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THE CULT
Under The Midnight Sun

Black Hill (2022)
Rating: 7.5/10

Somewhat channelling the labours of their 1985 album Love, The Cult returns with its 11th full-length studio album.

Overly compressed and mastered to death, Under The Midnight Sun remains a rewarding experience in its subtle fluctuations. Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy remain the archetypal rock ‘n’ roll twosome, delivering the usual star spangled and swaggering Goth rock yet with less meat yet more jangle.

Awash with wisdom, Under The Midnight Sun steadily rises from the smouldering yet somewhat underwhelming opener ‘Mirror’ through to the steady throb of ‘Vendetta X’, the menace of ‘Knife Through Butterfly Heart’ and the closing noir title track.

This album feels dark and haunting, and so those expecting a decidedly upbeat rock-out may be disappointed. Even so, it’s still classy Cult as a sharp riff introduces us to ‘A Cut Inside’, another of those steadily ascending trips littered with Astbury’s vocal glitter.

‘Give Me Mercy’ is another steady and overwhelmingly dusky hymn, while further shadowy depths are explored with the brooding tones of ‘Impermanence’, leaving only ‘Outer Heaven’ to flirt with those grandiose stadium rock nuances.

Under The Midnight Sun is a moody bugger of a record but one which dazzles sporadically while in the presence of its dark corners, not helped by the bland and overly black cover art. The band remains mesmeric, however, and it’s still The Cult and I’m still the fan.

Neil Arnold

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