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Although many still think of Sirenia as the little brother of Tristania I think the two bands have followed very different musical directions lately. Since Morten Veland parted with the big brother the band has moved further from their original pompous and pioneering gothic doom metal sound towards something much more radio friendly. Meanwhile Morten has explored these ideas with Sirenia but he has found it difficult to find a female vocalist to stay with the band. This is the third Sirenia full-length and a third female vocalist is introduced to us but this time it's not a newcomer. Some of you may know Monika Pedersen from the Danish band Sinphonia. Finding another skilled soprano such as Vibeke Stene (who is still with Tristania to this day) proved to be difficult or perhaps it was not what Morten was looking for. With Sirenia he has tried out more tender, fragile voices instead that mark an even more evident contrasts between the clean female vocals, the choirs and the growls.
"Nine Destinies And A Downfall" will surely be one of the highlights of the year for fans of the genre as it contains some of the best material Sirenia have produced since their debut. The opening song "The Last Call" is a bombastic yet melancholic masterpiece that should no doubt have been the single off the album instead of "My Mind's Eye". Sirenia may have chosen a more straight-forward approach than Tristania but they are the ones who carry the tradition of the two Tristania masterpieces "Widow's Weeds" and "Beyond The Veil" ahead today while the big brother is fading away. Not quite as impressive as the debut album but yet another solid release that should please previous fans as well as attract new ones.
| Tracklist |
| 1. The Last Call |
| 2. My Mind's Eye |
| 3. One By One |
| 4. Sundown |
| 5. Absent Without Leave |
| 6. The Other Side |
| 7. Seven Keys And Nine Doors |
| 8. Downfall |
| 9. Glades Of Summer |
: 43.02
| Buy other Sirenia albums |
