Under the Midnight Sun

Under the Midnight Sun is a work on which THE CULT condensed their gothic allure and the physicality of hard rock into a tightened number of songs. Billy Duffy’s guitar does not push too flashily to the front, creating a distinctive tension with dry texture and repeating riffs, and Ian Astbury’s voice lends mystery. Though a compact eight-song construction, it is a record of high density. On “Mirror,” “A Cut Inside,” “Vendetta X” and “Under The Midnight Sun,” the heat of night and unease unite. Songs like “Give Me Mercy” and “Impermanence” breathe the band’s matured expressiveness too. A stance of competing through density of atmosphere over flashy ornament runs throughout. Even after a long career, THE CULT’s distinctive allure and aesthetic have not faded in the least — a full record.