Hybris
Ritual Of Silence
Ritual Of Blood
Ritual Of Submission
Art Of Self Destruction
Hybris

Always expect the unexpected and never build your hopes up. Some cunt will inevitably let you down. When the latest batch of stuff came in for me to review it was this release by Kult that my grubby little mitts went to first. The sixth chapter in the evolution of the group by ‘Raven B’, and assisted here by ‘K’, was eagerly anticipated since first coming into contact with them through their split releases with Niegrzeczna Pensjonarka and Humiliation. Here was a group who seemed destined to put the ‘S’ back into sex, sleaze, sodomy and S & M. Dominance and submission for Industrial acolytes everywhere. Visiting their website with the prevailing provocative images seemed to only reinforce this view. Sadly it’s all gone badly wrong this time around. Not so much Venus in furs as Venus in tatty Tesco plastic bags.

Where to start. Making a recording that’s 9 parts power electronics to 1 part dark ambience probably wasn’t the best of ideas. The power electronics parts, although well produced, don’t exactly set the world on fire. A slightly tweaked version combining the sounds of Brighter Death Now and Megaptera with more lucid demented vocals does not stretch the imagination by any means. No matter how good they are. The darker ambient passages works better but again could have done with a more reinforced sound and far better voice samples than on display here. "Hybris" doesn’t hit the G Spot as it should. There a huge gaping hole waiting to be filled by someone willing to put out a record that’s sexy yet aurally challenging and disturbing. That mixes dark sonic sound sculptures with appropriate samples of a far more ‘mature’ nature. Sadly "Hybris" is not that recording. They sell themselves short. Teasing with tantalising titillation but failing to come up with the goods. The illusion of impending greatness so steadfastly built up with the earlier releases hasn’t born fruit. Although that’s not to say it’s a total waste of time. Far from it. But just thinking of what might have been is the real disappointment. No intense orgasm here. Just a poor mans wet dream. Maybe next time they’ll fully realise their promise and potential. Love lies limp in all its flaccid glory.

ANM