Band:	Sirenia
Album:	The Enigma Of Life
Style:	Symphonic gothic metal
Release date:	January 21, 2011
Guest review by:	burnmeupinside

01. The End Of It All
02. Fallen Angel
03. All My Dreams
04. This Darkness
05. The Twilight In Your Eyes
06. Winter Land
07. A Seaside Serenade
08. Darkened Days To Come
09. Coming Down
10. This Lonely Lake
11. Fading Star
12. The Enigma Of Life
13. Oscura Realidad [bonus]
14. The Enigma Of Life [acoustic version] [bonus]

Sirenia have returned to us almost exactly two years after their fourth album, The 13th Floor. I'll be honest, back in June 2010 when I first heard that Sirenia was making a new album, I was shocked for a few reasons. 1) The 13th Floor still felt new to me. 2) The songs on the new album would feel rushed because of the short wait, and 3) It's with the same singer! Holy Jesus! 2012 is coming! Yes, they have the same singer for this album. Anyway, so I was very excited when previews for The Enigma of Life were available. The previews were very good and I really did think this would be the best Sirenia record. Let's just say I was a little off.

The album is, well, just like the last one. The melodies are the same, the lyrics are the same, etc. A summation of the lyrics are as follows: "lost, fading, the end, ending, this is the end, dreams, dreams that fade, pass away, dark lane." That's all you need to know. As far as the music goes, well, again it's recycled. "The Twilight in Your Eyes" is identical to "The Path to Decay", "A Seaside Serenade" is identical to the bridge of "The Seventh Summer", "This Darkness" sounds like "Sundown", the intro to "Fading Star" sounds just like "Farther Away" (oh wait, that's by Evanescence!). And I'm sure there are more that I missed. So, basically this is a softer carbon copy of The 13th Floor.

Who do I recommend this album to? Not many people, just Morten Veland fanboys and gals. If you're looking to sample Sirenia, Stay away! I repeat stay away! If you're into heavier music, try At Sixes and Sevens. If you're into lighter but still gothic music, try Nine Destinies and a Downfall or you could try The 13th Floor if you can stomach some growls.