The self-titled follow-up to 1991's anemic
Ceremony
clearly shows a once great band trying to recapture the excitement of their earlier efforts. Sadly for
the Cult
, their problems were bigger than the sum of their parts. When it boils down to it, the constant musical tug of war between
Ian Astbury
and
Billy Duffy
would result in the band losing its focus and ultimately, its audience. From
Love
onwards, each
Cult
release would be greeted with a mix of awe (
Electric
), commercial triumph (
Sonic Temple
), and eventually, apathy as the band's fan base continued to be bedazzled and eroded due to the band's ever-changing styles.
The Cult
is a perfect case in point. If the arena rock of
proved to be
Duffy
's brainchild, the subsequent faux pas of
(
Astbury
's idea) only makes
that much more confusing and frustrating. With a newfound sense of sobriety and spirituality,
set out to make a record that would combine the guitar riffing of its two predecessors along with the singer's newfound love for electronica. Re-hiring producer/songwriter
Bob Rock
proved to be a definite step in the right direction. Whereas, songs like
"Real Grrrl,"
the scorching
"Be Free,"
"Star"
evoke
of yore (with a more modern-day treated sound, others like
the Doors
pastiche of
"Joy"
and the oh-where-have-our-heroes-gone cheese of
"Sacred Life
are a mess. If anything positive came out of these sessions, it's nice to hear
's voice sounding lean and mean at the forefront of
's mix.
get an A for effort/enthusiasm and a B- for execution on this one. For
diehards and curiosity seekers only. ~ John Franck