Genre: Neofolk

It has been six long and silent years since Current 93 issued a proper full length album. Though a steady stream of reissues and small concepts albums have attempted to fill the obvious vacuum created in Current 93’s absence many committed neofolk fans have felt the lack of chilling, cryptic, apocalyptic visions. This absence has now been answered with a new proper full length album titled “Black Ships Ate The Sky.”

Anyone who was fortunate enough to catch Current 93 in concert over the last two years may have had the chance to hear some previews of content found on “Black Ships Ate The Sky” such as songs like “Black Ships In The Sky” and “Then Kill Ceaser.” Hearing these songs at Current 93’s Nov 2005 concert in San Francisco made me eager for the announced full length album. In addition to the songs that David previewed at the show S.F. audience members were also treated to a brief personal dialogue in which David spoke about the loss of his dear friend and fellow musician John Balance of Coil during the prelude to the song “Sleep Has His House.” During the live performance of “Sleep Has His House” David’s pain was shared with the audience as he became immersed in the song crying while singing the pained lyrics. With John’s death still so fresh you could feel the palpable affect the song had on the audience. It was at this moment that I grew confident that some trace of John’s loss would inevitably filter into “Black Ships Ate The Sky” making this new album more true and personal than ever before.

“Black Ships Ate The Sky” comes housed in a small box decorated in original illustrations by David Tibet. Inside waiting to be discovered is the new album along with a thick lyric book filled with color illustrations, extensive liner notes and photos of the many contributing musicians. From the look of the lyrical book, liner notes, and packaging one is left with the assumption that “Black Ships Ate The Sky” had taken on the importance of other such luminous concept albums by Current 93 as the “Inmost Light Trilogy.” “Black Ships Ate The Sky” was inspired by yet another apocalyptic vision rendered by David Tibet. The aforementioned vision occurred during a dream state from which David readily awoke and began intensively writing the lyrics for the album. David’s vision / dream consisted of seeing large black ships sailing through the sky in preparation of the rising of the “final Caesar” and the “second coming of Christ.” These themes are incessantly recurring in the albums lyrics and form the foundation of the albums concept. Like previous albums David’s transmission is once again drenched in obscure reference and dressed in arcane lyrical prose that hints at ideas while eluding concrete translation.

Current 93 has once again recruited a small orchestra of fellow musicians ranging from familiar faces like Antony (Antony and the Johnsons), Steven Stapleton (Nurse With Wound), Marc Almond, Michael Cashmore (Nature & Organization), Colin Potter, Chris Carter & Cosi Fanni Tutti (Chris & Cosey), Baby Dee. Many faces from Current 93’s past have also have re-emerged such as Shirley Collins, Andria Degens and Geoff Cox-Doree. Besides this stellar line up of old and familiar faces Current 93 has also incorporated the talent of a host of new musicians that help to elevate and reinvigorate the music.

“Black Ships Ate The Sky” consists of 21 songs no less than eight of which are independent interpretations of the hymn Idumaea by Charles Wesley. Each rendition of Idumaea is performed by one of seven guest musicians as this incessant theme is revisited throughout the album. David leads the vocals on twelve songs including his own interpretation of Idumaea while guest musicians Cosy Fani Tutti and Antony contribute vocals on two other songs that are independent of their Idumaea contributions. To fully appreciate this new album takes several dedicated listenings. It is only when the recurring theme and lyrics of Idumaea has become familiar that the listner can anchor to something within the album other than the equally haunting and recurring references to the “black ships.” Idumaea is focused lyrically upon death and resurrection which occurs in the narrative during the time of the Christian apocalyptic rapture which heralds the final judgment day forecast by the Book of Revelations. This recurring hymn entwines with David’s own apocalyptic prose in a strange dance that plays out across the length of the album. Each artists that recites a version of Idumaea brings a new aura to the album that when combined with David’s own varied musical approach to different songs creates a myriad of musical and singing styles that makes for a kaleidoscopic journey through softly tender moments and agonized heart wrenching revelations. At times the music invokes classical beauty and refined composition while at other times songs emerge from more experimental domains attempting to capture feelings and inspire visions beyond the conventional.

Like I said previously it takes several in depth listenings before this album coalesces into a full picture from its splintered origins. Though “Black Ships Ate The Sky” might be called one of Current 93’s more complex and mature works it is also important to note that many fans may find this to be of the bands more challenging full length albums as well. The constant collision between beauty and dissonance, fragility and desperation takes a bit to adapt to after the softer eloquence of more recent albums like “Soft Black Stars” and “All The Pretty Little Horses” Imagine Current 93 capturing a bit of each album that they have released over the years and successfully touching upon each of these unique musical aesthetics over the course of a single album and you come close to the variety offered here between the soft ballads of the likes of Antony and Shirley Collins and the guitar driven rantings of David.

Without doubt “Black Ships Ate The Sky” deserves a home in every neofolk fans music collection. If you think you have experienced Current 93 then prepare yourself for this new chapter as David digs deeper into the darkest corners of his heart producing the light of hope and the utter pain and devastation of loss. Current 93 once again delivers the uncompromising tragedy and beauty of existence wrapped in protruding words and squirming prose bent by a deviant will with love and skill.