Sarah Jezebel Deva
A Sign Of Sublime ()
Wydane przez Rising RecordsRok wydania Kraj UKNapisał Wouter5
After fifteen records of providing backing vocals for the likes of Cradle Of Filth, The Kovenant, Mortiis, Therion and Mystic Circle, it was only a matter of time before UK singer Sarah Jezebel Deva would step into the limelight with a project of her own. This first happened with Angtoria, a symphonic metal studio-outfit that released the "God Has A Plan For Us All" in 2006. Now Deva debuts with her own self-titled band. "A Sign Of Sublime" starts off promising with a bombastic intro piece called 'Genesis' and the title track. The music boils mostly down the line of keyboard-oriented acts as Cradle Of Filth, Old Man's Child and Dimmu Borgir, albeit not nearly as dynamic. This trend continues through out 'She Stands Like Stone' and 'The Devil's Opera' (arguably the record's musical and vocal apex). The second half of the record is notably less engaging with absolute lowpoints in 'They Called Her Lady Tyranny' and 'The Road to Nowhere'. Closing trio 'Your Woeful Chair', the short interlude 'A Newborn Failure' and 'Daddy's Not Coming Home' luckily redeem the awful midsection. Through out the record is becomes clear that Deva has a limited range compared to the established names in this genre. The drumming of Max Blunos (Trigger the Bloodshed) and the guitar riffing and bass lines of Ken Newman and Dave Pybus (Cradle Of Filth), respectively remain largely inobtrusive and inconsequential to Deva's vocals and the keyboards of Martin Powell (ex-My Dying Bride), although they provide a far more brutal background compared to a lot of other acts in this genre. The glossy artwork, design and lay-out are a plus. The production is phenomenal with lush keyboards and crisp sounding guitars and drums. The album was mixed and mastered at Escape Route by Dan Abela. By and large, "A Sign Of Sublime" is a good start for Sarah Jezebel Deva, hopefully her future record will see her expand the sound presented here.
www.risingrecords.org
