Sirenia came… Read Full Bio ↴Sirenia is a gothic metal band from Stavanger, Norway.
Sirenia came together in early 2001, when Morten Veland parted ways with his former band Tristania due to musical disagreements and personal differences.
Sirenia combines strong melodic instrumentals, keyboard synthesis, and guitar works with light, female vocals (Fabienne Gondamin, Henriette Bordvik, Monika Pedersen, Ailyn), and currently Emmanuelle Zoldan, male death vocals, and a choir. Current band members are Morten Veland (programming, growling, clean vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards), Emmanuelle Zoldan (female vocals), Jan Erik Soltvedt (guitars) and Jonathan Perez (drums). Most of Sirenia's songs are atmospheric, yet intense with melodic backgrounds and interludes. The lyrics are concerned with human existence, emotion, and mental states.
Sirenia (at first called "Masters of Sirenia"), named after the Sirens of Greek mythology, was founded in 2001 after Morten Veland left Tristania. The band failed to find a suitable singer prior to recording in France, so they conducted auditions and found Fabienne Gondamin for the recording session of At Sixes and Sevens.
On the subsequent tour and follow-up album, An Elixir for Existence, Gondamin was replaced by Henriette Bordvik.
On September 13, 2005, it was announced that Bordvik would be leaving the band, and the search for a new singer commenced. Bordvik's replacement, Monika Pedersen of the band Sinphonia, was introduced on April 10, 2006. In the same year, Bjørnar Landa (from Artifact) joined the band as a guitarist.
Nine Destinies and a Downfall came out in February 2007. This album features more down-tuned guitars that chug and growl, with a texture not previously heard on Sirenia albums. Moreover, the male grunting and harsh vocals have been greatly reduced, with grunts only appearing on three songs: Sundown, Seven Keys and Nine Doors, and Downfall. There are occasionally clean male vocals as well, but they are used very rarely. Thus, fans who enjoyed the delicate balance between Morten Veland's harsh vocals and the female voice will likely be disappointed. On this album, the new female vocalist is front and center. Choirs are sprinkled throughout the songs, giving the music the feel familiar to Sirenia fans. This album marks a significant departure from Morten Veland's work in Tristania.
On April 9, 2008, Morten Veland announced Spanish X Factor contestant Ailyn as their new female vocalist.
On May 19th, 2008, it was announced that Bjørnar Landa left the band in order to have more time for his family and studies. He is replaced by Michael Krumins from Green Carnation.
'The 13th Floor' is the title of the new album. The release date is set to the 23rd of january 2009. Expect a melodic and powerful album in the typical Sirenia vein. The brand new single: 'The Path To Decay' will be released on December 26th and the new video from SIRENIA, will receive its online premiere on January 5, 2009 via MySpace.
The bands fifth studio album, 'The Enigma of Life' was released on January 29, 2011. Less than two months after the release of the album, Michael Krumins departed from the group to spend more time on other projects, he was replaced by Jan Erik Soltvedt.
On April 13, 2013, Sirenia announced the title of their next album on their Facebook page: Perils of the Deep Blue.
2016–2018: Dim Days of Dolor
On 29 August 2016 Sirenia revealed eighth full-length album Dim Days of Dolor before their official announcement of their new singer Emmanuelle Zoldan, a French mezzo-soprano singer from Aix-en-Provence who has worked with Sirenia for 13 years and is part of The Sirenian Choir. She has contributed to lead vocals before on the Sirenian Shores EP cover of "First We Take Manhattan" by Leonard Cohen.
In November 2017, longtime drummer Jonathan Pérez left the band and joined Green Carnation. Consequently, Sirenia temporarily again included Austrian drummer Roland Navratil, a live member who had performed with the band before.
2018–2020: Arcane Astral Aeons
On 14 August 2018, Sirenia had revealed the title of their ninth studio album Arcane Astral Aeons, along with a European tour in the fall. The album was released 26 October of the same year. A lyric video was made for the single "Love Like Cyanide" released on 21 September 2018. The song features a guest appearance by Yannis Papadopoulos from Finnish band Beast in Black.
2020–present: Riddles, Ruins & Revelations and 1977
On 8 December 2020, Sirenia announced the title of their tenth studio album Riddles, Ruins & Revelations, with the release of their first single off of the album, "Addiction No. 1". The album was released on 12 February 2021.
On 22 March 2023, the band simultaneously announced the first single which is a cover of British singer Tanita Tikaram's "Twist in My Sobriety". It is the first single that will be featured on the upcoming eleventh studio album, 1977, which is set to be released on 26 May 2023
Official site: www.sirenia.no
In A Manica
Sirenia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like a weakening fire
Awaiting the final end?
If you consider
Still hanging in there
You will wither
In each and in every way
How can you stand it?
Don't you pretend that
The world is a better place?
If you're in denial
Life is worth while
You can rely on
There's comfort in exit ways
In a manica the reaper comes around
And the winds they sweep my manic funereal ground
Some deranged and some devour
To haunt me down in my darkest hour
Yet another mind of the Devil's design
When we gather our frail souls
Beyond our persistence
When we cope for our lives with fantasy
When we cover our eyes
And mourn our loss of existence
When we falter, deprived and out of dreams
Do you see there are times
To read in the lines?
And trust me you will find
The things that you know
Will hurt you so
You can't deny that anymore,
You can deny that no more!
The lyrics of "In A Manica" by Sirenia is a reflection of the helplessness and desperation of being stuck in a chaotic situation. The singer compares themselves to a fire that's slowly extinguishing, waiting for the inevitable end. They address the listener, asking how they can stand such torment and urging them not to pretend that the world is a better place. They warn that denial leads to decay and deterioration in all aspects of life. The chorus is particularly harrowing, where the singer paints a picture of the reaper coming around during a manic and funereal time. They describe how, in such a state, both the deranged and the devourers come to haunt, hinting at the psychological and emotional turmoil that triggered the manic state.
The second verse continues in a similar tone, talking about how certain situations bring us to our limits, and we are forced to cope using our imagination and by covering our eyes, but ultimately all these are just coping mechanisms, and we're eventually left deprived and out of dreams. The chorus repeats with a slight variation, where the singer talks about how it's essential to read between the lines and confront the hurtful things that we've been avoiding.
Line by Line Meaning
How can you stand there
Expressing disbelief towards how someone can continue to exist in such a weak and helpless state.
Like a weakening fire
Comparing the individual's vitality to that of a dying, weak flame.
Awaiting the final end?
Questioning why the person is passively waiting for their inevitable demise.
If you consider
Warning the person to seriously think about their situation.
Still hanging in there
Acknowledging the person's persistence despite the odds stacked against them.
You will wither
Implying that their persistence will ultimately lead to their downfall.
In each and in every way
Emphasizing the all-encompassing nature of their inevitable failure.
How can you stand it?
Asking again how the person can continue to endure such a difficult situation.
Say can you mend it?
Asking if anything can be done to fix their situation.
Don't you pretend that
Calling out the person for trying to ignore or deny the harsh reality of their situation.
The world is a better place?
Challenging the idea that the world is inherently good or fair.
If you're in denial
Accusing the person of being in denial about their predicament.
Life is worth while
Asserting that life is still valuable and worth living.
You can rely on
Offering assurance and support to the struggling individual.
There's comfort in exit ways
Suggesting that death may bring an end to their suffering and provide comfort.
In a manica the reaper comes around
Referencing the concept of the Grim Reaper, who comes to collect souls in moments of mortality.
And the winds they sweep my manic funereal ground
Painting a picture of a bleak funeral scene, with a sense of turmoil and chaos caused by the wind.
Some deranged and some devour
Describing various disturbing and violent entities that are lurking in the darkness.
To haunt me down in my darkest hour
Suggesting that in moments of weakness or pain, these malevolent forces are especially potent and dangerous.
Yet another mind of the Devil's design
Characterizing these eerie and dangerous beings as agents of the supernatural or demonic.
When we gather our frail souls
Acknowledging the fragility of the human spirit or soul.
Beyond our persistence
Highlighting the limits of human endurance and strength.
When we cope for our lives with fantasy
Recognizing the human tendency to retreat into escapist fantasies or illusions during difficult times.
When we cover our eyes
Describing the act of deliberately ignoring or avoiding hard truths.
And mourn our loss of existence
Reflecting on the feeling of hopelessness or despair that comes with contemplating one's own mortality.
When we falter, deprived and out of dreams
Describing moments of total failure, when all hope of success or redemption seems to slip away.
Do you see there are times
Pointing out that there are moments when it becomes impossible to ignore reality.
To read in the lines?
Posing a rhetorical question meant to encourage people to pay closer attention to their situation.
And trust me you will find
Offering reassurance that there is something to be gained from facing the truth.
The things that you know
Referring to the facts and realities of life that people often ignore or deny.
Will hurt you so
Warning that facing the brutal truth will be painful and difficult.
You can't deny that anymore,
Leaving no room for argument or evasion - the truth must be faced head-on.
You can deny that no more!
Echoing the previous line for emphasis.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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