Customer Reviews

Beyond Good and Evil

5 star:		(74)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In 'Beyond Good and Evil' The Cult (Ian Astbury, Billy Duffy and Matt Sorum) have crafted an album that goes way beyond most normally accepted notions of what the term "hard rocking" denotes. This thing roars! It is virtually impossible to play this disc - even at a modest volume - without having your ears ring. It is that robustly recorded.

Employing some of the most savagely distorted guitar sounds of his impressive career, Billy Duffy appears to be on a mission of sonic destruction - and he isnt taking prisoners. The opening riff to "Rise" suggests an angel dust-crazed Yeti ripping a metal garbage can to shreds. Some enterprising electronics manufacturer should immediately begin working on a Billy Duffy brand fuzz box that attempts to replicate this mayhem - it would sell in the zillions.

Vocalist Ian Astbury delivers his rage-fueled lyrics with thrilling gusto. Get a load of the song titles, this guy is [mad]...: "War (The Process)", "Take the Power", "American Gothic", "My Bridges Burn", just to name a few. He makes his discontent abundantly clear about three words into the album. 'Beyond Good and Evil' indeed - we are moving into uncharted dimensions where words like "good" and "evil" become meaningless.

Some diehard fans may not find this to be among the band's best work, but if you're looking for maximum crunch with a good deal of substance behind it, you could do a lot worse. My only complaint: at 51 minutes, 'Beyond Good and Evil' is way too short.

Picked this one up on a lark. Didn't even know it was coming, but it made me curious. You know that feeling of mixed excitement and trepidation you get, finding a new release from a band you adored way back when, but that seemed to drop out of sight? That was what I felt -before- I listened to it.

There is fortunately little sign of -change- in this record, whose songs and thunderous Bob Rock production would be at home in the -Sonic Temple- and -Electric- period. Billy Duffy's guitar is like a great basalt obelisk dislodged from the heavens by some cosmic accident, to fall to earth, and his riffing propels each song forward forcefully.

Ian Astbury never bores. His songs are consistently soaked with cosmic thoughts. You get another ballad for a departed Warhol-set lady [-Nico-], some global-tribal politics [-War (The Process)-], and plenty of material that seems to indicate that, unlike -some- dark hard rock bands from the same era that I could name, he has not forgotten who his most loyal fans are. [-American Gothic-, -Ashes and Ghosts-, -Speed of Light (Black California)-] Some reviews I have read --- though not most here --- find this pretentious, but I am always glad to see a hard rocking band address concerns larger than just sex.

So forget whatever reservations you might have had. This is more classic Cult. You will not be disappointed.

Any Cult fan knows that each cd that they put out, is different than the last. Besides U2, no other band has composed so many different styles of rock music, as well as the Cult.
After their hiatus, Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy must have been pissed off when they wrote these songs. The majority of these songs are heavy with crunchy guitars and intense voclas. Duffy and Astbury blended the lyrics and music together like a tapestry. This cd captures that magic where the music rocks&grooves and the words make sense and can be appreciated.
It is a shame Beyond Good&Evil came out during an era where there aren't as many venues for rock acts to tour, and where MTV doesn't play videos by rock bands that are over the age of 20. This album should have been huge. If you don't own it, buy it. If you missed the tour, buy the dvd. Any new band might learn a lesson on what a frontman is, as well as a guitar god.
Also, even if you are not a Cult fan but need a kick butt disc to take to the gym, this is highly recommended.

After 4 years I finally decided to get my hands on this and haven't stopped listening. Many words too describe this album; Thick, Solid, Loose, Tight, Bludgeoning, Dark, Biting, Heavy, Grooving, Glaring, Blurry, Melodic, Deep, Echoing and as always Chest-Pounding. Ian's voice never sounded better (period!)...every nuance is here. My favorite tracks are Ashes & Ghosts, My Bridges Burn, American Gothic, Rise, War. I'd give it sixteen stars. A combination of layered sounds from their past albums mixed with new combinations. This is their best album. Set it on repeat for days.

Beyond Good and Evil is a masterpiece, a truly great hard rock album. Personally, spiritually, politically, philosophically and most importantly musically it is great. It hits hard on so many levels. Coming from someone who writes songs and plays guitar, I the lyrics extremely powerful and deep. As I was listening, I though, this is what rock should be about. The way Astbury delivers them only helps, this guy has to be one of the most underrated voices in rock. The guitar work by Duffy is so hard driving, especially on Rise, Ashes and Ghosts, and My Bridges Burn. The best part, however, is that all of the songs, with the exception of Nico, are original. This could be the best rock/metal/alternative album since Nirvana's Nevermind or Metalica's black album, and hopefully it will spawn more of the same. This album changed the way I listen to music, so much so I ditched a lot of old material I had written being only 17, I had never heard a lot of The Cult, besides She Sells Sanctuary, until I heard rise, as soon as I did I needed to know what it was. I went from listening to a wide variety of Everclear, Nirvana, Metalica, No Doubt and Lonnie Brooks to this CD and this CD alone. It has left my CD player a few times over the past month and a half, but now for long. I hope to get some of there older work in a while, but for now, I am still hooked on Beyond Good and Evil.

Ignore these great reviews and buy this album!I give you my word..you will not be dissapointed.This is their BEST work to date.A wonderful mixture of Electric and Sonic Temple.With a nice evolution of sound.If you are an old Cult fan..this album will give you chills.If you are new to the Cult..prepare to buy all of there albums after hearing this.I really cant give this album the review it deserves. Just get it and you will see what were raving about.My favorite tracks??...War,The Saint,Rise,True Believers. Now go do yourself a favor!

I know you want an opinion on this album, but let me preface it with a little background. I first saw the Cult way back in it must have been 88 or something. I was at a Billy Idol concert, and I kept seeing people walking around with these Cult shirts on. Well, this was actually the opening band, and it was the year Electric came out. They were loud, but I had come to see Billy Idol. Anyway, one of my friends had Electric, and we listened to it. I was like, hey I just saw this band. Anyway, I really got into it. Then I was very into Sonic Temple, then I saw them again open up for Metallica on their Justice tour. Then I go into Love. Dreamtime, didn't really care for. Then Ceremony came out. I was so excited to get it, but I was disappointed. The Cult came out, and although I liked it better than Ceremony, there was something awry with that album. But I still went and saw them again, because they do a bunch of classics live. They were great,, actually this was the first time Ian didn't seen wasted. Anyway, years pass, I still jam Electric and Sonic Temple. Then I hear about a new album, and I hear Rise on the radio. I go to the cd store, and LISTEN to the album before I buy it. I heard about a minute of each of the first 5 songs, and I was very excited. It is very heavy and it ROCKS. The lyrics are meaningful, and different, Ian sounds awesome, Billy sounds awesome, Matt sounds awesome, Bob Rock did a great job producing. It is a complete album. It may be there best album ever.

With 'Beyond Good and Evil', The Cult re-energizes the belief that hard rock is back! The sound is fresh, the riffs are perfectly timed, and Billy Duffy solidifies his status as one of rock's premier axe men! Ian Astbury is in spendid form, pouring his heart and soul into the 12 track set. This album takes over where 'Sonic Temple' left off! If you enjoyed some of The Cult's recent work from their best-of album 'Pure Cult', like "In the Clouds", then get ready for more of the same. The album title sets the tone for what is a classic opening track, "War (The Process)", and the tone does not let up, or become scaled down in any way. From the dark, haunting "Ashes and Ghosts" to the classic Duffy riffs of "My Bridges Burn", the album sizzles. Yet, in the tradition of gems from previous albums 'Love' and 'Electric' like "She Sells Sanctuary", and "Rain", the melodic and rhythmatic "Nico" is candy to the ears. So, whether you are a long-time Cult fan, or a fan of hard rock looking for something with passion, this album does not disappoint, and it drips with passion! The Cult is back!

This is the best recording to date from The Cult. The guitar is the best we have seen since the early days of The Cult. Billy has come into a new level with his Gretch White Falcon and the result is stunning.

Ian has come back from his solo project with a new style that is a mix of late 80's early 90's Cult and Death Cult days. With Matt Sorum back on the drums you hear that they are back and better than ever.

I have been a Cult fan since the days for Southern Death Cult and can say with out any reservations that this is their best album to date. It sent shivers up my spine and brought a tear to my eye to hear this great band again with songs like Ashes and Ghosts, Nico and American Gothic.

This album is a far cry from what Ian did on his solo journey.

If you like the Cult just a little but you owe it to yourself to buy this album. You will not be sorry.

This newest offering from The Cult simply ROCKS!!! Just as in the 80's, they have made material unlike anything else out there at this time. Billy Duffy's screaming guitar riffs support Ian Astbury's piercing vocals while Matt Sorum glues it all together with a forceful, driving, heavy display of percussion. To compare this to other Cult offerings, it blends the raw magnetism of Electric with the heavy rock of Sonic Temple. The final product resembles a modern, polished collection of 12 songs that any Cult fan will find necessary to add to their collection.

The first three songs echo with heavy, driving guitar and drums. Ian's vocals rise above this background of power to weld each piece into a perfect offering. Rise, the third song and first single off the album, is punchier than Lil' Devil from Electric, and more thunderous than Firewoman off Sonic Temple. This piece is a perfect example of this band's talent for finding their niche and excelling in it. The rest of the album follows suit.

This album is recommended to all hard progressive rock fans and simply a MUST for any Cult fan. This is easily the best the band has had to offer since Sonic Temple, and certainly one of their top three. One could argue this is their best album yet. The louder you play it, the better it sounds.