Los Angeles – Cult of Youth have just released their third full-length release for Sacred Bones this week. Ominously titled Final Days, the record sees the five-piece band from Brooklyn reaching a full-realization of their evolving blend of post-punk and neo-folk. Though the band’s rough-around-the-edges 2008 debut drew comparisons to genre-luminaries like Current 93, the band has ventured into a more palatable sound with each subsequent release. Despite this movement towards greater accessibility, Cult of Youth’s sound can still be a bit jarring at first to the uninitiated. Maniacally strummed acoustic guitars are backed by pounding, tribal rhythms all with vocalist and founder Sean Ragon’s baritone voice shouting, chanting and yelping over all of the proceedings.
The last time Best New Bands checked in with Cult of Youth, they were just a blip on the radar, acting as the opener for Zola Jesus and Naked on the Vague at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City.
In many ways, Final Days follows in the footsteps of its predecessors: the band’s eponymously titled second album in 2011 and 2012’s Love Will Prevail. Though Cult of Youth bandleader Ragon has brought in a new cast of characters for the band’s most recent effort, there are obvious similarities between all three releases. This time around, Cult of Youth’s lineup features bassist Jasper McGandy and guitarist Christian Kount of influential band The Hunt, as well as drummer Cory Flannigan and cellist Paige Flash. Each member of the band adds sonic depth to the emotional and enthusiastic performances by Ragon.
Though the additional guest musicians on Final Days are instrumental in bringing out the full potential in each of the nine tracks, Ragon steals the show with his impassioned vocals and fast-paced acoustic guitar. Whether he is chanting and sing-speaking like Michael Giza on tracks such as “Down the Moon” or yelping and howling like Ian MacKaye on more up-tempo songs like “No Regression,” he displays surprising range and depth for someone who only operates on the lower end of the vocal spectrum.
The clear album highlight is the frenzied “Empty Faction,” which draws more heavily from the band’s punk influences than anything else. Ian MacKaye was mentioned earlier as a vocal touchstone, and “Empty Faction” is a great example of this similarity. After kicking off with acoustic guitar harmonics, a three-note electric guitar riff, and a shout of disgust by Ragon as the rhythm section kicks in, “Empty Faction” contains a couple of moments that sound like they could have been ripped right off of End Hits.
Final Days treats listeners to a variety of tempos and moods, and its track-listing does a good job of varying the pace throughout. The album runs a wide gamut, staggering speedy, angst-filled tracks like “Empty Faction” and “God’s Garden” between mid-tempo tracks like “Dragon Rouge” and “Down the Moon.” The second half of the album showcases a pair of slowed-down, moodier songs in “Roses” and “Of Amber.” While these two tracks do a great job of showcasing Cult of Youth’s diverse instrumentation, there is no question the standout track of the B-side is the nine-minute-epic “Sanctuary.”
While it may not be as much of an instant ear-worm as “Empty Faction,” “Sanctuary” is the track in which Cult of Youth put all of their tools on the table; forceful, moving vocals; rich and varied instrumentation; complementary acoustic and electric guitars; pounding tribal percussion. It all culminates in the last five minutes of the track, as the instruments and vocals coalesce into one righteous jam.
While Cult of Youth only have one more show remaining in 2014, the band will hit the road hard in support of Final Days after the New Year, with two months of European dates already booked and more dates likely on the way.
Matt Matasci
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