Sarah Jezebel Deva
The Corruption Of Mercy ()
Wydane przez Listenable RecordsRok wydania Kraj UKNapisał Wouter7
Anyone who paid the slightest bit of attention to the underground in the past fifteen years will be familiar with the name Sarah Jezebel Deva. Deva, who was born Sarah Jane Ferridge and is mostly known for providing backing vocals to symphonic metal acts Cradle Of Filth, Mortiis and Therion, busted out with a solo record in 2009 called "A Sign Of Sublime". That debut was high on promise but low on delivery due to its questionable production history and atrocious songwriting. With her second solo record Deva duly attempts to rectify some of the mistakes of the preceding record. Immediately it becomes clear that this record is far more varied and musically accomplished. The guitar riffs actually serve a purpose and the drumming is doing far more than only offering structural support. Deva's vocals sound more natural here, with some beautiful layering as she switches between her pop – and operatic vocal styles. Overall, the closest comparison is German gothic act Flowing Tears who offer a similar take on this genre. The orchestration, which were composed by The Kovenant's Amund "Psy-Coma" Svensson, take a backseat to the metallic aspects, which is a return-to-form compared to the orchestration-heavy and reliant "A Sign Of Sublime". Notable is that Deva uses her pop voice a lot more frequently than her operatic ranges. It is obvious Deva is no Liv Kristine or Tarja Turunen, but her vocals could easily replicate the sultriness of Lacuna Coil's Cristina Scabbia, who is stylistically similar. Where her debut record had a cover track in Meredith Brooks' 'Bitch', this record does a rendition of Irish rock band The Cranberries world famous 'Zombie'. That cover track once again displays Deva's limitations as a singer as her register isn't as wide of The Cranberries' own Dolores O'Riordan. The guest leads/solos by Gian Pyres (ex-Cradle Of Filth) are workmanlike but add some flare to the proceedings. The production is lush, but overall quite similar to her debut. Overall the delivery and execution has improved drastically since her ill-conceived debut. There's still lots of work to be done ere Deva can join the masters of the symphonic metal genre, though. This second record is definitely a step in the right direction for Sarah Jezebel Deva.
www.listenable.net
