The grainy photograph of a beached boat, shot in moody, arty black and white sets the tone for 'Voyage', an instrumental journey of studied texture and atmosphere. While it's nuanced, subtle and measured, the effect is also rather subdued, muted: instead of soaring to the skies, Spheruleus' voyage never really gets off the ground.
It's not tentative as such, but lacks real depth or substance and fails to really assert itself within the space afforded. Equally, it doesn't intrigue with its ethereal intangibility, and nor does it really convey the doomed sailing voyage that inspired it. The rolling piano on 'Clouds Swarm' doesn't bring nearly enough tension, and overall, there's a distinct lack of drama.
Like the boat on the cover, it's beached, landlocked, and not going anywhere.
Spheruleus Online
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