Little over two years ago, Cult frontman Ian Astbury boldly declared that his band would never again release a new album, ostensibly disillusioned with the music industry and opting instead to churn out a series of ‘capsule’ format EPs featuring only a handful of new tracks to appease their hardcore following.
Whether this was the genuine stance of one of rock’s most enigmatic figures or simply a delayed reaction to the largely tepid response from critics and fans alike that met their last full output, 2007’s ‘Born Into This’, is a question that only Astbury himself could answer with any kind of clarity.
After all, his notoriously unpredictable, occasionally outright bewildering behaviour throughout the band’s 30 years has led those in the know to take most of his comments with a pinch of salt these days.
The most likely explanation would be that having tested the water as a touring band over the past four years or so, garnering unfaltering interest and ticket sales – be it at their own gigs or the many festivals they have adorned in this time – realisation has sank in that people never forgot about those 80s goth weirdos with the ludicrous haircuts and even more ludicrous pirate outfits.
Given the singer’s rapidly expanding waistline, it’s unlikely that the aforementioned pirate gear from the ‘She Sells Sanctuary’ video would fit quite so comfortably in 2012. For the best really, as ‘Choice Of Weapon’ is almost as far removed from ‘Love’ era Cult as could be.
The new record does, of course, tip a wink to the album that made them a household name. Largely though it draws on the finer aspects of The Cult’s unusual career trajectory from down the years, resulting in an amalgamation that sounds like the audio representation of each of their eight previous studio albums.
Their gradual descent from gothic new wave metal pioneers to the arena filling, adrenaline drenched career high stadium rock days of ‘Electric’ and ‘Sonic Temple’, by way of the acid rock neurosis of their self titled album, all the way through to 2001’s heavy metal comeback in ‘Beyond Good And Evil’, not of course forgetting the forgettable oddity that was ‘Born Into This’, every phase is gloriously represented here.
Billy Duffy’s trademark soaring guitar tone is evident right from the outset in ‘Honey From a Knife’, a captivating track certain to evoke an anarchic call and response frenzy when the band embark on their ambitious UK arena tour in September with its ‘we got the drugs’ refrain.
‘Elemental Light’ is the album’s first indicator that Astbury’s fascination for all things Shamanic and Native American has never deserted him, offering a psychedelic departure from the raucous foundations. ‘The Wolf’ is destined to become a stone cold classic in Cult folklore, clattering along remarkably like an outtake from their 1989 heyday so poignantly that you can’t help but forgive the fact it is eerily similar to both ‘Fire Woman’ and ‘Love Removal Machine’ in equal measures.
Lead single ‘For The Animals’ was undoubtedly a prudent choice to showcase the album to a wider mainstream audience, a joyous four minute explosion of primal instinct that affords Billy Duffy the opportunity to coax the kind of searing yet effortlessly grandiose solo we’ve come to expect of him from that famous Gretsch White Falcon.
Duffy’s unmistakeable sound once again leads the charge on ‘Lucifer’, the first teaser track to surface when the album was announced and a majestic cut of pounding ever so slightly electro-infused metal. Compare this to the surprisingly uncharacteristic piano driven sentimentalities of ‘Life Death’ and the extent of the band’s creative mentality these days becomes abundantly clear.
Whether the band manage to reclaim their throne in the promised land of sold out arenas across the country come September remains to be seen, but in ‘Choice Of Weapon’ they certainly have a vessel worthy of channelling this aspiration.
Should Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy manage to keep their conflicting personalities under wraps this time around and maintain their historically cataclysmic but mutually respectful relationship, there is no reason to doubt that The Cult can rise again.
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There is no personality conflict (anymore)…. They’ve been touring since at least 2006 and doing VERY well, and enjoying the ride all along.