ALBUM REVIEW: Age Of Aquarius – Perturbator

PERTURBATOR, the musical alias of James Kent, return with their sixth album Age Of Aquarius, the first on new label Nuclear Blast, and this marks the start of a whole new chapter in the PERTURBATOR saga, and the resulting eleven tracks are never anything other than stunning throughout. Apocalyptic, atmospheric and sublime in equal measures, Age Of Aquarius is the sound of PERTURBATOR reaching the next sonic plateau and doing so with an expert vision, with an album that, at times sounding like the Sisters Of Mercy soundtracking The Terminator, at others crushing industrialised chaos but always staying true to what makes the music of PERTURBATOR so special.

This is music on a cinematic scale, from its outlook through to its execution and it plays like a film soundtrack with scores like Basil Poledouris’ Robocop and Harold Faltermeyer’s The Running Man, and a lot of John Carpenter’s work very much a point of reference for what is going on as the album unfolds. Due to its cinematic nature, Age Of Aquarius is very much an eclectic album, with the throbbing, industrial crunch of The Glass Staircase one of the highlights points early on, demonstrating how heavy the music of PERTURBATOR is, The Art Of War offers a similar crunch but with an elegantly subtle soundscape.

With other high points, like The 12th House, with its sleazy that sounds like Nightclubbing by IGGY POP gone even more futuristic, the exquisitely haunting The Swimming Pool and the epic and urgent Mors Ultima Ratio, you will be swept away by its sonic grandeur, and every song segues into the next with the grace of a film scene seeping to the next.

There are also an array of guest appearances on Age Of Aquarius, with the albums opening track, the perfectly titled, Apocalypse Now (which features a superb turn from Ulver), setting the tone from the very start. The beautifully sombre Venus with AUTHOR & PUNISHER and the pulsating Lady Moon, that features enchanting vocals courtesy of GRETA LINK, are also fantastic, and the albums self titled closing track, features a stunningly triumphant and suitably dreamlike turn from French avant-garde black metal band ALCEST to finish things off perfectly. The prospect of the music on this album being played out on stage with a full visual presentation is an exciting one and one that is not to be missed, as these songs will pulsate on a massive setting.

Age Of Aquarius, like all of the work of PERTURBATOR, still sounds like some kind of futuristic soundscape, but made for right now and plays out so much like a movie, it’s imposing. This cinematic outlook really elevates things to another level, and just demonstrates how forward thinking with his visionary outlook that James Kent is. The possibilities of where the music of PERTURBATOR will be taken in the future is a mouthwatering prospect, but where it is at this very moment with Age Of Aquarius is even more so. The future is now and it’s in safe hands with PERTURBATOR.

Rating: 8/10

Age Of Aquarius is out now via Nuclear Blast.

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