Metal Reviews

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One of my favorite bands of all time. Cathedral can do no wrong in my eyes. I will agree that this album had intent. I think this album is great, but it is missing the quirky stuff that I grew to love about Cathedral. It's okay though cause Endtyme was like that also.

Honestly though I would have switched the last two albums around. The Guessing Game is completely unrestrained. I see what they're doing here. Kind of a full circle thing. I get it. I'm so curious now though that you said they recorded a bunch of stuff that was left off the album because it didn't fit the theme. I'll bet those songs come out in a box set someday. I would only buy box sets from a few bands. Cathedral is one, and probably My Dying Bride, Napalm Death, Iron Maiden, Amorphis, Nevermore, and Katatonia; just to name a few. When all is said and done this is another classic but strangely safe album by one of the most innovative metal bands ever.

Cathedral is an uninhibited imaginative thrill ride. Every album has something different to offer. I got into them on Ethereal Mirror which I think most will agree is one of their best, but it's the depth that makes Cathedral so great. This last album had intent. They were solidifying their reign as the kings of doom, but explore their catalog and you will find the real gems. Songs like "Purple Wonderland" on Hopkins Witchfinder General or "Phaser Quest" on Supernatural Birth Machine or "Dust of Paradise" on Caravan Beyond Redemption or my personal favorite, the 23 minute masterpiece, "The Voice of the Homeless Sapien" on Cosmic Requiem/Static Magik. That song will really show you all sides to Cathedral. They are anything but one dimensional and sometimes come off as aloof or screwy at times.

A new Cathedral album to me was always a refreshing reminder that you just need to be yourself and have fun. I'm gonna miss them, but something tells me we haven't heard the last of Cathedral. I read a recent article in Decibel magazine about the numbers they were being offered to reunite. My guess is that over time those numbers will get bigger and more tantalizing.

Well, Charles and voxmonster's comments (I liked Endytime just fine, so your reservations don't worry me much) sure brightened this sad news about a final Cathedral album. I didn't love a lot of their Sabbathean worship mid period work, but Forest of Equilibrium and Garden of Unearthly surely reside in my pantheon of doom albums, and hopefully this one too.

band is decent but I don't really listen to a lot of doom metal.

Cathedral are one of many bands I keep on meaning to dig further into but then end up ticking off something new someone has recommended to me instead. As such I only have Forest Of Equilibrium and Ethereal Mirror. Both are excellent albums of course and some of the heaviest stuff I've heard from a more "traditional" doom band

Guessing Game was tremendous fun. That one is hard to top, but I imagine a solid offering nonetheless.

Dorian said they didn't go out to record another Forest of Equilibrium, but the magic on this swansong of an album in crushing riffs like Pallbearer and Tower of silence are proof the band had one left in them. All and all its a stronger effort than the newest Candlemass was, and its good to see the band end on a good note.