Supernatural Birth Machine

Everyone with an even slightly deeper knowledge of metal post-1980's seems to know about Cathedral and why shouldn't they? Lee Dorrian's musical vision beyond hardcore and death/grind carried doom metal into its second wave with monumental albums like Forest of Equilibrium which is still a unique, irreplaceable, emotional classic I feel a lot of connection with. Yet despite this and the fact they were a fairly prolific band, it seemed like with each subsequent album or EP, the heavy metal and even doom metal world cared less and less about them up until their last couple releases. Sure, "Ride" and "Hopkins" are a few standards we remember this band for, but mid-90's albums like Cosmic Requiem or Carnival Bizarre seem to be stuck in an odd spot because they were way heavier than the 1990's stoner rock they got lumped in with but at the same time they were not nearly as bleak or mournful as the debut, which may have alienated the new fans of doom metal who liked the extremity of Cathedral (keep in mind the death metal/grind scene would've heard of this band in their formative years) but weren't necessarily aware of the music's roots in Pentagram and Witchfinder General.

Aha, yes my friends, by the latter statement, I DO mean to imply that Carnival Bizarre and this forgotten album Supernatural Birth Machine are for the most part still just sheer doom metal albums just as much as the latter two traditional doom bands - it's just that Forest of Equilibrium is so bleak that it makes Be Forewarned sound like Rush self-titled! Now I know what you're gonna say, "aren't Cathedral stoner metal especially during this period?" Eh. The stoner rock influence is evident but not substantial I'd say, where's the "Molten Universe" by Kyuss-sounding progressions? And the weird cover art Cathedral has always had and the funny, colorful song titles here don't make it primarily stoner metal either. But yeah, I love Supernatural Birth Machine because it's a very consistent package of late 1990's doom and examining strictly the music here reveals that.

The intro called "Cybertron 71/Eternal Countdown" sets a really serene and foggy mood, like being on a silent procession through a humid rainforest, and this is partially because of the fact that the production on Supernatural Birth Machine is a bit less crisp than the previous Cathedral albums, but I actually really like that. Lee's vocals are really beautiful on this intro track and I certainly dig it when an album intro has lyrics and not just music/sound. I think the singing Lee performs at this part is a fine example of his more melodic vocal abilities, but then on "Urko's Conquest" he totally lets out a huge burst of energy albeit not sinister sounding like on the first album. Gaz Jennings' riffs totally remind me of the Maryland doom band Iron Man not just on this song but on doom slugs like "Birth Machine 2000", "Dragon Ryder 13", and "Magnetic Hole" too. I think he's a superb guitar player with a unique style much like Victor Griffin from Pentagram and Al Morris III from Iron Man. Brian's drumming isn't very technical here but I think his playing adapts according to the mood of each song, a department in which this album has lots of variety. It can go from the doom slugs I mentioned about to something like "Phaser Quest" which is one song here I would call stoner rock, but the doomier, more Sabbath influenced kind. Speaking of Sabbath I love how "Stained Glass Horizon" kind of borrows a bit from the awesome songs "Lord of this World" and "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" but totally feels fresh. Cathedral were really good at that kind of thing!

The production here, like I said, is muddier than on The Carnival Bizarre but it gives this album more of a hidden gem feel to it, at least that's the vibe it gave me. Kind of like there's dust on the disc or record from not being played for a while and that somehow makes it sound this way. Now, I'm pretty fucking sure I mention this in every review, but my one nitpick here is the bass. It needs to be louder, I'd honestly add 5 points to the score just for that. Leo Smee is a solid but sadly unknown bassist whose style and tone may remind you of a cross between the heavier Alice in Chains songs, modern Candlemass (just not as cleanly produced), and maybe even Reverend Bizarre. It has this sort of punch to it, but it's like a precise jab rather than a massive haymaker. Odd, I know, but you just gotta hear it, like in the intro to the song "Nightmare Castle." Leo's work is great both in Cathedral and in the modern heavy/doom metal band Age of Taurus.

Overall I get a lot of shit for digging this album so much but I don't care. I have to be in the right mood to listen to Forest of Equilibrium honestly even though it's amazing, but this I can listen to in any mood yet I feel it's still a hearty helping of doom metal. Some of you may assert that the songwriting is a bit uninspired here but I think it just has a looser feel than other doom albums. Besides, I also like Children of Doom and II: Crush the Insects which are supposedly sub-par doom albums, so what the hell do I know?

Well, here we have the merriest Cathedral album of all time. Lately I've been listening to this a lot and maybe those more merry tunes at last started to get into me. I don't know, I'm quite surprised myself, but now I see this almost as one of those classic albums the band have put out! Cathedral's debut 'Forest of Equilibrium' from 1991 is a funeral doom classic. With their 2nd album 'The Ethereal Mirror' (1993) they found groove and after that things weren't so grave, at least not until 'Endtyme' from 2001. Anyway, here Cathedral sound heavy like always, sound-wise more so than classic doom metal bands. They owe a lot to older bands for the blueprint, but have always had their unique touch to it all. There's no funeral doom to be heard here, but doomy heavy metal all the way, still with psychedelic dimensions.

Even though this was released just a year or so after 'The Carnival Bizarre' (1995), these 11 songs sound anything but a job completed in a rush. The music and excellent lyrics go hand in hand, so a lot of things happen in the songs. 'Urko's Conquest' is based on the movie 'Planet of the Apes' and most of the lyrics are sci-fi stuff, of course usually covering real life themes, e.g. bad politics. You can find some of Cathedral's best compositions on this one, but not after the title track. However, the music is simply timeless.

So, Cathedral took a step towards merrier things, but they still kept it heavy as fuck. There's even some porn funk parts on the "title" track and 'Fireball Demon' (like balls on fire, eh?!) is probably one of the Cathedral's jolliest songs ever. There are darker parts in many songs, but 'Magnetic Hole' sounds like it was straight from 'The Ethereal Mirror'. The band owe a lot to Black Sabbath, but then who doesn't? Cathedral just took doom metal and mixed their own stuff into it and it must be the best thing since Black Sabbath. If Ozzy is a madman, then Lee Dorrian is a total lunatic! Man, he sounds great and this time he hits right notes surprisingly many times. While Mr. Dorrian's output is close to Ozzy, he's still pretty much totally unique.

The band sound so tight, but still loose, if you catch my meaning. The sound is extremely organic and heavy, just listen to that bass, which is slightly buried under. The sound is fuller, sometimes maybe a tad too full. There's not a lot of studio tricks, just some vocals effects and such. Produced by Kit Woolven like the last album, this was recorded year after 'The Carnival Bizarre' in the same studio (Parkgate). This is the second album recorded with the same line-up and they still are together. I must not forget to mention another wonderful Dave Patchett painting, this time featuring with Lenin and apenauts and a lot of even weirder creatures.

This album never opened to me totally, not before now; the reason is that the"A-side" is superior to the other, really, there's no two ways about it!). I always felt this was a small disappointment after the amazing 'The Carnival Bizarre', because this partly went into the more merry songs. So what, the bands need to explore new things so they won't stagnate and become boring old, sad bastards. Cathedral never became that. Many bands do not have similar great discography in their roster. And will never have. This extraordinary league of Englishmen simply have the alchemy skills many others miss. I hope to catch Cathedral live some day, in a smoky small venue.

(originally written for ArchaicMetallurgy.com in 2003)

Now, before I start this review, I suggest you look into my 'collection' database on here. You'll see that I'm an avid Cathedral fan, missing only the rarest items in their discography and own two versions of Forest of Equilibrium and The Ethereal Mirror. That's why it pains me to write this review. Cathedral were my gateway into doom, and it sucks that I have to write bad words about them. Let's begin.

I'll start optimistically, with the good points of the album. There's a total lack of seriousness on here. You could interpret that as a bad thing, but it's not meant that way. The lyrics are pretty much all Sci-fi and Horror based, referencing things like Planet of the Apes ('Urko's Conquest'), and old 'Choose-Your-Own-Adventure' gamebooks ('Nightmare Castle') as opposed to the typical "woe is me" doom lyrics. They're great for geeks like me to pick up on, and savour. The seriousness is also devoid on tracks like 'Cyclops Revolution', where Lee screams "Arrgh! Cyclops!" as if he's being chased by one. Of course, other good points include nice fold-out liner notes featuring artwork by (obviously) Dave Patchett, great riffs, and the inclusion of 'Stained Glass Horizon', which I believe was one of their most well-known songs.

Sadly, these just don't weigh up with the bad points. I think the main one is the fact that Lee (and again, it pains me to say this, since he's my favourite vocalist of all time) just doesn't sound like he wants to be here. His voice is raspy, tired, and stuck halfway between a high-pitched shriek and a moaning grunt. The production is also quite questionable compared to their other albums, which are, for the most part, crystal clear. Additionally, a good deal of the songs just lack decent songwriting. Some of them meander, and wear out their welcome fairly early on. Normally this wouldn't be bad, but when a lot of the songs are on for, like, 7 minutes, it's dire.

I understand the band weren't doing so well at this point, however, so it is quite excusable. Touring was wearing them out, and there was a lot of tension between the members, but if you weren't armed with this knowledge, it could just be put down as "a bad album". It's not, and its heart is in the right place, but it's definitely my least favourite album of theirs. If you're starting a Cathedral collection, come here last. It's a blemish on the otherwise spotless facade of Cathedral.

Cathedral has drifted (effortlessly) between Doomdeath, Doom and Stoner Metal for years now and they just keep getting better with each release. The band themselves dislike this recording but its one of their better efforts to date.

The production is pretty good given the label and the recording date. The guitars are simply massive and Sabbath influenced. This album has the most solos of any Cathedral album to date. There is a major groovy that permeates through out as well. The bass is incredibly complementary and the drums tasteful at every bend.

The vocals are…well…the standard Lee vocals that you either love or hate. They fit regardless and add an air of nostalgia to the overall feel of this record. The songs are good for at least half of the album. Tracks 1-6 (depending on your mood 1-7) are just amazing.

This album even had a hit (with a video) of sorts in ‘Stained Glass Horizon’ and one that should have been a hit in ‘Cyclops Revolution’. As always, Lees interesting lyrics only add to the coolness of this release. There are also two different versions of this, the American (with a band picture on the cover) and the European (with the traditional stoned out art work that so many recognize the band by).

The downsides would be that only about half the CD is really good, the rest is easily filler, even if entertaining. There is still some stoner floating around (see above regarding which tracks to rock out too) but over all this is more of a straight forward Doom Metal release.

So….in conclusion, this is much better than many people say it is and highly recommended for those new to the band.