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photosOrgan Magazine - UK (The Land We All Believe In)
"This is an exceptionally strange album. If David Lynch joined Dresden Dolls, they might have someone to compare to. Hmm, lazy reviewing - try again! An archaic, proper sea shanty sung in an invented language, a language that could be the Zargon spoken by Vagabond-outcasts and escaped slaves of the 16th century... Propelled by an accordion that snarls rather than wheezes, sounding like a scurvy-ridden tall ship limping into harbour in the 1800s and they include Goya and Bosch on the thank you list... Sometimes Sparks, Danielson Family, sometimes Tom Waits, sometimes Foetus comes to mind, but maybe they have more in common with Angel's Egg period Gong - hugely imaginative, riddled with strange and varied sound, slightly Gallic, sometimes rather sinister, but often reveling in soaring west coast style harmonies.. long songs that descend from breezy female harmony vocals into ranting carnival madness: that incredibly twisted and rather obscure sixties psyche folk rock outfit, Comus, comes close (OK, not as evil as Comus). It's music grown by a seven-piece collective based in Steven King's actual and imaginative stomping-ground of Portland, Maine, a part of America that seems to have a weirdness and depth all its own. Cerberus Shoal lyrics are lightly threaded with allusions to contemporary politics, rather than being lost entirely in their own world. The Land We All Believe In is (sorry to be cliched) another one that grows on you slowly, but grow it does. Equally strange, mysterious and homespun, the artwork reflects the music perfectly: surreal, hand-drawn, full of their own symbolism. The most alt of alt-folk."
Tasty Fanzine (The Land We All Believe In)
"I first received a copy of Cerberus Shoal’s latest album at the end of last year and it quickly became a record on near permanent rotation on my stereo. Inhabiting a world somewhere between Tom Waits and a Tim Burton soundtrack it is a bizarre and diverse clomping album full of dark worlds and surreal musings yet it is tied together with a complexity and beauty that make it truly compelling.
‘Wyrm’ is a bizarre stomp that wheezes and thuds along in woozy and unsettling manner for what seems to be the shortest 10 or so minutes ever and then is followed by the utterly weird ‘Pie for the President’ a pop song of sorts that feels a bit like having your ears filled with a wonderful audio funfair. However what stops this aural avalanche descending into preposterous nonsense is the simple fact that it’s all bound by some stunning vocal and musical performances and arrangements. The shared male and females vocal duties are balanced perfectly and the varied and complex instrumentation show a band who know exactly what they’re doing.
Cerberus Shoal won’t be to everyone’s taste much like Marmite or Dr Pepper but believe me if you give it a go and let them slowly probe your dirty little mind with their nimble audio fingers you may just find yourself falling head over heels in love."
New Noise (The Land We All Believe In)
"Those with prior knowledge of Cerberus Shoal will be giddy like a schoolchild in anticipation of this their eleventh album. Those with less knowledge of these Portland musical beatniks will find six tracks of dense, layered, atmospheric and ultimately wonderful music with more ideas than in most bands careers. From the dark creepy corners of fear and apprehension of 'The Ghosts Aree Greedy' to the jolly upbeat optimism of 'Junior' this transcends mood and spirit like you wouldn't believe. Buy it now and the trendy kids won't taunt you in the street."