Riddles, Ruins & Revelations
| Riddles, Ruins & Revelations | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 12 February 2021 | |||
| Studio | Audio Avenue Studios (Tau) | |||
| Genre | Symphonic metal,[1] synth-pop[2] | |||
| Length | 50:26 | |||
| Language | English, French | |||
| Label | Napalm | |||
| Producer | Morten Veland | |||
| Sirenia chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Riddles, Ruins & Revelations | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Blabbermouth | 7.5/10[3] |
| Metal Hammer | [2] |
| Ghost Cult Magazine | 7/10[4] |
Riddles, Ruins & Revelations is the tenth studio album by Norwegian symphonic metal band Sirenia. It was released on 12 February 2021 via Napalm Records.[5][6][7] The first single "Addiction No. 1" was released on 8 December 2020, along with a music video.[7] The second single, "We Come to Ruins", was released on 12 January 2021.[8] On 10 February 2021, the band released their third single which is a cover of French singer Desireless, "Voyage, voyage".[9]
It was elected by Metal Hammer as the 24th best symphonic metal album.[1]
Background
Riddles, Ruins & Revelations was recorded and produced in its entirety at Morten Veland's personal studio (Audio Avenue Studios) in Tau, Norway in mid-2020. It is the first album of the band that does not feature additional recordings in Marseille with the mixed French symphonic choir (called the Sirenian Choir).
Sirenia's tenth album is a remarkable stylistic shift for the group, blending synth-pop with their usual symphonic metal musical style, opting for a more commercial bet which included the release of two music videos, and moving away from the gothic sound that characterized them in the past, twenty years after their foundation.[2] Veland said:
The album is very diverse, as a Sirenia album should be. There's a lot of material that shows the band from a new side, and there is lots of material that is to be expected from the band musically. All in all the album will take the listeners through a journey that will cover both familiar and unexplored musical landscapes.[...][7]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Morten Veland, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Addiction No. 1" | 4:03 |
| 2. | "Towards an Early Grave" | 5:27 |
| 3. | "Into Infinity" | 4:41 |
| 4. | "Passing Seasons" | 4:43 |
| 5. | "We Come to Ruins" | 5:12 |
| 6. | "Downwards Spiral" | 5:55 |
| 7. | "Beneath the Midnight Sun" | 4:43 |
| 8. | "The Timeless Waning" | 4:04 |
| 9. | "December Snow" | 5:20 |
| 10. | "This Curse of Mine" | 4:18 |
| Total length: | 50:26 | |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Voyage Voyage" (Desireless cover) | Jean-Michel Rivat and Dominique Dubois | 4:18 |
| Total length: | 54:44 | ||
Personnel
Credits for Riddles, Ruins & Revelations adapted from liner notes.[10]
Sirenia
- Morten Veland – harsh and clean vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards, programming, mixing, mastering, engineering
- Emmanuelle Zoldan – female vocals, French translation
- Nils Courbaron – guitars
- Michael Brush – drums
Additional musician
- Joakim Næss – clean vocals in "Downwards Spiral"
Production
- Gyula Havancsák – cover art, design, layout
- Richelle ter Heege – photography
Charts
| Chart (2021) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[11] | 89 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[12] | 18 |
References
- ^ a b Davies, Hywel; Dome, Malcolm; Goodman, Eleanor; Chantler, Chris; Gordon, Connie; Grady, Spencer; Rees, Adam; Selzer, Jonathan (17 November 2021). "The 25 best symphonic metal albums". Metal Hammer. Future plc. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
- ^ a b c Cooper, Ali (10 February 2021). "Sirenia's Riddles, Ruins & Revelations album review". Metal Hammer. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ "Riddles, Ruins & Revelations - SIRENIA". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. 8 February 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ Alcock, Gary (8 February 2021). "ALBUM REVIEW: Sirenia - Riddles, Ruins & Revelations". Ghost Cult Magazine. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
- ^ Bauer, Simon (8 December 2020). "SIRENIA: "Riddles, Ruins & Revelations"-Album für Februar 2021 angekündigt". Rock Hard Magazine. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
- ^ Pessina, Luca. "SIRENIA: ascolta la nuova "Addiction No. 1"". Metalitalia (in Italian). Retrieved 8 December 2020.
- ^ a b c "SIRENIA To Release 'Riddles, Ruins & Revelations' Album In February". Blabbermouth. 8 December 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
- ^ "SIRENIA: 'We Come To Ruins'-Single is online". Rock Hard Megazine. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
- ^ "SIRENIA Release Cover of DESIRELESS' '80s Hit 'Voyage Voyage'; Music Video". BraveWords. 10 February 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ (2021). "Riddles, Ruins & Revelations liner notes". In Riddles, Ruins & Revelations [CD booklet]. Napalm.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Sirenia – Riddles, Ruins & Revelations" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Sirenia – Riddles, Ruins & Revelations". Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 February 2021.