An Elixir for Existence

{{Infobox album|

| name = An Elixir for Existence

| type = studio

| artist = Sirenia

| cover = An_elixir_for_existence_album.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Cover art by Joachim Luetke

| released = August 3, 2004

| recorded = Stargoth Studios, Tau, Norway
Sound Suite Studio, Marseille, France
September and October 2003

| venue =

| studio =

| genre = Gothic metal, death-doom

| length = {{Duration|m=53|s=44}}

| label = Napalm

| producer = Terje Refsnes, Morten Veland

| prev_title = At Sixes and Sevens

| prev_year = 2002

| next_title = Sirenian Shores

| next_year = 2004

}}

{{Album ratings

| rev1 =Metal Storm

| rev1Score = {{Rating|8.5|10}}{{cite web | url = http://www.metalstorm.net/pub/review.php?review_id=501 | title = Sirenia - An Elixir For Existence review | accessdate = 2011-10-13 | date = 23 February 2004 | publisher = Metal Storm}}

| noprose = yes

}}

An Elixir for Existence is the second studio album by the Norwegian gothic metal band Sirenia, released in 2004. The album follows in the same vein as the previous At Sixes and Sevens, but includes a new female vocalist, Henriette Bordvik.{{cite web | url = http://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Sirenia/An_Elixir_for_Existence/36411 | title = Sirenia - An Elixir for Existence | accessdate = 2011-10-13 | publisher = Encyclopaedia Metallum}} From this album, Sirenia has been presented as a 4-piece band, with Morten Veland as the only permanent member.

Musical style

Like its predecessor album At Sixes and Sevens (2002), the musical style in An Elixir for Existence corresponds to the more classic Sirenia's gothic metal of their origins, with some elements of symphonic death-doom.

A large number of the songs are concerned with mental conditions, be it depression ("Voices Within"), drug use ("Euphoria") or thoughts of suicide ("The Fall Within"); of course, the meanings of all of these songs are subject to further conjecture.

Track listing

All songs written by Morten Veland.

{{Track listing

| total_length = 53:44

| title1 = Lithium and a Lover

| length1 = 6:33

| title2 = Voices Within

| length2 = 6:52

| title3 = A Mental Symphony

| length3 = 5:25

| title4 = Euphoria

| length4 = 6:35

| title5 = In My Darkest Hours

| length5 = 6:04

| title6 = Save Me from Myself

| length6 = 4:14

| title7 = The Fall Within

| length7 = 6:48

| title8 = Star-Crossed

| length8 = 6:28

| title9 = Seven Sirens and a Silver Tear

| note9 = Instrumental

| length9 = 4:45

}}

Personnel

Credits for An Elixir for Existence adapted from liner notes.(2004). "An Elixir for Existence liner notes". In An Elixir for Existence [CD booklet]. Napalm.

Sirenia

Additional personnel

Production

  • Joachim Luetke – cover art, artwork
  • Terje Refsnes – mixing, engineering
  • Emile M.E. Ashley – photography
  • Ulf Horbelt – mastering
  • Wolfgang Voglhuber – photography

References

{{Reflist}}