Originally released in 2001, The Cult's 'Beyond Good and Evil' was the comeback album the slipped between the cracks. Reuniting drummer Matt Sorum with band leaders Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy, it failed to meet commercial expectations. It remains however, a gem in their catalogue and is now getting its first ever vinyl release courtesy of Rhino Records.
Receiving a rerelease as part of Rhino's 'Start your Ears off Right 2025' campaign, The Cult's 'Beyond Good and Evil' is finally getting a timely first-ever issue on vinyl. Lovingly presented on 2lp translucent red and bottle green vinyl in a gatefold sleeve - with an etched side 4 - it's a thing of beauty.
Of course that would all be window dressing if the album wasn't such a colossal monster. Produced by Bob Rock, and reuniting the line-up that toured the 'Sonic Temple' album in 1989 and 1990, it's no surprise that it's a bombastic hard rocking beast, and with Duffy utilising d-tuned guitars and some of the heaviest riffs of his career.
Their first release following the band's reunion in 1999, and coming six years after their last album [1994's self-titled set] 'Beyond Good and Evil' found The Cult repositioning themselves for the new millennium, by embracing the harder edge of rock via a series of moody, aggressive, sometimes epic anthems.
Opening with 'War (The Process)', with Duffy's picked licks giving way to an absolute beast of a riff, it's clear that The Cult 2001 meant business. With Astbury's unmistakable wail on top, the pounding, gritty earworm offers an opener which is both unsettling and invigorating. It sets out perfectly what's to come.
'The Saint' follows, along with lead single, and minor radio hit, 'Rise', and both stick rigidly to the monolithically heavy template; dropped-d tuning, fuzzy riffs, wailing solos, and a posturing Astbury. It's all delivered with furious conviction. And as if it wasn't immediately obvious, the singer spells out the modus operandi, with the former's opening lyric imploring; 'hail the guitar, all tuned down'.
While the album is undeniably steeped musically in the contemporary sounds of the period with an industrial edge akin to Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails, there’s also plenty of melody, and a noticeable expansion in their sound. 'I Shot the Sun' and 'Take the Power' offer moments of introspective moodiness, layering atmospheric sounds with the usual intensity, while 'American Gothic' is dark and brooding, and 'Hey Nico' veers from trippy, hippy, to searingly on point.
Lyrically, Astbury’s approach is as cryptic and thought-provoking as ever. His voice carries the weight of both world-weariness and defiance, and lines like 'the system is corrupt / it’s built to destroy' encapsulate the album’s central themes of rebellion and searching for truth.
While 'Beyond Good and Evil' might not have achieved the mainstream success of 'Electric', [1987] 'Sonic Temple' [1989] or, to a lesser extent, 'Ceremony' [1991], it’s remains a sleeping giant, and one of the most overlooked albums of their career.
'Beyond Good and Evil' is available on 31st January 2025.
Of course that would all be window dressing if the album wasn't such a colossal monster. Produced by Bob Rock, and reuniting the line-up that toured the 'Sonic Temple' album in 1989 and 1990, it's no surprise that it's a bombastic hard rocking beast, and with Duffy utilising d-tuned guitars and some of the heaviest riffs of his career.
Their first release following the band's reunion in 1999, and coming six years after their last album [1994's self-titled set] 'Beyond Good and Evil' found The Cult repositioning themselves for the new millennium, by embracing the harder edge of rock via a series of moody, aggressive, sometimes epic anthems.
Opening with 'War (The Process)', with Duffy's picked licks giving way to an absolute beast of a riff, it's clear that The Cult 2001 meant business. With Astbury's unmistakable wail on top, the pounding, gritty earworm offers an opener which is both unsettling and invigorating. It sets out perfectly what's to come.
'The Saint' follows, along with lead single, and minor radio hit, 'Rise', and both stick rigidly to the monolithically heavy template; dropped-d tuning, fuzzy riffs, wailing solos, and a posturing Astbury. It's all delivered with furious conviction. And as if it wasn't immediately obvious, the singer spells out the modus operandi, with the former's opening lyric imploring; 'hail the guitar, all tuned down'.
While the album is undeniably steeped musically in the contemporary sounds of the period with an industrial edge akin to Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails, there’s also plenty of melody, and a noticeable expansion in their sound. 'I Shot the Sun' and 'Take the Power' offer moments of introspective moodiness, layering atmospheric sounds with the usual intensity, while 'American Gothic' is dark and brooding, and 'Hey Nico' veers from trippy, hippy, to searingly on point.
Lyrically, Astbury’s approach is as cryptic and thought-provoking as ever. His voice carries the weight of both world-weariness and defiance, and lines like 'the system is corrupt / it’s built to destroy' encapsulate the album’s central themes of rebellion and searching for truth.
While 'Beyond Good and Evil' might not have achieved the mainstream success of 'Electric', [1987] 'Sonic Temple' [1989] or, to a lesser extent, 'Ceremony' [1991], it’s remains a sleeping giant, and one of the most overlooked albums of their career.
'Beyond Good and Evil' is available on 31st January 2025.