Search - Sisters of Mercy :: Vision Thing (Dig)

Good for the Sisters fan.

Angry Mofo | 12/11/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Since my mania for Sisters of Mercy abated somewhat, I came to realize how inconsistent Vision Thing actually is. First, there's the fact that it sounds a lot more dated than Floodland. That album created its own oddly compelling atmosphere from the echoing production, the choral backup, and Eldritch's weirdly sensuous guitars. On Vision Thing, the unbeatable tag-team of Eldritch and Avalanche co-opt the cheeky eighties sound, complete with those ridiculous pop-metal guitars, and try to extract something good out of it. It sounds completely different from Floodland, and I suppose I should give Eldritch credit for reinventing himself so completely; it would have been much easier for him to just produce a clone of Floodland, after that album's success, but he did no such thing.The man's cavernous voice is still as exciting to hear as ever, and it is in fact what saves some of these songs. Another saving grace - and this is what most people never mention when they talk about the Sisters of Mercy - is Eldritch's undiminished talent for infectious guitar lines. His bulldozer roar and great guitar riff carry the title track, silly as it is. "When You Don't See Me" is saved by an exceptional chorus that is one of the album's best moments. "Ribbons," though a bit too long, works thanks to Eldritch's fevered whispering. Then there are the two slower songs, "Something Fast" and "I Was Wrong," which try their hardest not to rip off "1959." The latter actually succeeds; the former's chorus is one of the best things Eldritch ever wrote, but is lost in the production and in the excessive length of the song.So far we've got a very good, if mildly unintentionally humourous album done in a style in which a genuinely good album would have seemed impossible, right? Well, not quite. "Detonation Boulevard" is the least memorable Sisters song ever, featuring some ineffably obtuse lyrics stapled to a completely nondescript musical backdrop. There's not even a memorable riff like in the title track; the song might as well not exist at all. "Doctor Jeep" tries to call back that choral backup that Floodland used so well and fails miserably; its nonsensical lyrics that somehow tie I Love Lucy to the Hezbollah go to waste. It's "More," the longest song on the album, that ends up being the album's highlight; the guitars retire to the background and the song is dominated by a great keyboard line that instantly recalls not only the best parts of Floodland but all the reasons to listen to the Sisters in the first place - that unique, exotic and emotional sound, Eldritch's expressive singing, and of course, Doktor Avalanche's peerless percussion stylings. Here's where the backing vocals are actually used well, although Eldritch seems to have exchanged the New York Choral Society for some gospel choir. Oh well, it's all good.With "More" and "I Was Wrong" as the last two tracks, the album ends well. Make no mistake, though, it's definitely an acquired taste, and it won't make a Sisters fan out of anyone, only provide a bit more quality time with Doktor Avalanche for those who already are Sisters fans. And though it does have its share of things to offer, it makes for a poor farewell, especially given what an ignominious farewell it was - Eldritch has been threatening to release a new album for almost thirteen years now, but has yet to even start recording something. And as he continues keeping up this charade, his venues grow ever smaller, and chances are that, even as he continues to puff out his chest and act important, the Sisters will simply be reduced to playing at dingy clubs for ever-plumping, aging goths. It's a sad end in sight for a creative, intelligent and interesting band that could once refuse offers to play at stadiums simply on a whim, and Vision Thing only worsens that feeling."

Night ride on eldritch boulevard

torquemada | beirut, lebanon | 11/19/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"people who bash this album for not being "floodland II" are not to be taken seriously; they're simply being too narrow minded.

most of the reviewers here have either downloaded a couple of tracks from this album or have been 'reviewing' the album based on somebody else's opinion, and it painfully shows in their writing. this band deserves far more respect.

vision thing prides itself to possess one of the most devastating openers (no matter how many 'sorry trends' it lead to) ever. eldritch is truely a wizard when it comes to bore-free, minimalistic melody making. you get 8 minute long songs which are and will never sound too long, irresistibly persistant melodies carrying vitriolic but most of the times, abstract lyrics. the robotic feeling of the album, served courtesy of eminent drum machine Dr. Avalanche, brings back the best moments of floodland, making of vision thing, a logical projection of its predecessor. ranging from pure hard rocking goodness (title track, when you dont see me, dr jeep...) to otherwordly gothicness (ribbons, arguably their most 'goth' song), this album spans over 40 minutes of incredibly varied music and, sadly enough, finishes while we have just started to love it, not getting enough of the vicious three guitar attacks, the devastating drumbeats, the guy's voice, or maggie reilly's backing vocals. owe it to yourself to ignore the sillies who obviously gave this album no more than a three minute listen (that is, if ever!) before deciding that floodland or FALAA are more 'goth'...

for once, ignore the labeling and discover the music, that shouldnt be fitting a given genre in order to be enjoyed.

enough said..."

Liquid

loteq | Regensburg | 09/14/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It took Andrew Eldritch three years to craft a follow-up to the monumental "Floodland"; instead of playing it safe and writing "Floodland part 2", the band refashioned themselves into a dance-metal outfit, sort of Jesus & Mary Chain meets ZZ Top. Considering that the music of "VT" isn't nearly as innovative as that of the two previous albums and suffers from occasionally uninspired, formulaic rock riffs, it's a let-down. It's obvious that Andrew is more interested in commercial appeal than pushing artistic boundaries. This is the most 'easy listening' of all Sisters records, and there's actually not much on "VT" to appeal to original fans. What makes this album so compelling though, is the fact that there isn't a single bad song on this disc and that the music flows like a well-oiled machine. It kicks off with the hard-hitting title track, and it's amazing how Andrew's voice turns all these rather simple compositions on "VT" into intense and engaging songs. "Detonation boulevard" and "Doctor Jeep" manage to be both rocking and strangely soothing at the same time, and "When you don't see me" has a catchy, boombastic refrain. "Something fast" and "I was wrong" slow down the tempo, providing a calmer sonic landscape with acoustic guitars and laid-back vocals. The album's undisputed winner at combining exciting synth textures with hard rock guitars and sweeping refrains is the 8 1/4-minute suite "More". Overall, a good album for your next party. Featuring one great single and a couple of other solid cuts, "VT" comes quite recommended, even if it's slightly out of place in SOM's oeuvre."