The Garden of Unearthly Delights

The Garden of Unearthly Delights followed 2002's The VIIth Coming and was Cathedral's first album for Nuclear Blast. In May 2005 the band went into New Rising Studios with Warren Riker, known for his work with Down and Crowbar, as producer. Before the sessions Lee Dorrian described the new songs as much heavier and a little stranger than the last album's, and the record as one of two halves. The title takes its cue from Hieronymus Bosch's painting The Garden of Earthly Delights. The line-up was Dorrian on vocals, Garry Jennings on guitar, Leo Smee on bass and Brian Dixon on drums. At its centre is the 27-minute "The Garden". Dorrian told Metal Edge that he had wanted to write something like it for a long time, since he missed the days when the band used EPs to try out ideas that did not belong on albums, and that it came together in about four days in a rented cottage on an island they could leave only twice a day, when the tide allowed. Nuclear Blast billed the record as the band's most varied yet, with female vocals and violins among its colours. The closing "Proga-Europa" is a hidden track that begins after a long stretch of silence. The sleeve is again by Dave Patchett, who later explained that the figures in this painting grew out of accidents: wet paint swirled on the glossy backs of photographs with plastic bags and sponges. The album was released in Europe on 26 September 2005 and entered the UK Independent Albums chart at No. 45 and the Rock & Metal Albums chart at No. 40. A limited digipak used Sony's Sniffle Disc technology, giving off a green-apple scent when rubbed or warmed in the player. North America followed in January 2006, and Toy's Factory issued the album in Japan on 26 October 2005. Spotify carries this album, but none of its tracks will play in this territory, so this page shows the sleeve instead of a player (checked on 14 October 2026).