The Last Spire, soll im April 2013 bei Lee Dorrians eigenem Plattenlabel Rise Above Records erscheinen und das letzte Studioalbum der Band sein, die mehr als 20 Jahre auf den Bühnen der Metalwelt gerockt hat! Wir dürfen gespannt sein was uns die Jungs um Lee Dorrian hinterlassen werden und versorgen euch natürlich mit einem Review der Scheibe!

DESCENDING 'THE LAST SPIRE'
"Personally speaking, this is the album I've been waiting to do since the first one, it almost feels like we made our second album last in some respects. We actually recorded a lot more material but decided to sacrifice many of the tracks to make the overall album feel more complete in its nihilism. I don't like happy endings, I never have. So many good films are ruined by happy endings and I didn't want that to be the case with Cathedral, it was my dream to bring everything full circle."Although exploring many twists and tempos, with Hammond, Mellotron and Moog deployed to stunning effect, 'The Last Spire' is grounded in a vast, blighted and shuddering doom metal landscape, studded with morosely magnificent career-best epics like 'Pallbearer', 'Infestation Of Grey Death' and 'An Observation'. 'Forest Of Equilibrium' remains a one-of-a-kind recording, but 'The Last Spire' brings the best tricks Cathedral have learnt since to bear on a similarly monumental and obsessive total doom framework, the sound gritty and heavy as hell, musical chemistry at full pelt, each song gradually built and honed into optimum shape.  "Nothing was forced, we just let it happen. We had the luxury of being able to record at certain stages over a period of time, which was great, as we had chance to let the songs sit with us and watch them grow, whilst still allowing for elements of spontaneity. The process was as strange as it was enjoyable, it felt like we were writing out the band's will."

And what a bonded unit the band sound as a result. Gaz's final sally for Cathedral is a copious, triumphant dark labyrinth of monstrous riffs, ripping leads and beguiling melodies, Repulsion's Scott Carlson drops jaws with his vicious, attacking bass-work, and we're going to miss the thunderous wallopings of Brian Dixon more than we know. Meanwhile Lee's voice sounds more impassioned and commanding than ever, his Baudelaire-in-a-Midlands-squat lyrics attaining new heights of solemn, acid majesty. Clearly there was new impetus for reconnecting with that early spirit of doleful abjection, of sinister obsessions and lamented desires; on 'The Last Spire' Cathedral are literally doomed. We are commiserating the celebration, and in what thrilling style."When the last mix was finally done, there was a massive sense of relief. I think this was partly due to the fact that it meant Cathedral could finally be put to rest but also because we felt we'd done something that we were all very pleased with. I feel comfortable leaving 'The Last Spire' as our legacy."

Chris Chantler 2013