Sirenia - Perils Of The Deep Blue (2013)

Usually when a band switches lead singers on pretty much every album, it’s hard to keep up with the direction that they’re going. With each new singer, they bring their own flair to the band that changes the sound and the vibe. One band, however, that goes against that is Sirenia. They have had three different singers on their first three albums. They were all very good, especially “At Sixes and Sevens,” but what they lacked was a cohesive flow between records. That problem was solved when they recruited Aylin on vocals. Her first album was “The 13th Floor” and then continued on to make “The Enigma of Life.” She is the only female vocalist to be on more than one Sirenia album. With “The Enigma of Life,” the band had really come together to make something extraordinary. Aylin’s vocals were a perfect fit for the band. Now two years after “The Enigma of Life,” Sirenia delivers “Perils of the Deep Blue.” I’m just going to cut the fat here and say that this is one hell of an album.

The opening track, “Ducere Me In Lucem,” gives the listener a complete introduction to the magic, mystery, and atmosphere that this album offers. Right from the second track, “Seven Widows Weep,” it’s evident that this album is much darker, moodier and overall heavier than their past two albums. “Seven Widows Weep” is an excellent song that’s only downfall is that it’s completely overshadowed by the rest of the album. "My Destiny Coming To Pass" is probably the best song on the album. It’s beautifully written and the melody in the chorus is the best they’ve ever done. Morten Veland’s vocals also give the song a nice touch that makes it feel complete. “Ditt Endelikt” and “Cold Caress” are two of the softer songs, but are catchy, very well written and flow very well with the rest of the album. “Darkling” is one of the heaviest songs they’ve ever written and is a true testament of their abilities. The guitars and bass have a texture and a fullness to them that has to be heard to be believed. From the crunch of the guitars to the epic choir, this song is a real winner. On their 12 minute opus, “Stille Kom Døden,” Aylin really steals the show with her vocal performance. Never has she sounded to effortlessly incredible and engrossing. Veland’s growls give the song a “beauty and the beast” contrast that no band, besides Epica, does better. “The Funeral March” is another great song that is led by keyboards and choirs, which are absolutely breathtaking. The closing track “A Blizzard is Storming” ties everything up nicely and hopefully it’s foreshadowing what the next album will sound like.

The amount of passion put into this album is second to none. Sirenia didn’t just go into the studio to create another album; they went into the studio to push the envelope for everything they stand for. Every little detail was planned out perfectly to make their most cohesive and fulfilling album. From the crunchy fullness of the guitars to the larger than life choirs, “Perils of the Deep Blue” delivers on all fronts. I’ve always thought of Sirenia as a great band that stayed consistent. Now they’ve become an astounding band that just made a modern metal masterpiece. “Perils of the Deep Blue” just raised the bar for symphonic metal.

10/10

- Brian DuBois

Official Site - http://www.mortenveland.com/sirenia/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sirenia