripper.......The_Patriarch Songs........12 ║ │
│║ Covers.......Yes Url... www.sirenia.no ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Notes ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Artist : Sirenia Rating : You Decide! ║ │
│║ Album : The Seventh Life Path Label : Napalm ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Description : ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Sirenia came into existence following Morten ║ │
│║ Veland's departure from Tristania. Much like ║ │
│║ that group early on, this new creation had a ║ │
│║ very dark start to it's initial gothic metal ║ │
│║ soaked material. 2002 saw their debut album At ║ │
│║ Sixes and Sevens drop, garnering plenty of ║ │
│║ praise from fans and critics alike, as did their ║ │
│║ 2004 follow-up An Elixer for Existence. As time ║ │
│║ went on, the band focused more on their ║ │
│║ Symphonic aspect, and not so much it's darker ║ │
│║ presence. Four more full-lengths later, all met ║ │
│║ with mixed reception, and we've now come to the ║ │
│║ band's aptly titled seventh studio album, The ║ │
│║ Seventh Life Path, as well as a return to Napalm ║ │
│║ Records, the label that handled their first two ║ │
│║ efforts. But have they also returned to their ║ │
│║ musical roots, or is this yet another release ║ │
│║ destined to be hit or miss among their fans? ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Well, The Seventh Life Path does stick to what ║ │
│║ the group has been up to lately as far as their ║ │
│║ performances are concerned, wrapping themselves ║ │
│║ up with beautiful performances based largely ║ │
│║ around romance, loss, even mental breakdowns, ║ │
│║ the latter of which is nicely portrayed in the ║ │
│║ powerful music video for "Once My Light". ║ │
│║ Thankfully, considering the aggression found on ║ │
│║ later tracks, this one still retains a bit of ║ │
│║ roughness to the overall output, keeping itself ║ │
│║ from becoming yet another sleek sounding gothic ║ │
│║ metal band to get lost in the crowd of similar ║ │
│║ faces. The guitars have a decent bite thanks to ║ │
│║ the dirtier sounding distortion, not to mention ║ │
│║ superb echo on the cleaner chords, and the bass ║ │
│║ is present well enough with a deep tuning that ║ │
│║ is worth paying attention to when allowed a ║ │
│║ moment to shine through. Sadly, the drums sound ║ │
│║ a bit compressed and tinny at times, which ║ │
│║ doesn't work as nicely as it does for the rest ║ │
│║ of the instruments. Even Ailyn's vocals seem ║ │
│║ weaker at times, as if a there's something heavy ║ │
│║ presenting an obstacle from the full projection ║ │
│║ being captured. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ While the album easily could have been mastered ║ │
│║ better, a lot of the aforementioned elements, ║ │
│║ positive or negatively described, actually makes ║ │
│║ The Seventh Life Path sound genuine by ║ │
│║ accentuating the themes of each song within the ║ │
│║ lyrics and music. "Serpent" has some fairly ║ │
│║ crushing grooves in some of the bridges, as well ║ │
│║ as the infectious chorus with a background ║ │
│║ operatic choir, but the main verse really brings ║ │
│║ Ailyn's singing up a little louder with some ║ │
│║ additional echo, complimenting the slight ║ │
│║ burdening sensation that feels as monolithic as ║ │
│║ the interpretation of said serpent within the ║ │
│║ song. Morten's raspy vocals add to the lizard- ║ │
│║ like quality nicely by sticking to a fairly ║ │
│║ linear pitch one might expect a creature like ║ │
│║ this to have in reality. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ But some of the most impressive material of The ║ │
│║ Seventh Life Path lies in the more aggressive ║ │
│║ compositions about half way through. "Sons of ║ │
│║ the North" introduces this, and it's an ║ │
│║ interesting mixture of Norwegian black metal ║ │
│║ influences intertwined with traditional gothic ║ │
│║ metal. While the latter is kept mostly to the ║ │
│║ chorus, the main verses capture the first of ║ │
│║ those two in a fairly blunt, spirit crushing ║ │
│║ manner that the harshened vocals compliment ║ │
│║ well, not to mention some of the nightmarish ║ │
│║ keyboard and symphonic pieces that appear about ║ │
│║ five minutes in that trudge along in a momentary ║ │
│║ doom metal trance. That blackened touch is ║ │
│║ carried into "Earendal" perfectly, though the ║ │
│║ structuring is about the same other than a ║ │
│║ momentary progressive metal bass line ║ │
│║ approaching two-and-a-half minutes in, as well ║ │
│║ as a Folk angle seemingly influenced by the lore ║ │
│║ and heritage of the band's home country through ║ │
│║ wooden landscapes and gypsy/carnival themes, ║ │
│║ complimenting the sensation of exploration and ║ │
│║ wonder this segment, the guitar solo, and chorus ║ │
│║ easily create. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ "The Silver Eye", however, is easily one of the ║ │
│║ most impressive tracks The Seventh Life Path has ║ │
│║ to offer. The glorious melodies that erupt early ║ │
│║ on are reminiscent of Amon Amarth for a short ║ │
│║ time, eventually weaving together Pagan black ║ │
│║ metal laced with traces of keyboard-driven ║ │
│║ Helloween influenced power metal. It's an ║ │
│║ invigorating, albeit shortlived mixture, that ║ │
│║ gives way to channelling some briefly eccentric ║ │
│║ tones, usually following the heavily Viking- ║ │
│║ fuelled chorus that only helps to amplify the ║ │
│║ already over-the-top piece. But then there's ║ │
│║ "Elixer", which is basically the polar opposite. ║ │
│║ It comes across a combination of traditional ║ │
│║ Goth/Darkwave laced with explosive Moonspell- ║ │
│║ grade performances and a well executed ║ │
│║ Neoclassical guitar solo thrown in for good ║ │
│║ measure. While not the only time it happens, ║ │
│║ this one shows Morten taking over vocal duties ║ │
│║ for most of the track, capturing that B-Horror ║ │
│║ graveyard style atmosphere quite well, even when ║ │
│║ belting out a mixture of rasps and gutturals in ║ │
│║ the chorus. By the time Ailyn briefly chimes in, ║ │
│║ it all feels like some kind of gothic duet ║ │
│║ influenced by the musical The Phantom of the ║ │
│║ Opera. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ There's so much going on within the confines of ║ │
│║ The Seventh Life Path that it's almost ║ │
│║ impossible to compress one's thoughts or ║ │
│║ opinions into a single review without analysing ║ │
│║ pretty much every single track on the recording. ║ │
│║ Sirenia seem to be far more open and creative ║ │
│║ being signed with Napalm Records, as if Morten ║ │
│║ and Ailyn were finally able to realize their ║ │
│║ dream that had been stuck in neutral during ║ │
│║ their time with Nuclear Blast Records. This ║ │
│║ album also appears to have been recorded by the ║ │
│║ band as a whole (according to various articles ║ │
│║ on-line), and not like the prior three albums ║ │
│║ that list the recording members as a duo of the ║ │
│║ two just mentioned by name. Whatever the case ║ │
│║ may be, this new full-length is a powerful ║ │
│║ return to the group's roots, combined with the ║ │
│║ path they've forged for themselves up to this ║ │
│║ point, a sound that those going in expecting a ║ │
│║ light-hearted romantic romp on par with the ║ │
│║ single and music video behind "Once My Light" ║ │
│║ will be surprised at what they find, either for ║ │
│║ the better or the worst. At just under seventy ║ │
│║ minutes of beautiful, crushing music, Sirenia ║ │
│║ stand their strongest thanks to The Seventh Life ║ │
│║ Path, which is easily not only one of the most ║ │
│║ important albums of their career, but also one ║ │
│║ of the most impressive albums 2015 has to offer. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
│ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Tracklist ║ │
│╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ │
│ 01 - Seti [02:05] │
│ 02 - Serpent [06:31] │
│ 03 - Once My Light [07:21] │
│ 04 - Elixir [05:45] │
│ 05 - Sons of the North [08:16] │
│ 06 - Earendel [06:14] │
│ 07 - Concealed Disdain [06:11] │
│ 08 - Insania [06:39] │
│ 09 - Contemptuous Quitus [06:29] │
│ 10 - The Silver Eye [07:29] │
│ 11 - Tragedienne [04:54] │
│ 12 - Tragica [04:55] │
│ │
│ Total Length : [72:49 minn │
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│ ╔═════════════════════╗ │
│ ║ Greetings To: ║ │
│ ╚═════════════════════╝ │
│ │
│ Too all people who contributes to make this │
│ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│■ ■│
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