Mystica

This album is just weird, verging on stupid. It's really no wonder Darren was sacked from Anathema. If this is what his music is like when he's in complete control, then good riddance. (Although the Anathema of late is actually worse than this, at least this is fairly original.)

Where to begin in this misguided malady of music. Thinly distorted guitars frolic through pseudo psychedelically drenched keyboarded verses, as Darren stumbles with the chore of groaning his hack poetry. There are a couple standout tracks though. 'As Rapture Fades' is just incredible. It's literally epic in every sense of the word. The classical guitar that opens the song is good enough for the listener to ignore the fairly fruity keyboards that join in almost immediately after. They are thankfully followed by a sinister sounding distorted guitar. This is the album's darkest track. The other decent song would be 'Sensual Ecstasy'. It's not as involved as the prior, but it's still good.

This band is primarily comprised of former Cradle of Filth members, and yet it sounds like something you'd hear on your parents' soft rock radio station. Why? You had "Was" Sarginson on drums and you have him do nothing. Why? The pedigree of the musicians involved suggests we'd be given something heavier and more metallic.

Darren's stupid vocals worked oddly well with Anathema. The raw wretchedness of his growls, the mourning in his elocution and the genuinely morose delivery all fit the former enigma that was Anathema. In The Blood Divine however, what he calls "moody" the rest of the world calls no diaphragm control, but whatever. The unorthodox approach of the vocals is forced to a ridiculous extent. It's trying so hard to be artsy when it's just bad.

There are moments of aggression, both vocally and musically, but they're brief. Perhaps, calling them moments would be a stretch, it's more like seconds. This is primarily alternative rock with a few cool riffs which are buried by 60's-esq poppy organs and some drunken guy mumbling into the mic for about 40 minutes.

In summation, what have we learned here today? This isn't a metal album. This is a harder hitting hippie rock album, not that dissimilar from an angry Blind Mellon. This album has some originality, but it lacks in execution and general competence.