Tuesday 13 December 2022

Sirens of Light’s Nullus Margis Gothica MMXXI

 



“The inspiration for the album in 2004 was this, there was a complete lack of any new traditional style, high end, song based Goth rock....the cult had disappeared, Sisters of Mercy and   not doing anything new, Goth had turned into Metal and most other bands in the genre split up or zero output...so we decided that there was a yawning void for a theatrical epic Goth Rock band, proceeded to write and record the album on location in a converted church in Suffolk (my family home) and, when it was finished, promptly got busy doing all sorts of other things and never really promoted or made anything of it....spent next 17 years saying to each other...'we should do something with the sirens stuff...it was great!...' and then finally got round to it by chance as I found the multitrack which I genuinely thought were long gone”.

 

From these auspicious beginnings came the new album Nullus Margis Gothica MMXXI by London based Goth Rock band Sirens of Light.  Inspiration for the album has come from archetypes including gothic, feminine and those of pop song writing including structures applied to musical and sonic ideas.  The band are also interested in the archetypes of  political, social and religious organizations and the ways they influence the human condition in general, 

 

“Genitors of Luminarium” starts the album off strong with a mimicking ecclesiastical sound threaded with whispered and menacing vocals that reverb and create an ominous ambience. With a steady beat, wild guitar riffs and an undulating sound scape “Succubus Requiem” has growly dark vocals that lead the listener through a dizzying gothic landscape.  “Justine” has an almost delightfully disorientating ricocheting sound with a scything guitar and haunting vocals.  Beginning with a maniacal beat and pervasive guitars “Flames of Kane” has a somber arrangement with provocative lyrics.  “Planes of Sorrow” has a hypnotic beat and a teasing almost seesawing sound that gives the listener the feeling there is something just enticingly beyond their reach.  The vocals and lyrics add to the feeling of chasing something or perhaps being pursued through a existential musical landscape.  With the minacious lyric “from the other side of the mirror” “Rearrange” uses an echoing vocal that lulls and teases the listener in an evocative music soundscape.  “Ultraviolet” has a forceful beat and a stuttering ratchet sound that enhance the rumbling and brooding vocals.  With an almost light and airy beginning “Sirens of Light” beautifully blends a mounting air of tension as pitchy and heavy guitars, a crazed drum beat and whispered slow deliberate vocals build to a beautiful crescendo.  “Maria” has a satisfying beat which quickly fugues with crunchy guitars and delirious drums twisted with pensive ethereal vocals. With a light start “The Prayer” provocatively builds in layers with a haunting piano and gloomy vocals and lyrics.  “Ezy Rider” has a fast pace almost indicative of speeding down a highway with grimy, howling vocals. 

 

 

In terms of how the band would like the audience to interact with this amazing album they say

 

“We want people to get what they get from it...as long as it's provocative in some sense...in real terms, as soon as you put the art out there, the consumer decides what you meant and, in my opinion, that's all that's important....for example...Maria...someone commented (a woman) that's it's about powerful women....and that's fine for me, what was it  written about?....I'm not sure I remember exactly but I'm not attached as a lyricist (or as anything else in fact) to being understood, so it doesn't really matter to me, what is important is that it resonates with someone else and in some way broadens their experience .... not that they get my point!......so the album works on several levels...as a 'pop' record but also it was always meant to have a depth in it if the listener wants to go down the rabbit hole they can makes for themselves with it....or you can dance to it.....or rock out”


Links : 


Webpage: http://sirensoflight.com/

YouTube : https://youtu.be/8xhs1nXVk2Y

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