The Cult/ Choice Of Weapon(2012)

The Cult pull out the stops on this ass kicker  album from 2012! Right away I dug the fact that Ian Astbury(Wolfchild/ Lead Vocalist) and Billy Duffy(The King Of Street Riffs / Guitar) totally stepped up and put out a classic Cult album! Once again the Cult never release the same album twice.

Choice Of Weapon(produced by Chris Goss and Bob Rock) though is a mish mash of all the Cult albums from Love (1985)thru to Born Into This(2007)  basically like if you dumped all the studio records into a blender Choice Of Weapon would be the end result!

The other thing is that this marks  The Cults first album ever where the same lineup recorded back to back albums! Hard to believe that Ian And Billy had that much of a rotating rhythm section album to album but they did but now they have a Continuity which i guess would be a new word for those guys!

WOWZERS….UPDATE….The Cult are releasing new music February 2016 with a album called Hidden City!  They got a new bass player so that ends the streak at 2 in regards to recording with the same lineup in the studio! Bob Rock is producing so this is Rock’s  5 th album with The Cult! New  Cult ..I’m there! Hail Wolfchild and Duffster! As my pal Space Ace would say “YAH YAH!”

In regards Hidden City it ends the trilogy started with a Born Into This and followed through with Choice Of Weapon….hmmmm gonna have to backtrack Into Born Into This….I Assasin from that disc  is a great track…..

Wolfchild,Duffy,Chris Wyse(bass) and John Tempesta(drums ) lay down the Hard Rock Law!

Now let’s trip back 3 years ……

Hell’s Kitchen D.M.C……

HONEY FROM A KNIFE- The Cult start off like they always do and that’s rockin! Duffy as always shows up with the riffs while Tempesta on the drums drives the song forward with some real driving beats! Ian shows up and the way his lyrics line up this song is the start of a kinda concept album here at Cult Central!  Cool use of piano during the verses with tambourine intact! “We Got The Drugs …..We Got The Drugs In Here!” chants the Gang like backing vocals! Once again The Cult show up with a killer album opener!  The middle part is the money shot where Ian and Billy toss the Ol hook in line  “where I’m drowning get me out of this place,” Great solo and  Ian and his Indian wild hearted self tosses down a end of the song classic  line “Kali,Fucked Up Childern!” Boom ..songs done!

ELEMENTAL LIGHT-think U2 if they had rock balls! That’s Elemental Light! Duffy gets some real chill like The Edge guitar  sounds and blasts off into another orbit. Here comes Johnny on the drums rolling those tom toms like some I know roll reefers! Great atmospheric piece and jeepers  its only track 2!

THE WOLF- The Wolf opens with big bombastic Cult Rock and befores you know the song changes tempos and how’s about some cowbell getting the shit smacked out of it by Tempesta and I dig the little Zep like synth sounds in the back during the verses! Do not be deceived by the bible and liars bellows Ian! Yah Yah! There are many in the world that will take advantage of you’s and that my friends is the message! There are a ton of Wolfs out there kids take shelter!

LIFE>DEATH- is a moody piece complete with piano and such and its a great tune. Astbury can dig himself out of the WolfChild persona but when duty calls…. Life>Death is a great tune and Duffy gets a real different sound out of his guitar….

FOR THE ANIMALS- The Cult come ripping out of the gate with the pedal pushed to the floor in regards to the music being produced, real cool use of percussion and as always there’s that catchy piano like Kiss’s  Christine Sixteen except the Cult speed up the piano by about 100 mphs. Duffy tosses down some cool riffage and there’s Astbury and listen to his voice as he once again tells us “For All The Fucked Up Childern….Starin Down The Barrel Of A Gun ” he sells the line ….Bam The Cult than tear it up! Crank the vid posted but you tube has edited the naughty words out! Fuck Censorship!

AMENESIA-This number is like a mashup of the Love album and Cermony! Duffy the genius starts with a super riff and the drums shift the tune into overdrive! Love the verse it’s a brilliant piece of written performed rock! Astbury throws it down vocally especially during the chorus! Kudos to Bob Rock for keeping a real laid back affair in the production dept! I guess Chris Goss should be commended as well!

WILDERNESS NOW-Ian and the boys slow it the hell down! Piano drives this tune! Great after dinner kind of melloishy tune as you know some crack lurks around the corner as his name is…..

LUCIFER- do not for a minute think this is some Motley Sixx “hey we’re gonna yammer on about the Devil” to move some copies of new product. Nope this Lucifer is about Crack and being high for the devil ..The running theme of helplessness continues in Lucifer! Hard to make choices when your messed up says Ian. Cool groove laid down by the fella’s in the band! Big time power chords angling all over the place from Duffy…..

A PALE HORSE-end of the album GEM! Total throwback tune! Love the bass,guitar,drums,Ian and his tambourine are locked n loaded and ready to whip the Pale Rider! This song oooozes cool! The bass from Wyse drives this tune! There’s something romantic on how Astbury phrases lines like when he sings “with a wave of my hand I will crusuuuuuush  your sweet skull!” Yeah that’s cool shit. Kudos to Bob Rock for keeping the production real live like! No bells and whistles just straight ahead good time rock n roll with a swift hard boot up the ass!  Super cool Duffy solo with Tempesta spinning the drums into submission …..great F’n track! Pale Horse according to my pal Space Ace is slang for Heroin! So there Ya go kids too much smack will crush Yer Skull!  Don’t believe me? Ask Ian and ask Space Ace!

THIS NIGHT IN THE CITY FOREVER-Ian is cruising the Subdivisions of your local neighbourhood pondering just what thee fudge is going on! Chill pace and vibe and Ian channels his inner Wolfchild and combines it with the Lizard King vocally. All of Ian’s friends are drunk in a sense of a flame! He said it not me…also of note Ian sings “toss your weapon to the ground!” I’m kinda wondering where all the fucked up Childern are?

EVERY MAN AND WOMAN IS A STAR-A great track! Duffy strums some real slick power chords and Astbury sings about there always being a light at the end of the tunnel and in this case your all stars! That’s right that’s Astbury Testament right there! Great song just a no nonsense Rock song with a positive message! Considering a lot of this album is about addiction Wolfchild kicks it in the ass and moves on! Fuck Yah Sez I!

EMBERS-5 minutes of serious Cult! This song builds musically and lifts off into areas that the Cult aren’t famous for!  Not a straight ahead rocker nor is it a pile of mush rock! Astbury grabs the reigns vocally and Duffy lays down some real good cool guitar.

UNTIL THE LIGHT TAKES US-Drums,guitars,bass and some cool distorted synth drive this track! Astbury during the verses sounds AHEM out there but he whips into neutral gear during the fabulous chorus! Astbury sings the chorus brilliantly while Duffy keeps pace on his guitar! Easily another Cult Classic!

SIBERIA-Gotta love distorted bass openings and Siberia does that ! Wyse plays on this album some real cool bass lines. Duffy adds a real cool atmospheric sound with his guitar. Duffy can play many styles and this album proves that! He is one talented cat! Siberia’s chorus is real goooood as Astbury sings it real good as well! Astbury as well he can sing man he’s got a distinct style. I mean no one can do the Yah Yahs …and Shake Shake Shake quite like Ian but the dude can belt a great tune and Siberia  he shows his vocal abilities! Did I just type that! Hahaha…..

IN CONCLUSION- The Cult storm back with a musical tsunami that takes us on a journey through  the streets of drug addiction and all the things that go with it! You know the deal,drugs,hookers,pimps,more drugs,needles,smack ,dead end streets,f*^ked up childern,loaded barrel of a gun! This is Cult Avenue Folks! Fasten your seat belt and get out of Dodge!

Choice Of Weapon is a fantastic concept  album and I lookie forward to Hidden City in Feb of 2016!