(high-res version)

RATING: 8 / 13 - hot sloppy shenanigans

The first half of the album is very strong. The stretch of songs from the beginning (Black Rose / Green Sun) all the way through Awakening (the ninth track) is solid. But like Homestuck Vol 6, it sputters a little in the second half.

It’s ambitious, though. Of all the volume albums to date, this one wanders from the comic’s roots the most. There’s very little chiptune to be found. It doesn’t necessarily improve or detract from the album’s quality, but it does mark an interesting departure.

I like quite a few songs on this album, but even better versions of many of them (Black Rose / Green Sun, Savior of the Dreaming Dead, and Even in Death, to name a few) are waiting in the wings, lurking on future albums. It’s one of the pitfalls of reviewing in hindsight.

Click here for individual song reviews for Homestuck Vol. 7.