The Myriad Form- The Myriad Form

ARTIST: The Myriad Form
ALBUM: The Myriad Form
LABEL: TMF/Xol Productions
REVIEWER: Matthew J.
DATE: 5-18-08

The latest project from Cylab vocalist Severina X Sol, The Myriad Form is also her least club-oriented effort to date. Though there are still dance elements present on such tracks as "Renew" and "Orchid," the focus is less on driving electronics than an exploration of gothic atmosphere in all its, well, "myriad forms." Even the dance-oriented tracks owe less to industrial or EBM influences than to gothic pop pioneers like Clan of Xymox, with harpsichords, pianos, and acoustic strums, not to mention Sol's own darkly operatic vocals, keeping the emphasis on melody over rhythm, and "The Ocean Deep" drenches everything in dreamy washes of guitar effects, courtesy of a guest appearance by Mercurine's Byron Brown. While the first half of the album establishes a sense of classic gothic atmosphere in the vein of The Cure or Siouxsie and The Banshees, the second half sees the band getting really eclectic. Some tracks go for unabashed rock, as on "Promised Rainbows" and "Her Void," though the latter is somewhat marred by vampire-themed lyrics. Others songs aim for something more otherworldly, as on "Isis in Nocturne," a darkly exotic composition reminiscent of early Dead Can Dance, complete with synthesized strings, hand percussion, and Sol wailing wordlessly in the background. "Wicked" is perhaps the best example of the band's synthesis of atmosphere on the one hand and theatricality on the other; laced with distorted guitars and unabashedly spooky keyboards, its darkness is dramatic but self-aware, like Switchblade Symphony at their best. Sure to please fans of Sol's other projects as well as diehard goths unfamiliar with her work in the electronic scene, The Myriad Form might not be as in-your-face as her previous works, but it may well be her most accomplished.

Visit The Myriad Form at www.themyriadform.com.