Hologram of Baal

The Church | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 22, 1998)
• Original Release Date: September 22, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Thirsty Ear
• ASIN: B00000AGLM
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #167,078 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A refreshingly new, yet nicely familiar release, November 30, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Budapest, Hungary) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hologram of Baal (Audio CD)

Many people in the world wouldn't know who the Church are anymore these days. Older Aussies might remember them for early hits like "The Unguarded Moment" and "Almost With You," and of course a fair number of souls around the planet would recognize their one big hit from '88 "Under the Milky Way" if they heard it on the radio (and some may even remember its name). Apart from that though, the Church has basically creeped along silently through the music business, writing some of the most unique and interesting music this end of the century without much recognition for their distinct genius. They've had their shares of glories and upsets, but few bands have held out so long with so much of their integrity intact. Hologram of Baal is simply a continuation of this uniqueness in style. Or perhaps a resurrection of it. After all, this is the first album with guitarist Peter Koppes fully in the fold since '92's brilliant Priest=Aura, and it definitely shows. While not bad by any means, both 1994's eclectic Sometime Anywhere and '96's somewhat inconsistent Magician Among the Spirits were certainly lacking his finer touch on the guitar to fill in all the loose ends. This time around though, he's clearly back, as the ever-familiar intertwining of guitars courtesy of Pete and melodic-counterpart Marty Willson-Piper create a myriad of beautiful sounds weaving their way all throughout the album. Although Hologram of Baal has neither the thematic polish and mystic quality of Priest=Aura nor the full-on, bombastic energy of '85's Heyday, it is easily a pleaser after a few listens. "Tranquility" soars with thick, ethereal guitars, "No Certainty Attached" kicks in some of the extra overdrive (and a little of Marty's signature guitar style) and "Buffalo" is one of the Church's best candidates for a hit single in years (too bad "Louisiana" beat it to the goal). Other standouts include the gorgeous "Glow-Worm," the darkly plodding "This Is It" and the fantastic "Anaesthesia." The extra cd is an added gift, but it would probably be of little interest to the lukewarm fan (who'd be bored by its 70+ minute length). Starfish is still the most commercially-viable album in the band's history (something which some fans may find a disagreeable quality), but don't write the Church off as an old, dead band. In a world of dull, poser artists where 'alternative' has ceased to hold any sort of meaning anymore, it's a nice relief to know there are still some musicians out there that can keep their heads well above all the trends. It's just too bad that more people don't know about them, but I guess after all the tastes of the 'average' may be just that.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and Mezmerizing, June 4, 2002

By 

B. Harris (Washington, D.C.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hologram of Baal (Audio CD)

It's amazing to me that anyone could listen to this album and think "bland" or "tired". This album ranks right up there with 'Starfish" and "Priest = Aura" in terms of sheer ambient melodic bliss.

The opening track, "Anethesia", is one of the highlights of the album, a beautifully layered song that rises and falls, taking the listener on a journey to the inner conscious. "Louisiana" is easily their strongest single since "Milky Way", while "Tranquility" will transport you away to a world not populated by worries, struggles and fear. Listening to "Buffalo", you will feel like you are sitting by a fire in a house in snowy Buffalo in the middle of winter...you can almost feel the chill. "The Great Machine" is the Church at their most eerie and brooding, a cataclysmic view of a distraught world sometime in the future. The beautiful cinematic closer, "Glow-worm", is one of the most charming, soaring pieces the Church have ever recorded. Fitting, then, that vocalist Steve Kilbey wrote it as a love song to his daughter.

this album represents a stunning comeback for the band, and shows them at their finest creative peak. Don't pass it up.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A welcome return to form., July 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Hologram of Baal (Audio CD)

After two nondescript albums, "Sometime,Anywhere" and "Magician Among The Spirits", the Church returns to its former glory with Peter Koppes back as a full fledged member. "Anaethesia" is a great opening track. Tim Powles' drumming and production are very instrumental in the success of this album. "Louisiana" is easily the best single the band has released since "Under The Milky Way". This is the first album since "Priest=Aura" that I make sure I listen to in its entirety. The only reason I did not give it 5 stars is because I think a band should only have one 5 star album. That album would be "Priest=Aura" for me, but Hologram comes very close. I look forward to more albums from the band with Tim Powles at the production helm.