Lost in Life is a little bit disappointing compared to the last track. A bit popish for my taste, but nonetheless a half-decent song. Ailyn still sounds great, though.

Then comes the true gem of this album. Veland revisits his past, going back to the Tristania days with this song. Although not as complex and admittedly not as good as the stuff he wrote for Tristania, The Mind Maelstrom is still a masterpiece, one that Veland has stamped with his trademark gothic choruses and orchestration.

The Seventh Summer is another song worthy of attention. Here you really hear just how high Ailyn can go, and it definitely isn’t unpleasant in the least. She’s one of those singers that can pull off high notes without sounding squeaky (like Tatu, for example) or without turning it into an opera. This is the first song on the album to feature all three types of singing (extreme male, clean male, and clean female vocals). Speaking of which, Veland’s growling returns in this album, and perfectly contrasts with the female vocals. Unlike on Nine Destinies and a Downfall, there is no deficiency of grunts and growls on this album.

Of the next few songs, Beyond Life’s Scenery is the only one which really stands out. Here, you can see (or hear, rather) Ailyn’s full vocal range, and the instrumentals are very much in the Sirenia style. This song reminds me a lot of At Sixes and Sevens, and is another step back to the Sirenia we know and love. The last two songs are two more great ones. Winterborn 77 starts out with very Nightwishesque synths, and goes into some of Ailyn’s angelic singing contrasting with the heavy instrumentals. It’s probably the catchiest song on the album, and I’d probably rank it third overall, losing only to The Mind Maelstrom and the next song.

Here comes the surprise. A song completely different from anything else on the album, yet something you’d almost expect from Sirenia. Sirens of the Seven Seas is easily one of the best songs on the album. It starts off with clean male vocals, provided by Jan Kenneth Barkved and is followed by the signature Sirenia choir, which, for the first time, creates a happy atmosphere rather than the dark one it usually does. Ailyn is pushed to the back in this song, yet her solo, about two thirds of the way through the song, is as beautiful and angelic as ever. It’s a great end to the album, and leaves you in a very happy mood. As I’ve said before, The 13th Floor is probably Sirenia’s best release since At Sixes and Sevens. I hope Veland doesn’t disappoint with the next album, and I also hope that Ailyn isn’t replaced any time soon, as is the Sirenia tradition.

8.5 / 10