Sarah Jezebel Deva Sets the Standard for Ambient Metal with "A Sign of Sublime"

Sarah Jezebel Deva is a name you either know and follow passionately or have never heard of at all, much reflecting the reaction thus far to her first solo venture into music. Deva has certainly paid her dues and paved the way leading up to this point, to the release of her solo album, entitled A Sign of Sublime. Lending her vocal talents to a plethora of musical entities (all within the Metal side of the artistic spectrum - Therion, Mystic Circle, and Mortiis being a few) throughout the past two decades has seen Deva slowly gathering her own flock from within the folds of these respective bands, and to this growing congregation her solo album is both highly anticipated and highly satisfying.

Undoubtedly, the bulk of her recognition comes from her contribution to a handful of albums by the Suffolk-spawned Extreme Metal band, Cradle of Filth. For well over a decade she had contributed the seraphic supporting vocal harmonies so skillfully woven within the ambience of the band's Gothic/Black Metal concoction, and those years of experience are not lost within her new album. From A Sign of Sublime's opening with the aptly dubbed "Genesis", it is made unquestionably clear that Deva has very much become her own musical being through the contributions of her previous charges.

To the eager listener, A Sign of Sublime will not be unfamiliar territory. In 2006 Sarah Jezebel Deva fronted a band of composition very similar to the team that contributed to her solo effort. This Gothic Metal band, Angtoria, was comprised of Rehn brothers, Chris and Tommy, Dave Pybus, and John Henriksson - all but the last of whom appear on A Sign of Sublime. Angtoria's boast was a highly ethereal and atmospheric production with complex layers of instrumentals the rival of any grandiose film score. With many of the same elements being thrown into the kettle, so to speak, it is no wonder that A Sign of Sublime bears so much similarity to Angtoria's previous release, God Has A Plan for Us All.

The album is truly a masterpiece of Gothic atmospherics tinged with a cold Black Metal edge not dissimilar to Cradle of Filth. The track "They Called Her Lady Tyranny" proudly brandishes the fiery Black Metal fervor that Dave Pybus and Martin Powell, contributing bass and keys respectively, have in the past made the Extreme Metal band known for. Deva demonstrates a vocal tactic rarely heard before by the artist here, separating herself from being solely an operatic singer and really delivering some wrath-riddled prose on the track, elevating the song instantly to a personal favorite of mine. The song is a perfect representation of the entire album, in one turn being Speed Metal fast and Gothic Metal ambient, soaring aloft on Deva's vocal melodies while also grinding the listener's ears to dust with some truly palatable double-bass drumming.

A Sign of Sublime is a treat of complex and emotive musical composition, feeling often more like a film score than a traditional album of stand-alone music. Every song accents the others, but is also completely individual and starkly memorable (excluding the cover of Meredith Brooks' "Bitch", which I think you really have to be a fan of the original to enjoy). If atmosphere with edge gets you going, there's no doubt in my mind that you'll want to get your hands on this release. If you are a fan of Cradle of Filth or Angtoria, or enjoy Gothic Metal in general, this is an album that belongs in your collection.

A Sign of Sublime track list:
01. Genesis
02. A Sign Of Sublime
03. She Stands Like Stone
04. The Devil's Opera
05. They Called Her Lady Tyranny
06. The Road To Nowhere
07. Your Woeful Chair
08. Newborn Failure
09. Daddy's Not Coming Home
10. Bitch (Meredith Brooks Cover)

Sources:
Angtoria. Wikipedia, 1 Dec. 2009. Web. 2 Mar 2010.
SARAH JEZEBEL DEVA - 'A Sign of Sublime' Track List & Audio Samples online. Stormbringer-News. Web. 2 Mar. 2010.