vote
7.5
- Band:
Cathedral - Duration: 00:29:42
- Available from: 10/10/2025
- Label:
-
Rise Above Records
Streaming not yet available
The exhumation of lost tapes is, usually, prerogative of groups of the past of a certain commercial call and is, equally commonly, aimed at first to monetize. In the case of Cathedral, it is clear that it is a fundamental group of the history of Doom and Stoner, but talking about pure and simple commercial operation seems all in all inappropriate.
The British have not existed since 2013 and, even if potentially their reunion could also happen, this seems to be a fairly remote eventuality. And the main reason, according to the leader Lee Dorrian, is precisely not to want to be accused of doing it for the money: certainly a mockery, considering the career in the name of artistic integrity and intellectual honesty, starting – for Dorrian – from the militancy in the Napalm Death.
In the statements to the 2020 Decibel magazine, the Coventry singer leaves a glimmer open, but also suggests that this move would cozzare with the nature of the group itself. Inevitable to insert “Society's Pact With Satan” in this order of ideas and therefore consider those that usually appear words of circumstance as pure and simple truth.
Particular not secondary, Dorrian is the founder and owner of the affirmed record label Rise Above Records, which undoubtedly facilitates the publication of unpublished material of his bands; However, Cathedral are not a priority for the Rise Above and Dorrian does not need to rely on these maneuvers to land the Lunario, with the risk of throwing a credibility built in the wind over decades.
Let's go in detail: according to the press notes, Jaime Gomez Arellano, producer of “The Last Spire”, reorganizing his old recordings he came across a piece dating back to the end of the sessions of that farewell album, then in the last engraving of the Cathedral ever, and decided to immediately contact the band, who, after listening to the ribbon, agreed for his publication.
This is a unique trace half an hour long: nothing so exceptional, in reality, in a career dotted with pieces beyond ten minutes, plus two suite of length comparable to this: “The voyage of the homeless Sapien” by the EP “Statik Majik” of 1994, and “The Garden” from “The Garden of Unhearthy Delights” of 2005. Less experimental than the works mentioned, the publication. However, it is more fluid and listening it benefits a lot; Always divided into movements, but very well linked to each other and all interesting, which follow the battle horses of the British pioneers, between Doom, Stoner and progressive sectntian rock rock.
The sound is approaching – as is obvious – to the very well -kept one of “The Last Spire”; Perhaps something is missing in terms of the power of the guitars and depth of the bass, which could be explained by the mixing that occurred only later. However, the sound surrender is more than good and you certainly cannot complain.
Instead, the songwriting is excellent: beautiful riffs, well -kept arrangements, charismatic cantate and a text that, as per the Cathedral tradition, is not a simple tinsel, but contributes to characterizing the song, indeed it represents the fulcrum and the same reason to be; An allegorical and militant text that, in Dorrian's style, highlights contradictions and distortions of contemporary society.
The instrumental introduction to the SLEEP is evocative, theatrical the entry of voice and organ, draining the instrumental passages, now sulphurous now psychedelic, the rhythmic section stained; Once again, the solo guitars of Garry 'Gaz' Jennings, Dorrian's ideal shoulder in his sound raids.
But if the piece is valid, then why has it not been published before? Many musicians use the practice to record more than necessary and then choose the most suitable tracks to the album on which they are working, and this could be what happened with “Society's Pact With Satan”: discarded because it would have occupied too much space on 'The Last Spere “, a very successful album, therefore absolutely plausible choice. Maybe it had been thought to let her out in the medium term, but we think it is. Suite worthy of the name printed on the cover and insertable among the most successful and significant pieces of the Coventry group.
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
