Wednesday, December 28, 2022

Tuesday, December 27, 2022

Saturday, December 24, 2022

Friday, December 23, 2022

Thursday, December 22, 2022

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Tuesday, December 20, 2022

Friday, December 16, 2022

Thursday, December 15, 2022

Wednesday, December 14, 2022

Tuesday, December 13, 2022

Tuesday, December 6, 2022

Albums of the Year – KL

 Article for www.nomoreworkhorse.com 


Friday, December 2, 2022

Thursday, December 1, 2022

Tuesday, November 29, 2022

Monday, November 28, 2022

Wednesday, November 23, 2022

Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Monday, November 21, 2022

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

Friday, November 11, 2022

Wednesday, November 9, 2022

Monday, November 7, 2022

Monday, October 24, 2022

Monday, October 17, 2022

Friday, October 14, 2022

Thursday, October 13, 2022

Wednesday, October 12, 2022

Tuesday, October 11, 2022

Friday, September 30, 2022

Wednesday, September 28, 2022

Tuesday, September 27, 2022

Friday, September 23, 2022

Wednesday, September 21, 2022

Monday, September 12, 2022

Monday, August 29, 2022

Friday, August 12, 2022

Thursday, August 11, 2022

Friday, July 29, 2022

Wednesday, July 27, 2022

Tuesday, July 26, 2022

The Cult - Beyond Good and Evil

 

Released in 2001, this was the first Cult album in nearly 7 years.  With drummer Matt Sorum back in the band, there was a fairly metal influence across the whole album.  The songs, however, are all very strong, in a hard rock kind of way.  It opens strongly with Billy Duffy's massive riffs on war (the process), with singer Ian Astbury bellowing "WAAARRRR" over them.  If anything the riffing on the saint is even better, with again Astbury roaring "I I I AM THE SAINT" on another excellent chorus.  There's no let up as more metallic riffing opens rise.  It sounds really good, though less distinctively a Cult song, and more like a prototype for the sort of thing Velvet Revolver did a few years later. Elsewhere take the power has a very Soundgarden-sounding riff, while american gothic is reminiscent of Stone Temple Pilots' harder moments.  More excellent sledgehammer riffs on breathe and later on speed of light, both of which yet again have really strong choruses.  The lyrics, obviously are absolute bollocks with Astbury warbling on about "black California" but that's not why any of us are here!

They do attempt a couple of power ballads, one which definitely doesn't work - nico, which sounds like a cheap retread of Edie (Ciao Baby) and one which does works true believers, and one which will have you punching the air.  All in all, while initially sounding a bit jarring, it's a worthwhile addition to the band's back catalogue.  They would disband again after this album for another lengthy period of time.  The album is a lot 'thicker' sounding than 1994's The Cult.  I suppose if it has a precedent in their catalogue it's like a more metal Sonic Temple.

Monday, July 25, 2022