Bizarre is just one word which springs to mind when trying to describe Cathedral. Brilliant and Unique are just two of the other terms that I would throw around when asked my opinion about the band and its back catalog.
I admit that, while perhaps not the biggest Cathedral fan in the world, there simply is something about this band that always manages to put a smile on my face and makes me wonder exactly how they manage to walk that very thin line between kitsch and art seemingly without effort. There hardly is another band in this world which so perfectly manages to capture the spirit of the 70's (or some sort of psychedelic trip, if you please) and manages to get away with it without sounding redundant or making complete fools of themselves.
For In The Garden Of Unearthly Delights, their eighth album now (not counting all of their Ep's - which in some cases actually have a longer playing time than other bands' full length releases) all of this is no different. It is clear from opener Tree Of Life & Death (following the intro Dearth AD 2005) that even though we do not have to expect any huge stylistic changes, the band has done their utmost best to make The Garden Of Unearthly Delights as diverse as possible. All of the usual trademarks are present - from the hellish groove which songs like North Berwick Witch Trials or Corpsecycle are built on, over slow plodding moments or up-tempo neck breakers (Oro The Manslayer - which is my favorite song on the album) straight down to the beautiful, almost serene instrumental intermezzo Fields of Zagara. The true masterpiece of the album however, is saved for nearly the very end with the absolute massive The Garden - a 25 minute monster which incorporates all the various trademarks mentioned and even manages to up the stakes by using a female vocalist and violins to form a song which perfectly captures the essence of what Cathedral is all about. Closing song Proga-Europa finally, is nothing but four minutes of silence followed by about a minute of additional music and really not worth mentioning.
So are there any complaints I hear you ask ? Not really (well apart from Proga-Europa being a bit worthless). Everything seems to live up to the high standards we have come to expect from the band - from the beautifully bizarre artwork to the extremely heavy production, resulting in what might actually be their best release since the '95 masterpiece The Carnival Bizarre, and at times perhaps even surpassing it. Granted - if you don't care about Cathedral, or have a problem with Lee Dorian's unique vocals (which admittedly are an acquired taste and certainly not a joy for everyone) this album will not make you change your mind either, but for everyone else this is easily a must-buy.