Under the Midnight Sun
by The Cult
Metascore
70

Generally favorable reviews - based on 6 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
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  1. PopMatters
    Oct 17, 2022
    60
    Under the Midnight Sun sits somewhere below their most essential albums while looking down on their more awkward moments.
  2. The Telegraph (UK)
    Oct 7, 2022
    60
    On the pulsing, electronic slither of Vendetta X, on which Astbury speaks menacingly of “sucking on a dirty blade”, it’s closer to his work with Unkle than stadium rock. In these moments, and on the glorious, closing title-track, Under The Midnight Sun is brilliant. For much of its second half, however, its magic doesn’t catch quite so well.
  3. AllMusic
    Oct 7, 2022
    60
    Too many of these melodies are similar enough that they're indistinguishable from one another. On balance, jams such as "Outer Heaven," "Impermanence," and "Vendetta X" solidly reveal that this band still has plenty of creative dazzle left in the tank.

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User Score
7.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 6 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. johnmessaris54
    Jan 6, 2023
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. A VERY GOOD SURPRISE FOR ALL THE FANS FROM THE 80s....THE CULT IS A BIG GROUP...… Full Review »
  2. StevenX
    Oct 29, 2022
    6
    There comes a time in every rock and roll band's life when just rock and rolling isn't enough. A statement must be made, a "look what I canThere comes a time in every rock and roll band's life when just rock and rolling isn't enough. A statement must be made, a "look what I can do" departure from the norm - not far enough that you can't tell who they are, but enough to show that they have more avenues to ride if the main road runs out of asphalt, temporarily or otherwise. The Cult have flirted with this before, peppering albums with tracks with more cerebral than carnal aims before getting back to slamming. Later, they went all the way with the BEYOND GOOD AND EVIL album, to amazing results. The songs were widescreen, mature, yet rocked every bit as hard or harder than their most rocking tracks. After a few albums of solid slamming, they've inched back on the last couple of sets toward the cinematic and melodramatic. Now, with UNDER THE MIDNIGHT SUN, they go all the way off the beaten track again, but this is different. The tracks are going for drama and depth again, but the tempos remain mid and the rocking is left mostly to the drums. Frontman Ian Astbury has almost figured out that if he puts high-pitched wails in his songs that can't be duplicated live every night, the spark fades a bit, so his voice hangs more in the lower register this time. This is good for the band's future, but the pretension level in the music and lyrics is beyond, well, good and evil, and the constant use of minor keys weighs the set down like ten layers of so-so makeup on someone who was already damn goodlooking. Astbury's Jim Morrison fetish remains intact, which is a mixed blessing on a good day, and former riff-a-minute man Billy Duffy for the most part plays more like a guy who thinks he's in an orchestra than in a rock band. Add more keys and backing vocals than is needed and you can't wait for the last chord so you can go put ELECTRIC on to get the taste out. Honestly, this really is a good album for what it is, but it nearly feels like Astbury fronting late-period Gene Loves Jezebel doing a western-movie soundtrack instead of the pump machine we know and love. God, if he shows up on the cover of AARP Magazine I'm throwing my turntable away.… Full Review »
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