Following the release of 2016’s Dim Days of Dolor via Napalm Records, the Norwegian gothic/symphonic metal outfit Sirenia managed to book their first-ever North American tour. It was a dream come true for their North American fans and it of course gave them no choice but to return for a second run. Earlier this year, Sirenia announced that they will head back to the continent on April 4th and conclude on April 29th, 2018 at the Kingsland in Brooklyn, NY. We were lucky to be there on their final night to see them as well as the eclectic range of supporting acts Threat Signal, Valinor Excelsior, and Dire Peril.
DIRE PERIL
California power metallers Dire Peril kicked off the night as they brought their love for sci-fi to the stage with songs such as “Queen of the Galaxy.” The night stepped away from 2001 A Space Odyssey as the Columbia power metal act Valinor Excelsior were up next to promote 2016’s Xenturia. The group had two different vocalists join them for this particular trek and on this evening, Andres Backline was behind the microphone. Both opening bands had more of a classic heavy metal style, however, this mood didn’t last long.
VALInOR EXELSIOR
The venue filled up when it was time for the Canadian metal outfit Threat Signal. Vocalist Jon Howard was sick that night and asked for singing assistance from the audience. Despite Howard’s setback, he managed to push through and delivered a brutal performance that included songs from 2017’s Disconnect.
THREAT SIGNAL
After sitting through three unique acts, it was finally time for Sirenia to conclude the evening. Vocalist Emmanuelle Zoldan recently joined the group back in 2016 who replaced long-time singer Ailyn. Traditionally, fans have a difficult time accepting a different vocalist. However, Zoldan is no stranger to these morbid-titans as she has previously laid down backup tracks since 2003. Luckily for her, the audience welcomed her with open arms as she delivered songs throughout the band’s entire catalog that went back to 2002’s At Sixes and Sevens with “Meridian.”
Performance wise, the group didn’t have too many interactions with the house as they focused on carrying out their strong setlist. Founding guitarist Morten Veland presented the crowd with excellent precision as Jan Erik Soltvedt reached out to the concert-goers with a few added facial expressions.
Overall, Sirenia returned just in time before they enter the studio to record their next album as Veland himself has promised it should be released later this year. It looked as though they were more comfortable this time around as Zoldan is now two years in with the group. Hopefully, these gothic metallers will embark a third run to the states in the near future.
SIRENIA
Setlist:
“Goddess of the Sea”
“Cold Caress”
“Treasure n’ Treason”
“Lost in Life”
“The Funeral March”
“Dim Days of Dolor”
“Meridian”
“The End of it All”
“Ashes to Ashes”
“Once My Light”
“My Destiny Coming to Pass”
“The Path To Decay”
Encore:
“My Mind’s Eye”
“The Other Side”
