I can't quite put my finger on it, but many of the old faces have been releasing some of their finest work of late, often after years of producing ho-hum tedium. It could be just a coincidence. Or it could be that many are raising their game in the light of, (a) physical sales continuing their downward trend and therefore there is more of an imperative to come up with the goods, especially those that can be translated into the live arena, which is where they really earn their crust, or (b) there is a stronger and more consistent output from newer faces, thereby encouraging these older acts to find their creative mojo again, instead of just turning up for the job. It's what they initially signed up for anyway, isn't it? Anything but a humdrum life…

There can no doubt that record sales have peaked. When the times were good it was a little too easy to just churn out product. it would often get bought, no matter what. Now, you have to earn it more than ever. And that is a good thing. Not just for us, the punters, but for the artists, too.

So, The Cult are back with their 10th studio album, and it's a good one. Perhaps their best ever. Back at the height of their popularity in the mid 80s to the early 90s, they were selling a shedload of records, but by golly they sound pretty dull now; Astbury singing one dreary cliche after another, guitarist Billy Duffy happy to play it ultra-safe, the band overall making by-the-book music, whilst indulging in some hackneyed American rocker licks and looks that suited the times.

This was, of course, after they initially set things alight; firstly with pre-Cult incarnations Southern Death Cult and (briefly) Death Cult, before dropping the word Death in their quest to shake off the goth overtones that was beginning to hinder them. As The Cult they continued to amalgamate post punk with goth and psychedelia, and straight-ahead rock. And for a while it worked well.

A slow decline began in the early 90s as their creative juices ran dry, culminating in the very mediocre Born Into This album of 2007. At the time Astbury said it would be the last album by the band, and instead they would just release EPs and the like. He had a change of heart though and with the beginnings of a much firmer line up (bar Duffy and Astbury, they've gone through bassists and drummers as one does hot dinners) they made Weapon of Choice in 2012. It sounded more urgent, more crafted, more eclectic. They sounded pissed off too. It was their best album since 87's Electric. It also did a lot better than their previous two albums, making it to number 20 in the charts. The Cult were finally back and firing.

And so to Hidden City, a continuation of the good work laid down on Weapon of Choice. From the tribal drums and Stonesy riffing that lays the foundation for the life affirming lead track Dark Energy to the stripped back, piano led closer Shout and Fury, The Cult have a bigger arsenal than ever at their disposal. Sure, it's not groundbreaking stuff, but it's got fire in its belly. It's what we need from our rock stars, and throughout Hidden City, The Cult largely deliver.

"No revolution, the dead on the street / More dead than alive," sings Astbury, his voice as powerful, if a little more nuanced, than ever, his interest in indigenous mythology and spiritualism back to the fore, as well as global affairs. And Duffy is on fire too, his equally textured and fiery guitar playing, such as on the hurtling No Love Lost, the hard rocking Hinterland, and Avalanche of Light,. They all possess swagger and groove in abundance. The there’s his Berlin-period Bowieseque riffing on Dance The Night, one of several tracks that recall the recently deceased legend, in vocal delivery courtesy of Astbury, and sound, as does the brooding Bird of Paradise.

Sometimes, The Cult revert to previous type such as on the hackneyed American style hard rock of G.O.A.T, but for the most part they ditch the machismo for sophistication, the songs generally well thought out and crafted, and full of life. As Astbury sings on Dark Energy: "Every soul alive burns bright in this life… It'll come to life, let it come to life."

Jeff Hemmings

Website: thecult.us
Facebook: facebook.com/officialcult