Release Date: 13th September 2019
Label: Cherry Red (digital) Anger Management Records (vinyl, CD)
Formats: CD, DL, LP
Are we ready for the end of the world? Another dystopian roller coaster of a white knuckle ride that attracted our attention with its clever press release that caught our attention with the promise of influences including Pink Floyd, Rush and John Carpenter film scores.
There’s also a stack of special guests including Wayne Hussey of The Mission, Mike Kelly and Simon Hinkler (of, erm, The Mission) and Julianne Reagan from All About Eve. Tom Dalgety, who’s a big name in engineering circles, provides a full and hefty mix that packs plenty of clout. There’s even a cover portrait from noted fashion photographer Rankin that seems lightly incongruous with the contents.
All this and more as Le Cygne Noir himself boldly declares Shadow Of A Wrecking Ball as a concept album that’s “based around the end of the world and a zombie takeover.” Now some might opt for the cheap jibe about science fiction becoming science fact with current world and UK events and the sometimes bizarre behaviour that counts as leadership, but not us. We’ll stick to the music which is a wild and wonderfully bold musical assortment.
From The Grave is an intrepid intro and backs up the cinematic claim while investing in some of the plush synth sounds that you might find in the eighties Rush canon with a hint of spacious Floydness. Fair do’s to the writer of descriptions who put the thought out there for us to bite and yes, we’ve taken the bait and been caught, hook, line and sinker. Almost inevitably, there then follows the irresistible temptation to listen out for comparisons in the following eight tracks.
And find them you do. Walking In The Shadow Of A Wrecking Ball even contains some, for the want of a better phrase, Great Gig In The Sky wailing. No Return delivers the goods with a late Beatles/Syd era Floyd vibe and a “need you by my side” sentimental balladry in Lungs where you can briefly forget the zombie-inspired themes before the pulsing drive of Inferno brings things to a close. However, with a planned release for Friday the 13th it begs the question “When else?” for this surprisingly bold little set.
Watch the video for No Return:
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