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 My Darkest Hours
Sirenia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I yearn for the light my life devours
Winter's at hand
In search of a key, a door, an end
Hear my voice, don't quail inside the void
nor fear the sound of winter winds around
I yearn for the dawn to bring me alive
How to ascend?
while you hold the key that shield my end
Hear my voice, it's calling on the dawn
Ascend to fall, but never to withdraw
Winter nights...I hold them inside
I stand to fall, giving in on life as a whole
Winds of time...won't mend my sombre mind
I can't deny that I'm on a closing way down
Morning star...shining from afar
your radiance diminish every day now
Evening star...you've lost your stalwart
Your skies endark
like my mind, my soul and my heart
Come take my hand
and lead me on towards the end
The darkness in me
devours the strength I craved for all these years
These feelings I have never shown remain unknown
I really don't know if I'm that strong...
These secrets I have held inside through all my life
I guess I'll shield them till I die...
The lyrics to Sirenia's song "In My Darkest Hours" are a reflection of a person's struggle with depression and the internal turmoil that comes with it. The opening lines suggest that the singer is suffering from a deep sense of despair and is searching for a way out of the darkness. The reference to Winter sets the scene for a bleak and cold environment which reinforces the idea of depression as a dark and isolating experience.
The next few lines introduce a sense of hope as the singer pleads for someone to listen to their voice and not be afraid of the emptiness and coldness around them. The singer seems to be reaching out for someone to offer support and companionship through their struggles. The following verse revisits the theme of searching for an escape from the darkness but this time the focus shifts to the role that someone else may play in helping them find a way out. The line "while you hold the key that shields my end" reinforces the idea that the singer is looking to someone else to help guide them through their struggles.
The final verse is perhaps the most revealing as the singer acknowledges the depth of their despair and hopelessness. The imagery of stars that were once shining brightly but have now lost their strength is a reflection of the singer's own inner turmoil. The final lines reveal the singer's reluctance to open up and share the extent of their struggles with others. The repetition of the line "I really don't know if I'm that strong" suggests a sense of doubt and insecurity about their ability to cope with the challenges they are facing.
Line by Line Meaning
In my darkest of hours
During the most difficult times in my life
I yearn for the light my life devours
I long for the brightness that brings life and joy
Winter's at hand
A difficult and challenging period approaches
In search of a key, a door, an end
Seeking a solution, an escape, or a conclusion to my struggles
Hear my voice, don't quail inside the void
Listen to me, don't be afraid of the emptiness
nor fear the sound of winter winds around
Don't be intimidated by the harshness of the environment or circumstances
In my darkest of nights
In my lowest moments
I yearn for the dawn to bring me alive
I hope for a new beginning that revitalizes me
How to ascend?
How to rise above my current state?
while you hold the key that shield my end
While you possess the solution that protects my destiny
Hear my voice, it's calling on the dawn
Listen to me, I'm summoning a brighter future
Ascend to fall, but never to withdraw
Take risks, but never give up in defeat
Winter nights...I hold them inside
I keep the memories of hardship and despair to myself
I stand to fall, giving in on life as a whole
I brace myself for failure and surrender to the difficulties of existence
Winds of time...won't mend my sombre mind
The passage of time won't alleviate the sadness within me
I can't deny that I'm on a closing way down
I can't ignore that my life is spiraling downwards
Morning star...shining from afar
A glimmer of hope and optimism in the distance
your radiance diminish every day now
Your light is fading away as time passes
Evening star...you've lost your stalwart
The source of guidance and direction is no longer reliable
Your skies endark
Your surroundings become increasingly bleak and ominous
like my mind, my soul and my heart
Reflecting the state of my thoughts, emotions, and spirit
Come take my hand
Offer me guidance and support
and lead me on towards the end
Help me reach the conclusion of my struggles
The darkness in me
The negativity and despair within my being
devours the strength I craved for all these years
Consumes the resilience and determination that I yearned for
These feelings I have never shown remain unknown
I've kept my true emotions hidden and concealed
I really don't know if I'm that strong...
I doubt my ability to endure and overcome
These secrets I have held inside through all my life
The undisclosed information that I've kept hidden for my entire existence
I guess I'll shield them till I die...
I assume I'll never reveal them and they'll remain protected until my death
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MORTEN VELAND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind