Cult Of Luna debut reissue reviews
- Thread starter Lee_B
- Start date
"So young, so sad, so angry...this Swedish noisecore act are collectively the personification of beautiful rage and melancholy assault with a purpose. Although they have since released their sophomore release The Beyond earlier in the year, this wonderfully orchestrated debut shows they had more than a foothold on the formulated aggression of the now rapidly ascending genre, with focused and controlled tension without limitation and boundary. All is summed up perfectly in their 14 minute opus 'The Sleep' that builds up defiantly, with the use of the saddest instrument of all, the cello, only to expose the stained and hopeless abandon of a soul so bruised and scarred, but not entirely beaten. They tell a tale of a silver lined cloud, which it is filled with radioactive waste."
"Hot on the heels of The Beyond comes the re-issue of the debut self titled album from Sweden's Cult Of Luna. The original pressing of this album was limited to 2000 copies on the UK underground label Rage Of Achilles. Given the acclaimed reviews of The Beyond it was only a matter of time until this gem surfaced. Formed out of the ashes of the infamous hardcore act Eclipse, Cult Of Luna now find themselves at the forefront of the growing noisecore movement along with bands suchs as Isis and Converge. When you put this CD on, it's instantly recognizable as being a Cult Of Luna CD. There are no two ways about it. That in itself is a good thing. But for a debut album that was released on a major after it's follow up, this album seems a little more coherent. The songs themselves flow effortlessly from one to the next while still maintaining their individuality. It's easy to see where they are going as a band after hearing this and its successor. If you were amazed and impressed by The Beyond, then Cult Of Luna is a must CD. For fans of noisecore bands who haven't discovered Cult Of Luna yet and are intrigued as to what these guys are all about then this is definitely the album to start with." - 4/5
"Not being a fan of the whole Noise-core movement, I approached the listening of this album with some apprehension. My first experience of COL, however, was a pleasant surprise (if the word pleasant can indeed be used in connection with this band!)
The first track, The Revolution Embodied is a driving and inexorable affair, and gets the album off to an auspicious start. Subsequent tracks follow suit, and its this relentless feel that may be considered a minor drawback.
Fans of the band and the genre will absolutely lap this up, however. This is supremely powerful music, with very little in the way of subtlety or melody. This is music designed to deliver maximum impact at all times, and leave you feeling both elated and exhausted by the end. This album is truly an all out assault.
If youre the slightest bit on the faint of heart side, dont even think about getting this album!"
Cult Of Luna gets ****
SEE WHERE IT ALL BEGAN FOR THIS SWEDISH NOISE CULT.
"What you probably already know is that Cult Of Luna's The Beyond is a near-faultless masterpiece of oppressive, dynamic noisecore. What you may not be aware of, however, is the droning, hypnotic power of their self-titled debut album, now reissued by Earache in the wake of its successor's popularity.
Originally released in 2001, Cult Of Luna is the minimalist foundation upon which they would later build The Beyond. While the debt much of this album owes to the Neurosis/Godflesh school of bludgeoning repetition is obvious, there are moments - such as the tense, multifaceted epic Sleep or the austere Hollow - where COL really take flight, establishing early on their current position at the fore of the post-hardcore movement."
"Earache's decision to re-release Cult Of Luna's 2001 debut must have been an obvious one following the success of last year's The Beyond. The behemoth-like riffs are still there beneath the towering wall of noise that the band creates to perfection, and the songs drift from mood to mood with effortless ease. The epic fourteen-minute "Sleep" has some wonderful cello atmospherics, leading straight through to the swirling organ riff led, "To Be Remembered". Elsewhere, the utterly amazing "Dark Side Of The Sun" confirms the band's unique approach to writing music with little regard for confines. Fans of Neurosis, Isis, or those who aren't afraid to broaden their attention beyond the standard verse/chorus formula should check this out."
"These Swedish heavyweights could be contenders if Neurosis or Isis ever feel like vacating their bleak noise/sludge thrones. Each track is a winner, but listening to the album as a breathtaking whole is recommended.
Opener The Revelation Embodied sets the pace with its barbiturate tempo, gargantuan riffs, agonised vocals and cold outlook, and theres little let-up from there on in. Hollow takes a more rhythmic approach to this sort of heaviness, ala Killara, before adding sweet strings (which resurface to great effect on Sleep). Driven along by an awesome distorted bass sound, the thick, bulldozer-like To Be Remembered benefits from a melodic vocal line planted firmly in the mix.
While the whole disc evinces a knack for exploring different aspects of this variety of heaviness, Beyond Fate takes the prize here with its metre-changes and grasp of light-and-shade dynamics." 4/5
"Courtesy of the success of Cult Of Luna's second album, The Beyond, Earache, in their wisdom, have decided to re-release their debut, originally sighted on the Rage Of Achilles label. The likes of Neurosis, Converge, Isis and The Swans have all had a heavy influence of COL's sounds which continue a generally slow, bottom and like dirge which has a large emphasis on this slow, noisy and bombastic dynamic; of which many of the tracks clock in under seven or eight minutes. Thus their debut is very epic in nature and the songs Hollow, Sleep and The Revelation Embodied emphasise this although it's nont as progressive or awe inspiring as The Beyond. There's times when the Neurosis like dynamic and influencing of the material is a little too obvious here, but compared to many in their genre it's fairly refreshing. It's certainly not as tantalising as The Beyond, but in itself it's still a credible enough release." 7/10
"Hot on the heels of The Beyond comes the re-issue of the debut self titled album from Sweden's Cult Of Luna. The original pressing of this album was limited to 2000 copies on the UK underground label Rage Of Achilles. Given the acclaimed reviews of The Beyond it was only a matter of time until this gem surfaced. Formed out of the ashes of the infamous hardcore act Eclipse, Cult Of Luna now find themselves at the forefront of the growing noisecore movement along with bands suchs as Isis and Converge. When you put this CD on, it's instantly recognizable as being a Cult Of Luna CD. There are no two ways about it. That in itself is a good thing. But for a debut album that was released on a major after it's follow up, this album seems a little more coherent. The songs themselves flow effortlessly from one to the next while still maintaining their individuality. It's easy to see where they are going as a band after hearing this and its successor. If you were amazed and impressed by The Beyond, then Cult Of Luna is a must CD. For fans of noisecore bands who haven't discovered Cult Of Luna yet and are intrigued as to what these guys are all about then this is definitely the album to start with." - 4/5
"Not being a fan of the whole Noise-core movement, I approached the listening of this album with some apprehension. My first experience of COL, however, was a pleasant surprise (if the word pleasant can indeed be used in connection with this band!)
The first track, The Revolution Embodied is a driving and inexorable affair, and gets the album off to an auspicious start. Subsequent tracks follow suit, and its this relentless feel that may be considered a minor drawback.
Fans of the band and the genre will absolutely lap this up, however. This is supremely powerful music, with very little in the way of subtlety or melody. This is music designed to deliver maximum impact at all times, and leave you feeling both elated and exhausted by the end. This album is truly an all out assault.
If youre the slightest bit on the faint of heart side, dont even think about getting this album!"
Cult Of Luna gets ****
SEE WHERE IT ALL BEGAN FOR THIS SWEDISH NOISE CULT.
"What you probably already know is that Cult Of Luna's The Beyond is a near-faultless masterpiece of oppressive, dynamic noisecore. What you may not be aware of, however, is the droning, hypnotic power of their self-titled debut album, now reissued by Earache in the wake of its successor's popularity.
Originally released in 2001, Cult Of Luna is the minimalist foundation upon which they would later build The Beyond. While the debt much of this album owes to the Neurosis/Godflesh school of bludgeoning repetition is obvious, there are moments - such as the tense, multifaceted epic Sleep or the austere Hollow - where COL really take flight, establishing early on their current position at the fore of the post-hardcore movement."
"Earache's decision to re-release Cult Of Luna's 2001 debut must have been an obvious one following the success of last year's The Beyond. The behemoth-like riffs are still there beneath the towering wall of noise that the band creates to perfection, and the songs drift from mood to mood with effortless ease. The epic fourteen-minute "Sleep" has some wonderful cello atmospherics, leading straight through to the swirling organ riff led, "To Be Remembered". Elsewhere, the utterly amazing "Dark Side Of The Sun" confirms the band's unique approach to writing music with little regard for confines. Fans of Neurosis, Isis, or those who aren't afraid to broaden their attention beyond the standard verse/chorus formula should check this out."
"These Swedish heavyweights could be contenders if Neurosis or Isis ever feel like vacating their bleak noise/sludge thrones. Each track is a winner, but listening to the album as a breathtaking whole is recommended.
Opener The Revelation Embodied sets the pace with its barbiturate tempo, gargantuan riffs, agonised vocals and cold outlook, and theres little let-up from there on in. Hollow takes a more rhythmic approach to this sort of heaviness, ala Killara, before adding sweet strings (which resurface to great effect on Sleep). Driven along by an awesome distorted bass sound, the thick, bulldozer-like To Be Remembered benefits from a melodic vocal line planted firmly in the mix.
While the whole disc evinces a knack for exploring different aspects of this variety of heaviness, Beyond Fate takes the prize here with its metre-changes and grasp of light-and-shade dynamics." 4/5
"Courtesy of the success of Cult Of Luna's second album, The Beyond, Earache, in their wisdom, have decided to re-release their debut, originally sighted on the Rage Of Achilles label. The likes of Neurosis, Converge, Isis and The Swans have all had a heavy influence of COL's sounds which continue a generally slow, bottom and like dirge which has a large emphasis on this slow, noisy and bombastic dynamic; of which many of the tracks clock in under seven or eight minutes. Thus their debut is very epic in nature and the songs Hollow, Sleep and The Revelation Embodied emphasise this although it's nont as progressive or awe inspiring as The Beyond. There's times when the Neurosis like dynamic and influencing of the material is a little too obvious here, but compared to many in their genre it's fairly refreshing. It's certainly not as tantalising as The Beyond, but in itself it's still a credible enough release." 7/10
