Siena Root – “Revelation” | Progressive Rock Central.com

2023 has already been a wonderful year of discovery for me. One of the best discoveries this year, has been Siena Root. I think I saw a promo for the release of Revelation, early in January, and have been on a pace to try to discover all of their music before the release of Revelation. Well, now the release of Revelation, is here. The album was released February 24^th, on Atomic Fire Records.

The Stockholm, Sweden-based band, Siena Root, was formed around 1997-1998, by founding members, Sam Riffer, Love H Forsberg, and Martin “Maistro” Linder. Linder has since left the band. Siena Root has been through many personnel changes, is made up of original founding members: Sam Riffer, on bass, double bass, and vocals; Love “Billy” Forsberg, on drums and percussion; and relative newcomers: Zubaida Solid, on lead vocals, organ, and Rhodes; and Johan Borgström, on guitar and vocals.

Joining the band on this album to create wonderful atmospherics are: Erik “Erkka” Petersson, on clavinet; Stian Grimstad, on sitar; and Lisa Isakson, on flute.

Siena Root’s name originates from the “warm, earthy colors” of Tuscany, and they play a type of music which spans multiple genres and decades. Their music is firmly “rooted”, and a tribute and continuing journey, of the best music of the 1960s and 70s. You can hear everything from early Traffic, Led Zeppelin, early Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and more in their songs. Their music is rock, but at times I hear a lot of progressive rhythms and melodies as well.

Their entire catalog, of eight long play, studio albums is a vast and prolific journey since, 2004’s debut, A New Day Dawning. I am only beginning to listen to and discover their back catalog, and it has been well worth the search. Your ears will be filled with some of the best music you could have imagine hearing, since 2004, by purchasing some Siena Root.

But rather than spend too much time on the past, lets talk about this lethal new album Revelation. Like the bands of the 1960s and 70s, whom they respect and carry on their legacy; this album is filled with songs that will take you on small journeys of their own. Every song on this album is worth its weight in gold. And I am sure you will find something great in either the lyrics or sounds of each and every one of them.

The first track on the album is, “Coincidence and Fate”. It is over 4 minutes of rock, opened with beautiful organ, before the electric guitar howls, with the bass and the drums, roaring before you. Deep bass welcomes Zubaida Solid’s first vocals, “I feel uncertainty. That my final hour is approaching. Well maybe it’s my time to lose. But it doesn’t seem like the path I’d choose”. Yes, she does exude that inner confidence of some of the legends of the past, including Janis Joplin and Grace Slick. In fact, she is the perfect blend of their two voices. Right now, she is my favorite lead singer of the year. She continues to unveil wonderful, confident lyrics, with excellent support of the band throughout the song. Zubaida sings, “It made me realize. I will say it straight. That the line is fine. Between coincidence and fate”. Welcome, to the first revelation!

I remember when I was a freshman in my undergraduate studies, I was a “Professional Procrastinator”. And so, I understand this song, oh too well. Maybe we all go through this at some point of our lives, if we are honest with ourselves. Zubaida sings, “I’d grow weary, in the morning light”. But who doesn’t? Not all of us are lions upon immediately waking. The cool guitar chords that echo past, after this first stanza is sung, are awesome. A good, sleepy, relaxing, hibernating rock song. Then, they charge up the atmospherics and background antics and it really becomes fun. A landslide of sound. Zubaida even sounds a little like early, Ozzy Osborne at times, and the band has a little early Sabbath feel to it all over this track. Written of experience during the ‘dog days’ of the Covid Pandemic, an ode to one of the world’s worst years.

“No Peace”, is a short rocker with some of the best drum work on the album. Zubaida sings, “Mercury in the roots, in the trees. And there is no peace for the silver leaves”. Great bass playing on this short track too. The lead electric guitar is solid. A good, intense rocker. Later, Zubaida sings the storyline, “We are fighting fire with fire. More is never enough. Limitless desire. Gentle and then mean and rough”

“Fighting Gravity”, is an over 3-minute, solid rocker, full of great deep bass, heavy electric guitar and precise drums. It opens with sounds of a truck, or the bus displayed on the album cover. Zubaida sings, “Sleeping, working and dying. Then it all comes crashing down. And we’re still fighting fire with firewood. We gotta change our crazy ways. We are like water floating up stream. Forever fighting gravity”. Yes, life is out there constantly testing our mettle.

“Dusty Roads”, is definitely one of Revelation’s best songs. It is also, one of the longest songs as well, at just under 6 minutes. The band says, “‘Dusty Roads’ is a song that summarizes the theme of the album in both words and sound. It’s a hymn about life on the road and at the same time a farewell to the city. Starting with mellow acoustic tunes, the track develops into a psychedelic heavy rocker just to fade out peacefully”. Yes, it does. But in between, we have some of the best flute played by Lisa Isakson, since maybe Chris Wood played flute on “John Barleycorn Must Die”, or “40,000 Headman”. The acoustic guitar playing also matches those epic Traffic classics. The whole feel of the song takes me back to the best of Traffic. Thank you for that Siena Root. The lyrics may be the best on the album, along with “Keeper of the Flame”. Zubaida sings, “There’s no more room in this city of sorrow. I see the street lights slowly bleach your soul. Said I was leaving here tomorrow. Before diamonds turn to coal. And so, our journey unfolds. A tale that yearns to be told!” Then she continues, “Imagine a place you’d rather be. Where no concrete pierce the sky. If I dream, say, is it still real to me? Let’s leave those tears to dry. No quarter until we try. I said no quarter until we try. Where are the days of childish ways? How could they be so far behind me? The dusty road still beckons me, to a path ambiguous and vast. So maybe I’ll destroy my future. And if I do it, I’ll do it to honor my past. Dusty roads. Be my savior. My guide and my hope. My scent and my flavor. Dusty roads. Be my savior!” Yeah, the use of the words “no quarter”, also brings back memories of John Paul Jones and the keyboards he played on that famous song, of the same name. Nothing more needs to be said. Rock n’ roll gold. like

“Winter Solstice”, is an almost 3-minute song, that is a great combination of the acoustic feel of Led Zeppelin’s third album, with songs like “Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp”, or Zeppelin II’s “White Summer/Black Mountain Side”, and its acoustic guitar. I also hear the rhythm of some early Jethro Tull, maybe “My Sunday Feeling” or “Beggar’s Farm”; Lisa Isakson playing flute. A beautiful acoustic guitar and flute interlude that almost makes you cry tears of joy to hear this precision and warmth again. Zubaida sings wonderful lyrics, “I’m not completely found. But I’m not as lost as before. The world keeps growing colder. None the wiser, only older”, and there we have the 6^th revelation.

“Dalecarlia Stroll”, is an almost four-minute memory of a beautiful walk, through Dalarna, near the Dalecarlia River. The city and area is an historical province near Tällberg, Sweden. Lisa Isakson is back playing flute, and it sounds wonderful. The organ sounds are perfect. The guitar and bass are also excellent. It has a wonderful Traffic feel to it, which is checking all the boxes for me. Like their own, heavier, shorter version, of the classic, “Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys”, without the sax. Simply amazing. The rhythm and melody does not match “Low Spark”, and it has more of a Deep Purple feel, but the flute and organ definitely bring back the thrill of “Low Spark”. It makes me confident they could cover “Low Spark” well. The flowing river, with a plane over-head is a perfect way to end this one.

“Leaving the City”, opens like another Traffic song, with bird song, either inspired by “Walking in the Wind”, or “No Time to Live”. Then, Led Zeppelin like percussion takes over. Only this time they add something that Led Zeppelin should have added to their music. Sitar. In the movie, The Song Remains the Same, you get to see Jimmy play something similar. But Siena Root rejoices in the use of the sitar. They bring in Sweden’s sitar guru, Stian Grimstad, to push this song over the top. The percussion is exceptional. Then, they add Lisa Isakson, on flute to really charge the engines. 5 minutes of nearly perfect music pleasure infinite! Another of the best songs on this album of greatest hits. Zubaida’s voice and the lyrics will relax and ease your mind so well. “Into the woods, a place to stay. I want a place to call my home. A little house of my own. Somewhere I can rest my bones. Leaving the city far behind. Somewhere to catch my peace of mind. No one knows what I’d find. When all the stars are aligned”. Later she sings, “Rooted to the ground., breathe in a sigh. Know there is a light, beyond your night. No more time to retrograde. Let the joy, of a new day reverberate”. Yes, indeed. Just sit back and dream…again.

“Little Burden”, is another wonderful Zeppelin-like acoustic song. At just under 4-minutes, it is another of the singles being released, along with “Keeper of the Flame”, “Dusty Roads”, and “Coincidence and Fate”; which each have their own accompanying music videos. As usual, on this album, there are more rich lyrics, which Zubaida sings so perfectly. She sings, “Complaining on the weather. There’s always one cloud in the sky. When reaching for the heavens, not yet prepared to die. Rich man’s burden, take you’re load off me. Little burden, won’t you let me be, with your embrace made of mercury”. Almost 4-minutes of wonderous music.

“Madukhauns”, on the other hand, is a city, south of Mumbai, India. This is the sitar follow up all of us have been hoping for since their 2009 album, Different Realities; which incidentally is my next album purchase of their discography. The entire album is rich with wonderful music, but the second side is a sitar trip to Agartha; that only these guys could make. “Madukhauns” is the follow-up. An amazing over 6-minute sitar journey that will leave sitar fans weak in the knees. One of the best songs of the year, and after “Dusty Roads” or maybe “Keeper of the Flame”, the best song on this album.

“Keeper of the Flame”, is the epic closer we were all hoping was going to happen to this amazing album of the year candidate. It is 5-minutes of Zubaida singing her heart out about an unjust love. She is being taken advantage of, but she is not going to give up, or go down easy. The organ, which Zubaida also plays, along with the electric guitar solos throughout the song, are some of the best, on the album. They even do a little, Led Zep, stop and go guitar soloing, that would make Jimmy Page smile. Zubaida sings, “You played with fire. And I was burned. I gave, my heart. Maybe now I’ve learned. Oooh how the tables turn. But I didn’t start this game. All I ever do is feel shame. For being a keeper of a flame. I am a string on your guitar. You can play on me whenever you want. But you know me, and you know the cost. And you know that I get a little lost. Oooh how the tables turn. But I didn’t start this game. All I ever do is feel shame. For being a keeper of a flame. Heavy as a heart can be. I’m like a branch on a tree. Reaching to be free. Fatigue, I’m so tired of trying. I will never feel elated. Only feel at ease”. Sayonara, and good riddance!

Everything about this album screams Album of the Year! It is perfect in every way. I can’t wait for each and every one of you to listen to this masterpiece. Everything a Led Zeppelin or Traffic fan could want in a new album, besides getting those bands back together. But that is not going to happen. So, move on, and get on the bus with Siena Root and join the journey, while the ride and story, with Zubaida Solid, is still fairly new. I just wish they would make Stian Grimstad, and Lisa Isakson, permanent members and keep this group together. You have the players you need, as INXS said, “Don’t change a thing…for me”. Just keep the Zeppelin and Traffic influences flowing. And that sitar and flute…nice and hot!

Please get this album. You can thank them later.