Ever since their inception in 1983, The Cult have been one of the most compelling – and combustible – bands in history. Boasting more bust-ups and breakdowns than Susan Boyle after a bottle of Famous Grouse, it came as little surprise when they announced that they were indeed working on their ninth record, a mere year after singer Ian Astbury declared the humble LP was a “dead format”, and they wouldn’t be making any more.
What will raise a few eyebrows though, is the fact that Choice Of Weapon marks the first time the band have boasted the same line-up for two consecutive records – and the result is one of the most cohesive Cult albums in moons. Star of the show is their Shamanic vocalist Astbury: his stunning performances on the likes of ‘For The Animals’ and ‘Life > Death’, show why he’s still an inspiration for so many – from Glenn Danzig to Kyuss singer John Garcia.
Speaking of the latter, former Kyuss/QOTSA producer Chris Goss has stepped in here to twiddle the knobs alongside Bob Rock and his influence can be heard throughout, spurring guitarist Billy Duffy on to even greater heights (‘A Pale Horse’). Admittedly Astbury’s croon has become a little cracked over the years (‘Honey From A Knife’) but that actually adds character to his voice and helps to make Choice Of Weapon one of the best comebacks in a long time.