2009 release from the Norwegian Metal band led by former Tristania vocalist/guitarist Morten Veland. In 2006 Sirenia released Nine Destinies And A Downfall which turned out to sound more powerful and heavier than its two p... more »redecessors. The album gained the band access to a broader audience. The 13th Floor is the logical continuation of what the band did in the past years and will definitely take Sirenia to the next level, that is for sure! A must-have for fans of Nightwish, Lacuna Coil and Evanescence. Nuclear Blast.« less
2009 release from the Norwegian Metal band led by former Tristania vocalist/guitarist Morten Veland. In 2006 Sirenia released Nine Destinies And A Downfall which turned out to sound more powerful and heavier than its two predecessors. The album gained the band access to a broader audience. The 13th Floor is the logical continuation of what the band did in the past years and will definitely take Sirenia to the next level, that is for sure! A must-have for fans of Nightwish, Lacuna Coil and Evanescence. Nuclear Blast.
CD Reviews
Same Trick. Different Chick. "13th" is better than "9."
Formerly known as | Boston, MA | 02/22/2009
(3 out of 5 stars)
"As a long-time fan of over a decade who as followed Morten Veland since the good ol' Tristania days, I felt that a review was necessary to inform other veteran fans of the quality of this album.
I speak from the perspective of a fan who loved the variety and surprises of the first two Sirenia albums and one who will always regard Beyond the Veil as one of the greatest gothic metal albums of all time.
The Good:
This album contains elements of the first two albums in terms of variety and has a less overall poppy sound. Morten appears a bit more and there are more breaks from the traditional "verse-chorus, verse chorus" formula that was so over-used on Nine Destinies and a Downfall. Just listen to Winterborn 77 as proof that Veland has not forgotten how to write epic music.
Ailyn does a better job on mixing her vocal style than Monika, while sounding very similar to her at the same time. I still prefer Fabian's vocals from At Sixes and Sevens to compliment Sirenia's sound.
The Bad:
The first couple of songs are in the vein of "Nine Destinies." It's as if Veland heard the complaints from the last album and thought, "Okay. I'll make a more 'Sirenia-like' album, but I still need to record a couple of poppy songs to put on the radio." Fair enough. The band does need to generate revenue and "pop-ularity" can help with that. I mean, just looking at how blatantly similar the album cover looks to Evanescence's "The Open Door" cover shows what audience is being targeted here.
The songs have a bit more variety but as a whole, the album does not reach the caliber of variety and surprise of the first two albums simply because of the lack of male vocals. While there is a bit more of Morten on this CD, he still remains well in the background, giving up the lead vocal spot to Ailyn. Also, we're hearing some similar guitar bridges and drum fills from albums past which can lead to a bit much on the nostalgia sometimes.
Closing:
Overall it is great to hear some real "Sirenia" on this album, even though a couple of poppy songs remain. I guess it should be expected that Morten would not abandon that sound entirely. I rate this album 3rd best out of the four albums with At Sixes and Sevens being best and An Elixir for Existence being second best.
Morten's vocals were so powerful on the first two albums. Seesawing off of his female vocalists made those albums both dynamic and consistently refreshing. If Morten had taken lead vocals on The Thirteenth Floor and placed Ailyn in the supporting vocal role, this could have been a 5-star album. If Amazon had the option, this would be a 3.5 star rating.
"
It think this is the best they've done so far.
ShadowPlay | 08/05/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The album has a couple of fillers but most are killers, in my opinion.
Great production, as usual for these guys.
Her voice is good 80 percent of the time. Can sound like a cat screeching and a bit 'flat' in small parts, but overall pretty cool performance, i think.
If you are a fan of female fronted metal, I think it's definitely a must for your collection.
Duane"
A Different Band
Lupine Smile | California | 04/29/2009
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I will keep if simple. If you liked the old Sirenia, think long and hard before buying this CD. This is definitely cut for the radio. I can't blame them for targetting a wider audience, but this is not for me."
Enchanting Fusion Of Style
Jennifer Barry | 07/09/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"A Review by Jenna K. Barry (Originally Published on [...])
Fans of earlier Sirenia offerings will find a satisfying fusion of both style and performance with The 13th Floor. This band, founded by the ambitious Morten Veland (formerly of Tristania), has thrived despite the fact that Sirenia has gone through three female singers already. This release is the first to feature the Spanish X-Factor contestant, Ailyn. Several of her covers on YouTube left me dubious, but I have just listened to The 13th Floor in its entirety. Though not, in my opinion, a masterpiece, it is clearly a step in the right direction for a band whose last release floundered in the sea of femme metal albums.
"The Path To Decay" at first sounds like a continuation of Nine Destinies And A Downfall. Then a strangely alluring female voice begins to cast a distinctive spell and it becomes clear that, although the music is still accessible as on the previous release, Morten has managed to find a singer who combines the qualities of all her predecessors. The song is very catchy and a great one if you like songs that are easy to belt out until the neighbors complain!
The lyrics lack the evocative feel of the first two albums, and Ailyn can be hard to understand. "Lost In Life" is pretty straightforward, with a jaunty tune. A real highlight is the compelling song, "The Mind Maelstrom." It could be the choirs, which feature strongly. I think it is arguably the most superior song on the album, with some of the complexity I had come to miss from Sirenia.
"The Seventh Summer" features a beautiful intro with a flourish! The orchestral beginning is reminescent of earlier releases. The addition of growls is a welcome surprise after the scarcity on the last album. On "Beyond Life's Scenery," pretty tinkling keys add depth and contrast. Growls and choirs are seamlessly interspersed.
The intro flares up with blazing guitars on "The Lucid Door." Next, "Led Astray" is fast but not that heavy if you are comparing it with At Sixes And Sevens and An Elixir For Existence.
"Winterborn 77" has an intro which calls to mind early Nightwish. Ailyn hits some strong notes in her upper register throughout the piece. Enchanting choirs and musical craftsmanship make this an excellent offering.
"Sirens Of The Seven Seas" was one that I had high hopes for. Unfortunately, the chemistry between the male and female just seems awkward to me on this track. This is not the song I would have chosen as a closing number.
My biggest gripe is that I cannot always understand the femme vox. I would like to see more variety in the songs offered, but I think Morten fulfilled his promise of giving us an album with elements from all past releases!
"
Another bands bland release
S. harris | 04/25/2009
(3 out of 5 stars)
"All of a sudden bands have decided to start producing bland albums. Lacuna Coils latest, Poisonblacks last ablum and now Sirenia is joining the 'band wagon'. Someone else wrote on here saying they thought this new singers voice ranked with Sharon, Tarja and some others?! You gotta be kidding me? Not even close. This new singers voice is very bland. She doesn't sound any different than hundreds of other female vocalists. Not a song on this album stood out to me. Path to Decay is about the only song worth listening to on here, after that it's pretty dull, compared to previous Sirenia albums. I like all of them, even Nine Destinies. Each album kept your attention from beginning to end. This one just bores me and makes me want to listen to something else.
My opinion, download Path to Decay and call it good. Save yourself some money."
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1