SOUND BITES

It feels like The Cult have released more than ten studio albums, but upon discography research I found that Hidden City is indeed their tenth. The reason that seems low to me is partly due to the fact that they've been a band for 35 years, and partly due to the sheer amount of sonic ground they've covered up to this point in their career. Never shy when it comes to assimilating styles of the times into their sound, The Cult have dabbled in psychedelic pop/alt ( Dreamtime , Love ), muscular rock/metal ( Electric , Sonic Temple ), grungy hard rock ( The Cult ), and even nu-metal ( Beyond Good and Evil ) en route to great success and the sad, slow decline in popularity that followed. Nearly a decade ago, however, the band shifted their focus to no-frills, balls-to-the-wall rock n' roll with Born Into This . It wasn't the sound of a band aping popular culture, more so a band tearing it down to the foundation and starting anew. The supposed closing chapter of...

THE CULT Honey From A Knife From: Choice Of Weapon Released: May 22 When you think of embattled bands from long ago that survived everything the world threw at them, you don't immediately think of The Cult. In a way, I suppose, that could have something to do with the fact that they didn't exactly survive so much as stubbornly refuse to stop. Most who remember them would claim they'd gone on a long losing streak after 1988's Sonic Temple , with a string of disappointing albums and half-assed comeback attempts (personally, I believe their 1994 self-titled release still holds some merit). 2007's Born Into This landed with all the excitement of the 40 year old who shows up uninvited at a high school party. Five years removed, here they come again with Choice Of Weapon . But this time, it feels different; no longer trying to fit in with the style of the times, The Cult have gone back to their strengths. After two decades or so of testing genres (from the hip...

It's been a long time since we've heard new stuff from the Darkness.  As you may recall, the UK hair metal revivalists scored an improbable hit back in 2003 with I Believe in a Thing Called Love , a song that to this day remains one of the most fun singalongs you can have if you dare to do so.  After releasing a subpar sophomore album in 2005, they disbanded a year later so that singer Justin Hawkins could get over his coke-and-booze controlled lifestyle.  Reuniting for a handful of shows last year, the Darkness are now nearing completion of their third album and have offered up a free download of Nothing's Gonna Stop Us to whet our cock-rock appetites.  While not boasting the major league hooks of some of Permission to Land 's best moments, the single does a smashing job of lifting spirits.  The video makes for a hell of a watch; as the band embarks on batshit crazy adventures spawned from the mind of a young fan, you can't help but submit to its awesomeness....