THE CULT – CHOICE OF WEAPON
In their thirty years together The Cult have encompassed post-punk, goth-rock, alternative, metal and just about every other strain of rock music to rise to the surface during the 1980s. Album number nine, Choice of Weapon, is no major deviation from what they’ve done before, but this isn’t such a bad move given the continuing 80s-revival trend. Thankfully, the British band haven’t forgotten how to carry a decent tune, nor how to piece together a fun, coherent album. Honey From a Knife is a brilliant opener despite the contrived lyrics about dirty city streets and “getting out of this place”. The Wolf combines huge funk-metal riffs with 21st-century production to make them sound even huger, while Lucifer combines Black-Sabbath menace with Kim-Wilde synths to great effect. The brooding theatricality on Elemental Light shakes things up a bit, though you could be forgiven for thinking it was an Iron Maiden tune. Some tunes, such as For The Animals and Amnesia, are virtually interchangeable, but it’s unlikely that too many people are going to mind. Choice of Weapon is the sound of a band aging gracefully while not forgetting how to do what they do best. ***
