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SIRENS
In Goat We Trust

Self-released (2025)
Rating: 7/10

This German outfit began life in the metal world back in 1995 when they issued their demo Approaching The Island, which was followed a year later by the EP Empire Of Clouds. In spite of the mid-to-late 90s being a somewhat tough time for heavy metal bands, Sirens seemed to be marching on through with a degree of success which resulted in the band issuing a full-length debut (Nameless World) in 1997, and a follow-up in 1999 (The Battle Dragon).

In 2000 their discography was celebrated with a compilation (Dragonblood 1996-2000) before 2001 saw the release of their third opus, Global Killers. Now, I don’t know if Sirens ran out of time, space, ideas, energy or money, but their next album wouldn’t emerge until 2009 under the title Metal Matrix, and now, 16 years later, we have In Goat We Trust, the bands fifth full-length offering. Let’s admire the longevity of Sirens though in an ever-changing climate where they have navigated their way through trends to keep the metal flag flying.

Now, if you enjoy bands like fellow Germans Rage then you’ll find much to savour with Sirens. Vocalist/ bassist Dragon Power and guitarists Tommy Thunder and Richard Galfi provide no nonsense aggressive metal that flirts with thrash within a Teutonic framework. As the opening title song proves, this band is fashioned by grit and burning steel. The vocals are masculine sneers fuelled by gasoline as the aptly named Dragon Power inhales smoke and spews fire to a soundtrack of colossal groove metal carved somewhere between the menace and power of Metal Church and a mid-90s robust style.

‘End Eden’ broods and brews before it becomes a high velocity spitting thrash track that wouldn’t seem out of place on a more recent Destruction album. It has that sort of sneering glint even if it’s a touch generic on its assault. My only other gripe is that for an album runtime of 44 minutes, some of the songs are way too long with a majority heading beyond the five-minute mark.

Closer ‘ApocaLies’ is a whopping eight minutes, but it’s a track that marries some deliciously melodic segments alongside the aggression. There is also a good fusing of death metal grunts with high pitched vocals, so there’s certainly variation here to be experienced. However, one cannot help but feel that songs such as the galloping ‘Metal Maiden’ and the steady, bass-led chugs of ‘Promises In The Dark’ would have benefited from being a lot shorter. Even so, there is an anthemic power metal ethos running down the spine of this opus, a serious heavy metal record summed up by the formidable Motörhead-style nodding of ‘The War’.

Sirens continue to cause mighty cracks in the foundations even if the destructive waves are intermittent, but any metalhead that likes to get bruised ears from records should stick this one on.

Neil Arnold

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