Musical Express - March 1992
The only real surprise with this fine album is that The Church stayed together to record it. Their last effort, GAF, was something of a commercial disappointment, and given the well publicized frictions within the band. but these Aussies are a determined bunch, and this, their 8th album, will delight the church faithful.
Whether it repeats the popular success of their 1988 album, Starfish (remember "under the milky way") is open to doubt, for the church continue to follow their own doctrines without acknowledging current musical traits. give their atmospherically grandiose sound a repititious dance beat and they'd probably score big with the ecstasy scoffing ravers, but they probably didn't even entertain that possibility. they co-produced the album with Gavin McKillop, and he keeps their signature sound intact. Steve Kilbey's world weary yet somewhat haunting voice again compliments the extravagantly colorful lyrics and evocative soaring guitars, and the result is unconventionally entertaining.
It would be easy to laugh at the church's literary and musical pretension(song titles here include "aura", "lustre", "paradox", "chaos") if not for the fact that they do this stuff so well. besides a line like " the best impression of a succubus I have ever seen" is damn educational. Did you know that a succubus is a female demon with wings that has sexual intercourse with sleeping men? Me neither, 'til now! and isn't it more fun to chant along to a chorus that goes "they say that he's famous from the waist down, but the top half of his body is a corpse" than to all that "work your body, party all night" crap? This ain't a cult for everybody, but it's good to have the church around.
4 out of 5 stars review by Kerry Doole Music Express magazine,