The Cult
Choice of Weapon
(Cooking Vinyl Ltd.)

Born out of England’s post-punk scene, The Cult made a name for themselves in the 1980′s and 90′s for their unique sound, blending together a mystical, psychedelic rock feel with hard rock raw, guitar riffs. Their new release, Choice of Weapon, is their first in five years and sounds like they haven’t lost their spirit. The album was co-produced by Chris Goss and Bob Rock, who produced their breakthrough platinum-certified Sonic Temple, and it’s great to hear singer Ian Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy sound so crisp without losing any of their raw strength.

The album’s 10 tracks (and four bonus tracks on some releases) are diverse in terms of feel and pacing but there are a number of standout songs with that classic Cult feel such as the opening track, “Honey from a Knife,” “Amnesia,” and “The Wolf,” which the hardcore fans will love. The album is well-balanced with songs like “Lucifer” and down-tempo tracks like “Life > Death” and “This Night In The City Forever,” which change the pace but maintain the intensity. They also offer some thought-provoking lyrics, which give insight into the overall theme that speaks to contemporary social and political issues such as technology and the power of the One Percent. The band will be heading out on tour this summer so if you remember riding around to their old school hits like “Fire Woman” and “Sweet Soul Sister” back in the day, this is definitely one to check out.