S.U.P.

An odd blending of death metal and goth with heavy spiritual and religious overtones, Angelus wavers between very good and quite bad, punctuated by narration courtesy of Anathema’s Danny Cavanagh. The spoken passages give the album an eerie quality, and its often dissonant metal riffs build on that feeling, creating an uneasiness that strangely-placed ’80s goth rock vocals do nothing to dispel. Still, it’s a disturbingly attractive uneasiness and results in an air of suspense that keeps the listener engaged, even through those moments when it seems to make no sense at all. To keep your nerves from getting totally frazzled I recommend stopping the CD before the final track (19), and spare yourself the sound effects and distorted narrative clips. S.U.P.’s Angelus has the magnetic appeal of a car crash or a train wreck. You might not want to keep listening, but you probably will.