Sumerland
Sivo
(Middle Pillar)

Musically, Sumerland has produced almost the perfect goth album. The melodies are dark and sweeping, the instrumentation is eccentric, and the rhythms occupy that same strange place between driving and hypnotic where you find pioneers like Bauhaus.

Unfortunately, the lyrics don't live up to the music, as the vocals fall victim to the classic clichés of goth both in tone and content. It doesn’t quite sour what would be one of the best goth albums released since the death of the genre, but after awhile it grates, especially on songs like "The Blessings of Morpheus" and "Elaphim."

Still, the musical texture is rich and vibrant, relentlessly pulling at the emotions. Instrumentals like the deeply involving "Mother Earth" almost make you regret that most of the goth clubs have turned back to techno and the kids have drifted away.

In the space between verses, Sivo is definitely a good album, and Sumerland has the potential to pump a little blood into the pale flesh of goth music.–Morgan Rowe-Morris

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