Band:	Siebenbürgen
Album:	Loreia
Style:	Melodic black metal
Release date:	1997
A review by:	KwonVerge

01. Vampyria
02. Nattens Väv
03. Mardröm
04. Ungentum Pharelis
05. ...Om Hösten Död
06. Loreia
07. Att Dricka Nagons Blod
08. Vittring Av Liv
09. Morgataria
10. Dödens Sömn

The Swedish quartet of Siebenbürgen after having released two demos, "Siebenbürgen" and "Ungentum Pharelis", signed a contract with Napalm Records and their debut album "Loreia" saw the light of day (or maybe the glowing moonlight?) during 1997. Black metal played the Norwegian way according to the guitar riffing (following more melodic soundscapes) and the howls along with beautiful-sounding ethereal female vocals and violin pieces evoking visions of the night (both the female vocals and the violin pieces are performed by Lovisa Hallestedt) consist of "Loreia" which is lyrically based (as every Siebenbürgen release) on vampires, the lovers of the Night. The lyrics are in Swedish and most of them are written by Mara Puurunen, the ethereal female figure on the dark mystic cover of "Loreia", a wonderful vampiric melodic black metal release.

The eerie keyboard melodies, the sound of a storm coming and the reciting voices open the album and "Vampyria". Inspired riffing and drumming playing in any tempo, Ehlin's unearthly howling and the ethereal female voice of Lovisa that floats through the whole duration of the song consist of a wonderful opening track. A raging composition, "Nattens Väv", follows and the wonderful fiery guitar riffing accompanies Ehlin's vampiric summoning that echos in dim candlelight whilst at times when Lovisa enters the song the guitars evoke a strange melancholy. The storm keeps on raging with "Mardröm" in which only the guitars evoke an intense dark feeling in the air while the rhythm section lends groove to the song.

The album flows with "Ungentum Pharelis" and the violin melodies harmonize wonderfully with the guitar riffing adding an intense dark aesthetic to the song along with the ethereal chants of Lovisa sounding like a siren weaving song preparing the ground for Ehlin's unearthly interpretation to add another sense of grimness. "Om Hösted Död" continues the album in up tempo rhythm filled with great repetitive riffing leading slowly to the utterly elegiac "Loreia", a composition of nocturnal beauty with mid-tempo riffing evoking melody as Ehlin howls like a creature of the night calling under the full moon the name of "Loreia".

Lovisa's sweet voice lets the album flow with "Att Dricka Nagons Blod" and amongst the macabre sound of the guitars her voice adds a sense of nightly beauty as shadows rise with Ehlin's interpretation. "Vittring Av Liv" which follows is filled with inspired guitar work and an utterly ecstatic Ehlin and as the album continues the fabulous "Morgataria" starts to echo in the darkness. Nocturnal guitar melodies along with imposing drumming evoke an epic mystic feeling in the air as Ehlin's interpretation paces with the mourning at times sound of the guitars and some dark keyboard melodies that echo here and there. The journey into a world of shadows where light has forbidden its throne ends with "Döden Sömn". The violin melodies add a sense of olden times in the atmosphere of the song with the guitars being the main atmosphere evoking instrument (as in the whole album) accompanying Ehlin's grim interpretation making "Dödens Sömn" the appropriate ending theme for such an album, elegiac and aggressive at the same time.

"Loreia" is a wonderful black metal release, melodic in a way with a dark atmosphere based mainly on the inspired guitar riffing and Ehlin and Lovisa's expressive voices. If you love melodic black metal (the melody is based only on the guitars) and you are obsessed with vampires, "Loreia" is for you.