THE CULT - HIDDEN CITY (2016 ALBUM REVIEW)

The Cult's latest album, Hidden City, hit the shelves back on February 5th of this year. It follows 2012's Choice Of Weapon. I do own the latter, but I can't say that it ever registered with me. But in fairness to the band, I probably only spun it once (that's key here, because if I would have only spun Hidden City one time, I doubt seriously that I would feel the way that I do about the album). That being the case, I had no plans to purchase the band's latest effort. As fate would have it, the band did release a song or two as singles and I remember thinking they were okay. And since it's early in the year and the pickings are quite slim, I decided to take the plunge. Smart move on my part.

Let's get straight to the packaging. The album cover is quite simple, with a single lily on a white background. Of course, the splattered blood is symbolic of something, most likely the lyrical content of the tenth track, Lilies. I like it, but that's about all that I can compliment as far as the packaging goes. It's similar to an old gatefold LP, as it also contains a cardboard dust jacket for the CD itself. But there is no booklet, therefore there are no lyrics included, just the credits printed on the "dust jacket". But thankfully, there is the music.

The opener, Dark Energy, busts right out of the gate with some big drums. I believe this is one of the songs released as a single. Honestly, it was just okay at first. But with repeated listens, I have come to really like it. My only slight criticism is the mix. Astbury's vocals almost sound garbled at times where the music seems to be too far forward. Other than that, it's a great start. No Love Lost also begins with a drum intro, but the mix is much, much better. This song is fantastic. "Love turns to hate, when the heart, loses faith". The guitars could easily put this song alongside my favorite tracks from Sonic Temple. Let me just tell you right now, I love Billy Duffy's work on this album. Dance The Night is instantly memorable. Again, great guitar production. It's not perfect, which is what makes it so good. This song gives way to the slow creepin' In Blood. Amazing song. Again, the production, double tracked vocals (in spots) and vibe of this song are just too great to ignore. It's one of my favorite tracks on an album full of terrific tracks. Birds Of Paradise is another mid-paced groove with just enough distortion in the loose production to make it lovable. And the slow down at the end is quite brilliant, though I will admit it may go on just a slight bit too long. Nobody's perfect, right? The flow of this album is also brilliant, as it is set up very similar to the feel of a vinyl LP. Hinterland would close out side one if that was the case, and it may be my favorite track on the album. The song just kicks all kind of ass. This was released with a video, which I'll include below. All I can say is "destroy the destroyers"!

"Side two" starts off with a bang. GOAT isn't a lyrical masterpiece by any means, but Duffy just kills it. Deeply Ordered Chaos is a tricky one. It took a few repeated spins for this track to really register with me. But I totally dig it now. It makes me think of a James Bond flick. As a matter of fact, I really think it could be a theme song for a double-O-seven movie. The strings add the perfect touch for the song. They add suspense to the song. The song kicks it up a notch at about the 3:22 mark with a speed increase and a fabulous guitar solo. The band doesn't let up at all with Avalanche Of Light. It's another fast paced song with enough of a melody to be more than interesting. Seriously, Lilies is a song that begs to be heard by the masses. What's not to like about it? The instruments are separated perfectly (acoustic and electric guitar) and compliment each other so damn well. And I haven't even mentioned the keyboard work...or the bass and drums...or the vocals. "You've got everything to lose, turn these bruises into wine, blooms eventually decay reaching ecstasy through God's strained heart, your innocent life, your immaculate heart". Sounds like some type of abuse, which ties back into the blood splattered lily on the cover, I think. Heathens isn't a bad song by any means, but I do think that it's the one track that wouldn't be missed if it had been left off the disc. But the band ends the album on a strong note with the gentle, yet powerful Sound And Fury. Another song that probably ties back into the album cover, as it seems to deal with death of the innocent. Like I said, pretty powerful stuff.

And that's it. What I want to get across here is that the album didn't floor me immediately. I have listened to it multiple times, and within those multiple listens I have found a fantastic piece of art. The album flows so well from song to song. And not a single song here has a generic feel when it starts. Every song is designed to hook you, bring you in and make you wanna share this record with the band. At least it works that way for me. I featured the album (five tracks) in the New Music Corner forum a few weeks ago, and I'll link that HERE. However, I strongly urge you to listen to the album from start to finish. Whether you are a fan of The Cult or not. The full album can be found on Youtube if you are interested. Billy Duffy's playing begs to be heard, and although I've seen a comment here or there about a fall off in vocal ability by Ian Astbury, he sounds absolutely fine to me (albeit a bit older with a voice that certainly isn't as strong at 53 as it was at 27). Personally, this is a Cult album that deserves to be bought and heard. That's my recommendation.

Final Rating: 4.75 Out Of 5 (Blood Splattered) Stars

Tracks:

1. Dark Energy

2. No Love Lost

3. Dance The Night

4. In Blood

5. Birds Of Paradise

6. Hinterland

7. GOAT

8. Deeply Ordered Chaos

9. Avalanche Of Light

10. Lilies