After 33 years and 10 albums, THE CULT are still here. New album, new tour, new chapter in their history. And that’s good. Because THE CULT are good. Their music is good. And after 25 years since I heard them for the first time, I still believe them because they are true.
‘Hidden City’ puts finale of the trilogy started with ‘Born Into This’ and it’s not hard to find similarities with it and the ensuing ‘Choice of Weapon’. Memorable heavy rock choruses alternate with deep melodic mid-tempo songs and lyrical passages. It is easy to hear the echo of each period of the band in THE CULT‘s new album – like a kaleidoscope turned back to years past. The record, however, is also the last one with bassist of the past 15 years Chris Wyse, as here the four strings are caught by another Chris – the bassist of Jane’s Addiction Chris Chaney.
‘Hidden City’ is very well balanced album full of powerful guitars by Billy Duffy who does not rely on riffs – he just fills the album with waves of pure solid guitar sound. And John Tempesta gives the songs a gorgeous groove with clear drumming, augmented by the pulsing bass. And, of course, everything is wrapped by the dense eternal voice of Ian Astbury.