At Sixes And Sevens

For those who still don't know about it, this is the new band of former Tristania vocalist and guitar player Morten Veland. And as I had said in my Tristania review of World of Glass, Morten was the heart and soul of Tristania and one can hear it on this album. Where Tristania lost its magnificence (producing a less gothic-orientated and more industrial-orientated album), Sirenia's At Sixes And Sevens proves to be the perfect follow up to Tristania's sophomore album Beyond the Veil. Morten took time to compose new songs during the year after he left Tristania, and again one can hear that he took good care during this time to perfect those songs. These are all very well balanced and I have noticed very little weaknesses in them, if at all. Particular attention has been placed on the arrangements, in fact, to every aspect of the songs. The elements of Beyond the Veil have been transposed onto this record : the growling male voice, the clean man vocals, the female vocals, the choirs, and even whispering vocals. Pete Johansen is again present with his fabulous violins parts, as good as usual if not better. Samples are also very much present all through the album. I have also noticed fine piano parts that take the songs to another dimension. Overall , the songs a stronger than those on Tristania's World of Glass. The main difference however between Beyond the Veil and At Sixes and Sevens is the female vocals. It's indeed no more a voice in the vein of Vibeke Stene with her lyrical-opera-sweet-angelic voice, but rather the voice of fabulous french singer (?) Fabienne Gondamin. Her voice, how sweet it might be, is more down to earth, less enthusiastic. Don't take me wrong though, she has one of the best female voices I have heard in the metal scene, but I don't think it fits the music of the band as well as that of Vibeke or Anita from The Sins of Thy Beloved may have. I would rather say that such a voice could perfectly deserve a band playing more ethereal music such as The Gathering or Pale Forest. The band is currently looking for a permanent female vocalist, so they might come back with such a female singer (maybe I should remind Morten that Vibeke has a sister, Sissel B. Stene, who did the choirs on Beyond the Veil or that Anita is no longer a member of The Sins of Thy Beloved). Sirenia is then the perfect match of musical plurality, combining elements from the gothic and the death-black metal scene, as well as classical influences. The songs are catchy and groovy as hell, except for the final track, In Summerian Haze, which is more of a sweet ballad concentrating on the voice of the female vocalist. However, as talented as Morten might be, neither him nor the guys in Tristania seem able to bring back the magical romantic atmosphere that was present throughout Widow's Weeds, my definite all time fave.