I bought this album in '92/'early'93 (on cassette ! - STILL got it) just on the strength of the cover artwork & title alone - never heard 'owt by Cathedral before, not a clue. I thought to mi'self when I saw the ad - in Kerrang !, I think - 'This has GOT TO BE GOOD !!' I was not wrong. As an album, it's Doom metallic lunacy 'in spades', a strange mix of scary weirdness & fun & still one of my favourites of all time. Doom On ...
Lee Dorrian has had a pretty wild career arc. Napalm Death: very angry. Very political. Very much saying something about *society*, maaan. Cathedral: LET’S DO MUSHROOMS AND WATCH VINCENT PRICE MOVIES, BABYYYY!
Adorned daggers, ruby hilted swords, unfailing crucifixes, striking mortal cords, huge violent serpents in volumes rolled, all holy poisons poured in cups of gold. Ooh these instruments so blessed and old, here lay death's sceptre - truth untold without mercy or Love, forgiveness - exile me, blades of goodness set me free, madness my destiny, alone forever exile me. Sharp swords, bright lightings set brave souls free, past God's blind eyes through infinity, of all these vessels transformed to clay, rich ashes blown to dust - swept away! Now take me steel to the gift of skies, deliver me from weakness from this flesh that rides. Without pity or; Love, forgiveness - exile me, blades of goodness set me free, madness my destiny, alone forever exile me. Ooh to think how pleasant your touch would be, in that all my lovely limbs would fall away, and drop to nothing in their soft decay. Unto my frail heart, the worms shall find a door, enter the weary pulp - into the core! As all of my flesh lay soft on the floor, released this soul from me, forevermore! Into the loud tide screaming silent words, out of this dreary world in screeching awe, without earthly Love, forgiveness - exile me, blades of goodness set me free, madness my destiny, alone forever exile me.
That's fucking poetry that is....when I find the money there's gonna be a shitload of quotes from metal bands adorning my soon to be worm-eaten flesh....
I was 13 years old when i read the review of this album in Greek Metal Hammer saying " if Black Sabbath formed in the late 80's they would sound like this " , i remember i runned to buy the cd without hearing a single note ! I grew up with this album hearing it every day for at least 5-7 years .No internet back then \m/
Am I crazy or did Cathedral inspire the super slow funeral doom genre with this intro, and was Cathedral the first to incorporate 60/70's horror movie clips and samples into doom metal??
I once shat on Lee Dorrians 'throne', nice Dave Patchett themed decor. Would have preferred traditional, floral pink flock wallpaper, but there you go. Hippies eh.?
This version of the band with Mark Ramsey wharton on drims, and with Griff and Adam still on board, is pretty fucking awesome....but so is the one with Leo and Brian....
I think they could had a lot more records sales but sometimes bands understand. You want to be Nickleback or be this? This meant something to me. Real heavy metal does not sell out. And that's bad ass. Remember that time Slayer cut their hair short and.... No.
@@900PoundGirlScout he did most of their artwork except for a few by Stephen O'Malley from Sunn)))O....but even then I think a couple of Japanese pressings had Patchett's stuff anyway....great stuff...can anyone say Hieronymus Bosch hahaha...