The VIIth Coming

Cathedral's seventh album was their first after leaving Earache, released by Dream Catcher Records in Britain and Europe, Spitfire in America and Toy's Factory in Japan. The songs were written in a Liverpool rehearsal room early in 2002, and from July the band recorded them at Chapel Studios in Lincolnshire with Kit Woolven, who had produced The Carnival Bizarre and Supernatural Birth Machine; the production is credited to Woolven and the band. Its working title was Songs of Praise. Fresh from the mixing desk, Dorrian described it as less extreme and a little more melodic than Endtyme, heavy in a different way, and said the earlier album had been about getting all-out sludge out of their system. He singled out "Congregation of Sorcerers" and "Halo of Fire" as the two out-and-out heavy songs. It came out in Britain in October 2002 and in Japan on 23 October. The Japanese bonus track was announced before release as "Golconda", but the Japanese edition that came out carries "Texting". The American edition followed in November. The cover is again a Dave Patchett painting. Looking back, Dorrian said that having fought so hard over Endtyme he held his tongue this time, and he slightly regrets that the album drifted back to a nicer sound.