Finally, Cathedral returns with their first platter for Nuclear Blast, a showing that far outdistances albums such as 'The VIIth Coming' and even the fan favorite 'Endtyme', being the album that fans of this group of Coventry, England doom merchants have been long anticipating. Monikered after Hieronymous Bosch's 1504 painting, 'The Garden Of Earthly Delights', this album resounds with a courageous yet caliginous originality that only Cathedral can muster. Purists might theorize that the band's Earache Records ground breaking debut 'Forest Of Equilibrium' reigns as the holy grail of the band's back catalogue, or that 'The Ethereal Mirror' is most notable due to being a intrepid shift in the bearing of the band's songwriting. However, 'The Garden Of Unearthly Delights' manages to rise above each of these crucially relevant metal classics on the basis of a wide assortment of factors. Most prominently, this collection of tracks works particularly well as an album. Throughout the entire listening experience, there's a dynamic continuity that ebbs and flows between songs of varied tempos and arrangements, a point that further adds to the album's overall personality. In terms of performance, the band is as focused as ever, issuing soft Pagan melodies and roaring metal fury in effortless fashion.
Another of the blatantly obvious positives you'll notice about this record would be the skilled expertise of producer Warren Ryker (Down, Crowbar), who was the ideal choice to oversee this recording. His knowledge in obtaining growling, dirty tones amidst a polished mix is more than formidable, giving this album a punch and upfront nature that the group's recent albums plainly lacked. Ryker allows Cathedral to sound as enormously heavy as they deserve to and more importantly, as their sludgy, buzzing performance dictates. Long-time fans will admire the progressiveness of the songwriting on this album, as the band takes proper caution to create music that is memorable yet unconscious of the types of simplistic songwriting patterns often associated with many bands that bear the doom metal tag. Following an effectively supernatural sounding introduction, 'Dearth AD 2005' the band launches into the thumping chant 'Tree Of Life And Death', a track that rocks out hard in a quite similar fashion to the band's 'Mirror' days, while 'Upon Azrael's Wings' explores the band's Celtic Frost influences and then, bizarrely, melds that aggressive, hammering nature with a jazzed, stoned sequence that wouldn't work this fantastically for any other group. Somehow for Cathedral, this stylistic tinkering fits and as the track fuels back up into it's gargantuan stomp, the brilliance behind the band's songwriting carries a massive and welcome weight.
It's unfortunate that 15 years into the band's career, many critics merely discuss Black Sabbath references when talking about the music of Cathedral. Factually, Cathedral has taken the dark, depressive sounds that they have been inspired by and moved them toward entirely new horizons. By this time, Dorrian and Co. have raised up an entire genre around them and in 2006, it is only fair to say that they are creators of an entire musical movement in their own right. This is not to forsake history at the expense of the present, but to underline the actuality of the band's patently singular aural presence. Lee Dorrian has always held a certain, unmistakable presence that's unlike any other singer in the field. On this record, his years of experience are highly evident, both lyrically and as a vocalist. In terms of the singer's writings, one may expect the obvious topical choices including witchcraft, Pagan lore and religion, all topics that arise amidst a backdrop of driving rhythms, pounding, ten-ton riffage and delirious recitals courtesy of none other than Mr. Dorrian himself.
Drummer Brian Dixon and Bassist Leo Smee team up to form a taut, pounding backbeat on the wicked sounding 'Oro The Manslayer', while 'Corpsecycle' finds the outfit taking on the sonic persona of psychedelic rock, resulting in what may be the best option for Cathedral to break into the elusive realm of commercial radio in the past decade. ''North Berwick Witch Trials' stands as yet another of many high points on the album, its brief opening dirge giving way to a thick, vibrato injected John Christ - style lick. Herein is a fantastic example of the band's ability to kick out a fairly straight-ahead rock cut, emphasized by a retro, fuzzed out guitar presence by Garry 'Gaz' Jennings.' Jennings' diversity reigns apparent of the soft-toned acoustic piece 'Fields Of Zagara' a track that really helps to give the album a further degree of depth and maintains this albums' dramatic manifestation honourably.
Most importantly, there is the centerpiece of 'The Garden Of Unearthly Delights', the much-buzzed about and most artistically involving track of this entire affair, 'The Garden.' At nearly twenty-seven minutes in length, this cut is pure wizardry, as an electric, resonating drone gives way to folksy verse featuring guest female vocalist Lo Polidaro before launching into a vicious barrage of doom metal riffing that can be considered to epitomize this band's sonar gravity. It's here that one is really reminded of the group's early Earache work, while at the same time, one is treated to more twists and turns. Parts of this song are as out-there as the band has ever attempted stylistically, with the entire juggernaut being a complex web of contrasting textures and emotions. Hauntingly beautiful, morosely thunderous and subliminally wicked, this ambitious song is perhaps the defining declaration in the recording history of Cathedral. If you have ever been fascinated with the band's music, it is mandatory you hear this piece of music, as it is as expansive and musically attractive as anything Cathedral has offered to date.
Rounded out by excellent cover art by the band's good friend Dave Patchett and a highly impressive package that makes for a perfect visual representation of the sounds within, 'The Garden Of Unearthly Delights' is nothing less than the most excellent offering from these British bashers to date, overshadowing their past prominent achievements with one of the most well thought out, superbly orchestrated metal productions we have heard as of yet this millennium. Kneel before these Metal Kings of England in awe, for in 2006 - Cathedral rules!
Review by: EF
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