ALBUM REVIEW: 1977 – Sirenia

Not many bands have shapeshifted like SIRENIA over the years, cycling through singers and styles every other record. Band leader and multi-instrumentalist Morten Veland is their sole constant, having now helmed the symphonic metal mainstays for over 20 years. On this, their 11th album, he turns to synth-infused pop from the 70s and 80s for influence, injecting their trademark mournfulness with dancefloor-friendly keys. That contrast between tragic lyricism and upbeat melodies is a winning combination, sure to keep the romantics and the goths happy (or, well, sad).

Despite promising a ‘retro auditory arcade’ reminiscent of when ‘groovy synthwave melodies’ ruled the music world, 1977 isn’t SIRENIA gone EDM. Rather, single Deadlight has the flair of an 80s power ballad along with the all the band’s recent trademarks. There are no radical departures here in how these tracks are structured, but many are deceptive in their simplicity; the biggest nod to songs of old is in the way standouts like Wintry Heart and A Thousand Scars unfold like perfect pop songs. By looking to those who did it best, Veland has crafted the tightest SIRENIA record in some time.

Besides, many of the best pop songs are about heartache, something which SIRENIA have long made their wheelhouse. Centrepiece A Thousand Scars stomps along with big riffs, big synths, and lines like “I can feel a burning love / I can feel its flames devour me / I can feel an endless loss / Fading to black again”. Alongside its modern textures, the song shares some similarities with The Other Side from the band’s classic Nine Destinies And A Downfall, a similarly refined record.

There is little for fans looking for more of, say, Once My Light, a seven-minute gem in the band’s career that crushes and careens around the more metallic end of SIRENIA‘s arsenal. The blast beats that herald Fading To The Deepest Black are the heaviest thing here, but they fast give way to Emmanuelle Zoldan’s feathery vocals that have a knack for calming even the stormiest passages. More than once she evokes Debbie Harry, particularly on the speedy Nomadic, channelling the BLONDIE frontwoman on one of the record’s punchiest numbers.

Despite widening their sonic horizons, the band play things safe lyrically. Loss is a recurring theme, penned in a recurrent manner. Dreams crash, lights fade, silence screams, and darkness sets in. It makes for one hell of a symphonic metal mood board, and what would SIRENIA be without darkness for inspiration, but the poetic atmosphere is never quite matched by their business-as-usual lyricism.

At its best, 1977 takes the light of synth pop to the shade where SIRENIA thrive, like on The Setting Darkness, a song about broken dreams and losing your mind that features a jaunty melody ABBA would be proud of. On their 11th album, the band sound sure-footed and thankful for the chance to dabble with something new. What’s more, Veland still has his eyes to the future, taking SIRENIA to uncharted lands. Some are sure to long for certain eras of the band’s history, but those records and all their idiosyncrasies already exist. It’s not the floor-filler they teased, but 1977 is a welcome addition to the increasingly diverse SIRENIA library.

Rating: 7/10

1977 is set for release on May 26th via Napalm Records.

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