The Mission ‘Another Fall From Grace’ Review: influential Goth rockers make their finest album since their 80’s heyday.
[rating=5]
“This album is the lost link between The Sisters Of Mercy’s First And Last And Always and The Mission’s God’s Own Medicine.” That bold statement comes from The Mission’s frontman Wayne Hussey, regarding the band’s new album Another Fall From Grace (due 9/30/16 via Eyes Wide Shut/ SPV). It’s a tall order: crafting a modern album that sounds like it was made in the mid-80’s by a much younger band.
Luckily, they have the music to back the hyperbole: it’s the band’s best album since 1990’s Carved In Sand.
Working with longtime producer Tim Palmer, Hussey and co. have returned to their vintage sound of glimmering 12-strings, theatrical flourishes and Goth dynamics, as witnessed on the shimmering opening title track, with a grandeur evoking their 1988 anthem Tower of Strength.
Hussey’s allusions to his work with The Sisters Of Mercy ring loud and true on the album’s first single Met-Amor-Phosis. It’s an instant earworm: replete with classic guitar jangle and driving bass, with Hussey’s lyrics referring to Kafka and the late David Bowie (“there’s a new blackstar in the heavens tonight”). Tyranny of Secrets’ is another throwback, with a hypnotic descending riff recalling the Sisters 1983 cult hit Alice.
Hussey’s pipes are in fine form throughout, the anthemic Can’t See The Oceans From The Rain a particular standout with his sonorous wail waxing poetic about a California highway escapade.
Another Fall From Grace features some impressive musical guests, with Him’s Ville Valo, All About Eve’s Julianne Regan and Evi Vine all making appearances. The most high-profile cameos come from New Wave icons Gary Numan and Martin Gore, who add ethereal backing vocals on Within The Deepest Darkness (Fearful), adding eerie counterpoint to Hussey’s hushed vocals as the track escalates from ghostly atmospherics into a pulse-pounding outro.
Gore also adds soaring backing vocals to Only You and You Alone, one of the band’s most effective ballads. Their dual vocal’s dovetail with emotive potency, while Mission bassist Craig Adams lays down one of his patented tectonic basslines.
Jade is a sterling example of the type of romantic musical melodrama The Mission weave so well: layers of interweaving guitar textures, hypnotic bass and synth-soundscapes build into an anthem with an explosive cinematic climax.
Blood in the Road is another stomper, veering from glistening arpeggiated verse to classic rock chorus, while the somber closing track Phantom Pain adds discordant sax to the mix–an unusual but winning deviation from the band’s musical template.
Another Fall From Grace is a striking reminder of The Mission’s strengths. For a band celebrating their 30th anniversary, it shows there’s still plenty of life left in them yet. To quote Met-Amor-Phosis: “with age comes change.” It’s an older and wiser Mission for sure, but they’ve tapped into a musical fountain of youth.
Th other album is called “Carved In Sand” actually.
the best album ever, I’m curious about Phantom pain where they play AfterHours of The Sisters Of Mercy in it, kind of homage or something. Wayne was in the Sisters when afterhours were released but the music and lyrics where written by Eldritch….
Interesting! I’m currently trying to get an interview with Wayne. If successful I’ll try to get that question in there 🙂
At last the arrangement arrived to the good old days!
Finally, some masterpiece work! Haven’t spent years on keeping silent or recording dull tracks, they’ve eventually come to (their goth) sences and recorded a truly valuable album worth listening to. Frankly, there are some weak points on the entire track list (“Jade”, “Can’t See the Ocean…”, or even the single-edited “Met-Amor-Phosis” that sounds somewhat silly). Nevertheless, tracks like the title track (an examplary goth-sound song!), the eerie “Within the Deepest Darkness” or the superb final “Phantom Pain” will remain among the finest “missionary” works ever…
Its up their with carved in sand and has a few tracks like butterfly on a wheel ..but doesn’t hit ‘children’ or ‘gods own medicine’.
But it’s bloody impressive and hearing those dark tones and Wayne’s voice that has not aged much is just spine tingling
It’s a definite return to form for sure.
A staggeringly good album, one of their greats. I wasn’t sure on first listen, but persisted. Like many great albums, first listen is difficult and not immediately catchy.
But it grows slowly and surely to be one of their best. I’m writing this 15 months after release, whilst listening to it yet again, and I have only come to appreciate it more.
Add to that the note perfect live deliveries over the last year and it’s an album that’s left its mark on me musically, lyrically and emotionally. Which is what makes any album a true great.
I strongly suspect that just like Carved In Sand, I will still be listening to this album regularly and with a stack of associated memories 25 years from now.
Jon,
I totally agree. I haven’t kept up with The Mission since the early 90’s, but I’m so glad I came back into the fold for this one. One of their best for sure!