Review: F.A. Cult by Hermetic Delight: breathtaking production and performances

by | Music, Music Reviews

F.A. Cult is the first full length album to be released by 10 year veteran indie rockers Hermetic Delight out of Strasbourg.

You might think that they took their time to make it (and thank goodness they did) but some in the band would disagree and say ‘they didn’t really take their time, precisely because there is no such thing as time.’ And indeed the spirit of the songs on F.A. Cult seem to dip in and out of different decades, each track conjuring a bit of the enchantment from various musical movements from the past 30 or so years, while simultaneously shooting towards some futuristic, even angelic sounding territories.

“it’s a part of the album you could listen to on repeat and never wear out.”

All of the tracks have a dark David Lynch kind of atmosphere and one song that really sucks you into this feel is Holy Sister -2020 Version which is credited to both Hermetic Delight and Charles Rowell (Crocodiles) who also produced the record (apparently under guidance from Anna Calvi). Holy Sister’s lost in a desert ghost-town tremolo heavy electric guitar intro melts into your brain just as a massive off kilter dance beat rolls in with the drums, it’s a part of the album you could listen to on repeat and never wear out.

“The performances and production quality on F.A. Cult are breathtaking”

After a full listen it is obvious the album leaves you with a higher vital buzz under your skin as it keeps up the energy throughout. It is nearly ironic because the last song ‘How High is Your High?’ seems to cap off the album perfectly, which is another lovely paradox, though Hermetic Delight is anything but ironic.

The performances and production quality on F.A. Cult are breathtaking, causing the music to get into your soul space without any sense of invasiveness. This album is no shallow effort, it is definitely a work of art that took 10 years to make and should be an album to have in your vinyl collection in the magic section.

“this is a band that will leave you with a supernatural state of indie rock bliss”

As a band they weave an intense obscure positive spell between polarities that rocks as powerfully as Sonic Youth. One can only hope that Hermetic Delight will be able to take this album on tour, to perform it live as a whole creation, because this is a band that will leave you with a supernatural state of indie bliss.

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