Like many a listener I discovered Cult of Luna in 2002 when I heard their masterpiece, The Beyond. However I lost track of them after that as I was bored by Salvation and don’t even recall Somewhere Along the Highway.
I decided to give them another chance though as I loved The Beyond so much. I have mixed emotions about this to be honest. While this is a heavier album than the last two, it is rather repetitive. They use the same signature riffs that appear on all four previous albums, backed by a heavy distorted bass and solid drumming. The start of the album is quite good but from there it just becomes rather ponderous. If you’re up for moments of great heaviness punctuated by extended portions of ambience or silence then this is really the album for you.
Sadly they have followed the same trend that Isis has for me in that I simply can’t get into them anymore. Thanks to the keyboard they add some rather bizarre sounds and instrumentation; the most notable would be the chimes in the song “Ghost Trail”. I note these because I cannot help it, I despise chimes. They also throw in three short interludes that don’t really qualify as songs but act as bridges between songs.
This is a decent album but they tread on the same ground again and again and it’s about as interesting as watching someone pacing.
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That whole Isis, Cult of Luna thing exploded … and then went nowhere.
Pity.
on Jun 9th, 2008 at 19:10Sadly the whole thing did peter our rather fast, however they all started to sound the same even faster than most trends in music.
on Jun 9th, 2008 at 19:27Have any of you actually listened to this album? While it’s not mind-blowing, Ghost Trail is an amazing song that really doesn’t sound like Isis (or any of the other Neurosis clones) at all. I actually enjoy Salvation and SATH for what they are, and this might be better than both of them. This album actually seems much closer aligned with The Beyond than either of the last two albums.
on Jun 10th, 2008 at 07:14I think you guys are way off and the original reviewer put out zero effort in reviewing the album. The fact that he hadn’t even heard the middle two albums just shows where his interest level is in the band and the genre. Cult of Luna create some awesome emotional and atmospheric metal, sure it’s not the most original but it’s not really meant to be. This music requires multiple listens and an attention span to fully appreciate. You can’t just throw it in the CD player and hear the first riff and write it off as Neurosis worship, well maybe YOU can, but I can’t.
This site is awesome, way better than Digital Metal.
on Jun 12th, 2008 at 09:25As the original reviewer I would say you also can’t not read the review and comment. I did listen to the last two records before this, they simply didn’t hold my interest all that much. I also gave this one a few spins before writing it up, as I always do, it’s simply not very interesting or atmospheric.
on Jun 12th, 2008 at 15:30Wow, “but they tread on the same ground again and again”.
Have you even listened Cult Of Luna before writing that review?
Eternal Kingdom might be their best album since The Beyond.
on Jul 11th, 2008 at 01:45Perhaps it is, but that isn’t saying a lot since Salvation cured insomnia and Somewhere Along the Highway was easily forgotten.
on Jul 11th, 2008 at 09:14All the criticism that people are aiming at this band is totally fucking unfounded. Isis hasnt even come close to being as good since oceanic. neurosis will always be the masters, but COL still has managed to put an interesting spin on this genre, and this record is awesome. Their drummer is one of the best for this niche.
on Jul 14th, 2008 at 10:07i just love this band and especially this album. is it worth mentioning that i dont really like neurosis at all? how come so many people seem to see COL as a Neurosis clone? thats so bullshit! at least to my brain and ears.
on Dec 20th, 2008 at 13:20to me COL carries a totally different set and variety of emotions.
Yeah, this review sucks. Anyone could have wrote a better review. Obviously this guy doesnt like this type of music. While i dont like this nearly as much as “Somewhere Along the Highway”, it is still a really solid post-metal epic record that is really similar in tone to their “Salvation” record. These Swedes are doing a great job of distancing themselves from Isis and Neurosis and creating their own brand of doomy and beautiful music.
on Apr 30th, 2009 at 15:45Cult Of Luna is way better than Isis and Neurosis.
Isis sucks.
on Oct 13th, 2011 at 06:12