RATING: 10 / 13 – uuuuuuNGH. OH *MERRRCY*. THAT IS JuST. SOO. GRODY.
Cherubim is the most recent theme album (the most recent album of all, as a matter of fact) released officially. It’s built in pairs: the odd numbered songs (except for the last) are cheery, while the even numbered ones are dark and aggressive. Each pair is built from the same basic musical idea: each with its own take.
The album flirts with a saccharine, syrupy motif, but never really commits to it. The pizzicato strings, the cackling fancy santa… that’s just window dressing, just establishing the setting. No, the underlying theme is relentless, naive optimism against an unstoppable lust for power.
The production and editing is fantastic. Coming off of Alternia and Midnight Crew: Drawing Dead in my last few reviews, my appreciation for the intrinsic quality of this album is only greater than before. Everything’s been polished to a mirror sheen. All of the instrumentation is natural and, to my ear, may as well have been played by a live musician (except, of course, for the dedicated synth instruments).
Parts of the album nudge a little towards the experimental side, and it’s a tad soft in the middle, but overall this is a great themed compilation.