It's pretty sad it took me this long to review a Peter Murphy album. It was released in June and now it's August. I'm a post-punk junkie. A glutton for goth. But now I've finally gotten around to listening to the whole thing and it's so good makes me miss Bauhaus slightly less.
Of course Murphy's solo material and Bauhaus (or Love and Rockets) are separate things but "Ninth" is an adequate enough goth fix for me to alleviate the still-smarting sting of the Bauhaus breakup. Instead of dabbling in soft, new-age, rock like he has sometimes in the past "Ninth" is a very heavy, guitar-driven album.
"Velocity Bird" and "Peace to Each" prove that Murphy hasn't yet become a softy in his old age. They hearken back to hard-edged gothic solo numbers like "In the low room" from 1992's "Holy Smoke" LP. The strongest track is "The Prince & Old Lady Shade" incorporating mythic lyrics and chugging guitars with delicate strings.
In addition to the songwriting, Murphy's dramatic vocals also hold up surprisingly well given his advanced age. Murphy doesn't reinvent himself on the album and it's not at all surprising material. Instead "Ninth" is a confirmation of who he's proven himself to be over the years: the godfather of goth. Bela Lugosi is not dead.
Grade: A+
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