The Filthiest Show In Town

Since 2001 and the album The Reincarnation of Luna, My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult have released a steady stream of ephemera. Expanded reissues, live albums, and remix collections, and even a lost album have kept the fans somewhat happy, but none of them were real reasons to check back in if you strayed away from this sleazy, sideshow attraction. Their 2007 album The Filthiest Show in Town is a great reason to check back in, since it's not only honest-to-gosh new material, it's the most thematically sound the group has been in quite some time. The album is presented as "the darker side of the nightlife scene" with "no strobe lights or disco balls" and "no mentions of drugs or devils." What this really means is that this is the Kult's nostalgic lounge album. It doesn't ape Dean Martin or Martin Denny and twist them for the goth set. It does, however, paint a very swank and '60s scene with rumpled tuxes being ground upon by the last stripper standing at 5:00 A.M. The imitation saxophones are woefully imitation, synths are extremely synthetic, and the sonic landscape is still a shade too anemic for some tastes, but inspiration is no longer an issue and the low-budget feel works better than before, since cheap is probably how one should feel after a full-night of Vegas strippers and prostitutes from outside the city limits. Since this is their lounge album, the beats are cool and slow, meaning there will be no dancing on this trip. Fans of the Kult's club tracks may be disappointed at first, but when they realize this was built for the sinister and slightly cheeseball after-party, they'll agree it puts this 20-year-old, campy goth institution back on track. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide