This was a very peculiar album to review. Siren’s Rain with “Rise Forth” got to be out of the box in many ways. Even the press release says it’s a Folk Metal, the fan won’t notice it at first as the album mixes some good old Heavy Metal with Extreme Metal. The most tricky thing in the album is with no doubt Rena Hellzinger’s voice who sings all the time with her clean voice except in “Discarded Hope” where she sings with a soprano voice. The thing is that her voice is pretty peculiar and sound Metal at all, if you know what I’m saying. In many respects, her voice sounds common, almost pop, in the good sense of course giving the credit of the thousands great female voices in pop – yeah, they exist, my dear child of the night. Musicwise, the album at times sounds low profile. Sometimes the instrumentals are too low and with that not well produced tone. My fan knows what I’m talking about. That’s exactly what gives “Rise Forth” its peculiar charm. The album doesn’t sound as produced as their peers and it makes it sensational exactyly because of it. It’s not everyday that one hears a not fancy Folk Metal album. They are all fancy and extremely well-produced. If my fan wants a hint of what I’m saying go right to “13 Steps to Hell” and listen to the odd guitar tones and keyboards. However, the good musical ideas Siren’s Rain put on paper worked pretty well.
While the fan goes listening to “Rise Forth” it’s possible to notice some exquisite sounds that come from the ancient instruments the band uses as the nyckleharpa, mandolim and harp. Those touches also give the album its peculiar sonancy that gives it the aforementioned charm. Guitar tones are also peculiar as I think they used lots of distortion that must come from a distortion pedal. Its sound is very peculiar as well as it gives that dirty and saturated sound we all love in Metal music. The way guitarist Micahel Heaney does his thing is also out of the box in a sense as he uses the good old pentatonic scales that very few Metal guitarists use these days. That makes the album sounds a bit antique or vintage – I prefer those words – as all Folk Metal bands should the way I see it as they look for an ancient sonancy. Take a look at “Folk Metal Funk” whose name explains it pretty well. There’s a mandolim doing the rhythm and giving the lead. Funky.
P.S.: I wrote that vocalist Rena Hellzinger sings with her clean voice but in fact she does the gutural voices as well. Great to know that the girl is pretty versatile.
Siren’s Rain“Rise Forth” will be self-released on October 08th.
