The Cult : Choice Of Weapon

One of Britain's finest rock outfits, The Cult will surely be touring this record well into their 30th year of existence. Due to be released in Australia on this Friday May 25, Choice Of Weapon comes five years after the critically-acclaimed 2007 release Born Into This. 

The album has been produced by Bob Rock (Metallica, Bush) and Chris Goss (Queens Of The Stone Age) and it shows. Fans looking for The Cult that produced She Sells Sanctuary will find them rawer, less theatrical, with Ian Astbury's vocals more akin to those of Bush's Gavin Rossdale than their goth rock efforts of the '80s. 

Echoing elements of The Cure's 2004 self-titled release, this is essentially an angry record. The lyrics reek of discontent and frustration and the vocals have an urgency not felt in the band's earlier work. Despite the clear themes articulated by the band – disconnection, destruction of our natural world, the struggle to find individual purpose – some tracks hit the mark while others miss. The opening track Honey From A Knife is an excellent testament to an old-school band who can still produce the goods, joining Amnesia as another highlight of the album. 

BY JOSH FERGEUS 

Best Track: Honey From A Knife

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In A Word: Rockin'