'Beyond Good and Evil' is The Cult's first album since 1994's suckfest 'The Cult' (AKA the "Black Sheep" album). After the seven-year hiatus, Astbury and Duffy, the core of the band, are back and joined by drummer Matt Sorum (who had played for their 1989 tour but never on record) and little-known tag team bassists Chris Wyse and Martyn LeNoble. Bob Rock is along for the ride again, producing his third Cult album, and 'Beyond Good and Evil' sounds as good as you'd expect from a Bob Rock-produced record. This is also their heaviest album, providing plenty of head banging and fist pumping opportunities -- heavier than usual for a melodic/hard rock outfit. Unfortunately, the record company stopped promoting this album after the first single came out and it kind of dropped from the public view, which is a damn shame, because it's a fine little platter.
"War (The Process)" opens with a slow and nasty churn, aided by a wicked bass backbone by Wyse, and your first taste of the aforementioned heaviness that helps define the album. The chorus has a nice tempo change, adding a second dimension to an already good song. After its intro, "Breathe" kicks in with a heavy, winding riff that'll rattle your bones. That's right, TURN IT UP!... and then turn it down a notch. "Nico" and "True Believers" both provide poignant moments and great melodies, while retaining enough of the disc's edge. "American Gothic" is more thickness, and that bass tone from the opener is back! Man, that four-stringer sounds like it should be used for a horror movie soundtrack. The true gem of the album, though, is the first (and only official) single, "Rise," a killer, heavy anthem with stellar riffs highlighting the intro and chorus -- great stuff! Closing out the event is the most traditionally classic-rock sounding number on here, "My Bridges Burn." But don't let the conventionality of it turn you off, as it's a rollicking ditty that's heavy and has a great sing-along chorus.
The rest of the songs are okay-yet-unspectacular, but they keep the energy and heaviness up and thus neither the flow nor the atmosphere of the album suffers too much because of their mediocrity. 'Beyond Good and Evil' is The Cult's best album in a long time. Listen to it loud!

TRACK LIST:
1. War (The Process)
2. The Saint
3. Rise
4. Take the Power
5. Breathe
6. Nico
7. American Gothic
8. Ashes and Ghosts
9. Shape the Sky
10. Speed of Light
11. True Believers
12. My Bridges Burn

Review by Jon Paine