Born Into This [Import]

The Cult | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 2, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Roadrunner Records
• ASIN: B000SFZ05C
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (76 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #81,001 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The Cult promised a re-imagining of heavy metal in 1985 when they fringed raging guitar riffs with psychedelic tassels and shoegazer moodiness on Love. But by the time of their next album, Electric, they had shed their paisleys in favor of biker leather, and swapped surging, impassioned anthems in favor of plodding metal riffs. On their latest album, Born Into This, the Cult slathers on the rock-rebellion attitude like a teenager slathering on Brut. Ian Astbury remains one of the great power singers, but now that he's in his mid-forties, I'm not sure I'm buying him singing about "Dirty Little Rockstars." It's one of the many fist-waving tirades on Born Into This that also includes an anti-war screed, "Tiger in the Sun." They take a stab at a rock ballad with the Elvis Presley-meets-Johnny Cash brooding of "Holy Mountain," but it comes off as a genre exercise. Despite having Youth at the production desk, and deploying some ferocious guitar by Billy Duffy across big, piston shredding beats, the Cult ultimately sound like a good metal band, when they initially prophesied so much more. --John Diliberto

Product Description

Legendary Alternative Rock band The Cult return with all guns blazing on their eighth studio album 'Born Into This', their first in six years. Reminiscent of earlier works 'Love' and 'Electric', the album sees the band returning to their rock roots while embracing several modern sonic elements in many of the songs. With 'Born Into This', The Cult have created an album that not only speaks to their rabid fanbase, but seeks to put them squarely back on the map as one of the greatest straight-up rock & roll bands in the World. Quintessential Cult songs like 'Dirty Little Rockstar' and 'I Assasin' and their enormous hooks will allow them to do just that. Produced by Youth (Killing Joke, The Verve) and mixed by Clive Goddard (Primal Scream, Madonna), the album is instantly recognizable Cult from Billy Duffy's first guitar chord to the first notes that escapes Ian Astbury's lips. A classic album from The Cult that features everything the band is known-for: groove-laden guitar riffs, searing leads, giant choruses, soaring vocals and a whole load of attitude. Over twenty years into their career and over 10 million albums sold, 'Born Into This', shows one of rock's first true Alternative bands delivering a seminal album at the top of their game.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The CULT are back!, October 14, 2007

By 

A. Boller "Rockstar wannabe" (Indiana) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Born Into This (Bonus CD) (Spec) (Audio CD)

This is a 2 CD set and while first CD is the same as the "Born into This" standard edition the second disc contains an extended version of the "Savages" song which is a great tune. Two demo versions of songs on the first disc which are interesting to listen to since they have a totally different sound. There are also two new songs not on the first disc. One of them being possibly the best song on the whole set (War Pony Destroyer).

I have noticed some people have panned this CD but I totally disagree. This is a very solid set of songs with high production standards but with a raw feel to them. It is very much a Cult CD with the Indian and mystical connotations, roaring guitars, and Ian Astbury's one-of-a-kind vocals. My faves on the set are the rockers: "Savages", "Sound of Destruction", "War Pony Destroyer", and "Dirty Little Rockstar". There is also a very good slow song "Holy Mountain" that really showcases Ian's vocals.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enough solid songs to recommend, October 5, 2007

By 

Daniel S. Clark (Detroit, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Born Into This (Audio CD)

I expected to be very disappointed by this album. Another literary reference for a title, from a Bukowski poem and Nietzsche's "Beyond Good and Evil" for the last album. (Ian, we get it , you read). Then, the first time I heard "Dirty Little Rockstar" it sounded like The Cult covering INXS covering the Stones, "Undercover of the Night".

Nonetheless, I"m converted.

"I Assassin" and "Illuminated" instantly caught my attention and all but 2 of the other songs are rapidly growing on me. Granted, there are no riffs or solos that are gonna make any guitar players envious, but the album still stands on its own merits. I think the comparisons to "Love" and "Electric" are overblown. "Born Into This" sounds more like their under-rated, self-titled album with a few throwbacks to "Love". That's good enough for me.

Now if Ian would just lose the bandana and work the crowd when they tour.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A Harsh and Underdeveloped Low-Point., October 6, 2007

By 

charlieheston (Portland, Or United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Born Into This (Audio CD)

Congratulations Billy and Ian - you have just released your worst album.

No, let me start over.
I am a huge fan of The Cult. I own everything they have released and not one of their studio albums is a dud...until now. This is a forgettable, harshly and roughly produced album of underwritten and sadly forgettable songs. There's not a memorable hook, lyric, or riff here and Ian's voice has developed an undefinable "something" which grates right alongside the grating bad production.

Like many others I have been waiting years for this thing, positive that it would be another classic Cult record, but as so many aging bands reach "that" age, they start to lose the plot, or just give up on trying very hard. There's no spark, no fire, no drive on display here. Don't even get me started on that cover-art or the song "Dirty Little Rock Star" which both scream Middle Age Out-of-Touch.

I will continue to look forward to Cult releases and try to block this one out of my head, it pretty much sucks.