Album Review: The Mission - The Brightest Light

After "The Mission» Celebrating their 2011th anniversary in 25, they are now releasing a new album. The cult musicians are back with «The Brightest Light» and this appears a whopping 27 years after the release of their debut album. Different generations of musicians have come and gone since then, «The Mission» still exists. Anyone expecting a return to the well-known sound with «The Brightest Light» will be surprised. This is the album of a band having a blast and cultivating a newfound camaraderie, and the result is quite possibly the strongest rock album of their lives.

If you are interested in the earlier years, you will certainly find enough material on the Internet. Since 1986, «The Mission» have released numerous albums and given concerts with only a short break. To date, the band has sold more than four million recordings of their twelve albums, the accompanying singles plus compilations and live discs. In 2011, after several internal disputes, dissolutions, semi-solo singer Wayne Hussey, the original line-up came together for the 2011 anniversary tour and celebrated the 25th anniversary with a sold-out European tour. Wayne Hussey, Craig Adams, Simon Hinkler and drummer Mike Kelly noticed that stylistically they sounded as fresh as in their early days and wanted to capture this exciting sound on disc. Hussey, as the group's main songwriter, retired for a few months to compose new tracks. On April 1st, the whole band met with producer David M. Allen (The Cure, Depeche Mode, Human League) and work began in various studios, sometimes even high up in the Brazilian mountains or near the English city Bath.

Now it's finished: «The Brightest Light», the new album. It should be rocking. As a composer and singer, Hussey has delivered a performance that is bound to catapult him into the list of Britain's best musicians. The new songs, with grandiose melodies and lyrics about the devil, about pathos and heartbreak and written with his inimitable sense of humor, are certainly among the most compelling he has ever written. In addition, his voice has never sounded as honest as it does today. With people around him he trusts, he's obviously matured into a musician who's comfortable in his own skin. Hussey explains: "This is my rock album, my wife calls it my 'testosterone creation'. It flexes the muscles and demonstrates pure pride! I wanted to capture the sound we create live as best as possible and I think we've really succeeded in doing that for the first time."

The Mission - Black Cat Bone

After almost 20 years outside of the music business, Slink, meaning Simon Hinkler, can justifiably be described as the guitar god of his generation. His playing on the new album is expressive and lyrical at the same time. For the first time ever, Slink has stepped out of Hussey's shadow and found his own true voice through his guitar playing. Listen and enjoy the track «From The Oyster Comes The Pearl». Well-travelled and veteran bassist Craig Adams has found his spiritual home after many years alongside his old buddies Hussey and Hinkler. Hussey again: "He has been my friend for 30 years, although at first everyone thought that things would not go well with us for long. This is probably Addo's finest musical contribution to a The Mission album. He surprised me in the most positive way. It's amazing that he always manages to do this."

And then there is "Young" Mike Kelly - young because he has two decades less under his belt than his bandmates. A fact that he likes to remind others of. Young because he brings energy and freshness to the album and keeps the groove going, both physically and spiritually. Young for flying the flag of the rock 'n' roll excesses The Mission are known and celebrated for. Young but with a wise Geordie soul. Young because he is. Hussey reiterates: «It's difficult for me to judge the new album because, as with any artist, their latest work is always the best. Only time will tell if I'm right or wrong. We will experience it. But I still want to say one thing: We had a lot of fun recording and I think you can feel it when you listen to the disc. We're older, more mature, wiser, and we know the true strengths of The Mission better than ever. And I think that we are very aware of these strengths."

Anyone expecting a return to the familiar sound will be surprised. This is the album of a band having a lot of fun and cultivating a newfound camaraderie, using the latest studio technology to record a timeless and in the truest sense of the word classic rock album. It is rooted in the present without being ashamed of the past. The Mission would never shy away from showing their influences openly, but their latest album in particular sounds unmistakably The Mission. Probably not after The Mission as most have known it. This band has never sounded so good, fresh and real. No typical gothic rock sound, just honest dirty rock sound, with a scratchy singing Wayne Hussey! I find that very courageous, after all, some missionaries will certainly feel alienated. On the other hand, the boys have nothing to lose, honestly do what they like. And their fantastic cover version of Neil Young's "Like A Hurricane" is well known to all true Mission fans anyway!

Tracklist:

1. Black Cat Bone
2. Everything But The Squeal
3. Sometimes The Brightest Light Comes From The Darkest Place
4. Dear
5. Born Under A Good Sign
6. The Girl In A Furskin Rug
7. When The Trap Clicks Shut Behind Us
8. Ain't No Prayer In The Bible Can Save Me Now
9. Just Another Pawn In Your Game
10. From The Oyster Comes The Pearl
11. Swan Song
12. Litany For The Faithful

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