Sarah Jezebel Deva seems to have split with Cradle of Filth on marginally positive or neutral terms, but if she’s trying to shed the gothic trappings of the band with which she spent fourteen years singing backing vocals, she’s not going to do it with tracks like The Devil’s Opera. That song features a heavy dose of gothic elements - operatic vocals, an eerie spoken refrain, some woodwinds, a chiming that could be a harpsichord, and an introductory segment that smacks of medieval evil. If any of the tracks on Sublime show that Cradle of Filth has rubbed off on Ms. Deva, The Devil’s Opera is one. A Sign of Sublime and They Called Her Lady Tyranny are styled in the gothic manner as well, if to a lesser extent. She Stands Like Stone is a more straightforward rocker, ableit with a soaring chorus, which seems to be where Deva feels more comfortable at this point in her career. Pieces of this song could be a 10,000 Maniacs track if the distortion were dialed down a bit. The Road to Nowhere has this same feel to it; a little too similar to She Stands Like Stone, in fact. It seems the addition of pop-type synth bits attempts to take it more mainstream but you can only go so far in that direction with double bass drumming.

The Album ends with a piano and string (cello?) ballad, Daddy’s Not Coming Home, which is by the far the best track present. The lyrics veer a little more towards raw than poetic - “Cover your ears to block the screaming / Mother works nights to pay the bills but lies don’t hide the drink and bruising” – but Deva turns in her best effort here and this softer mood fits her singing best. It’s noteworthy that this track doesn’t share much in common with the mainstream-ish metal and heavy gothic music that fills the rest of the album (A Newborn Failure is a slower song but retains the goth feel with chimes and kettle-sounding percussion). Between Daddy’s Not Coming Home and the bonus track (a cover of Meredith Brooks’ Bitch) one begins to wonder where Ms. Deva’s heart lies. If it is with these two tracks, she should follow it more faithfully. To my ear, there are some wonderful and unique performances on A Sign of Sublime, even if they are not always perfect. Unfortunately, the artist does not communicate a vision with conviction but rather produces a hodge-podge of styles and quality. Hopefully, she’ll reflect on this record, be true to her talent, and give us a more cohesive and compelling platform from which to enjoy her gifts if she release another solo album.