The Last Spire

Cathedral announced on 6 February 2011, that they would release one final album and then disband. This announcement occurred well prior to the recording of The Last Spire. For Dorrian, the announcement enabled the band to record the album without pressure, "as it meant that we no longer had anything to prove and could make this album purely on our own terms". Artwork The interior of the album sleeve features artwork by long-time Cathedral artist Dave Patchett. Dorrian, describing the art as "climactic", notes that "it's not like a usual epic Dave Patchett piece where he does the full spread; it's just one section of the artwork now. It's basically thank you and goodbye, fuck you God or whatever. It's just a scene inside The Last Spire I suppose; almost like a nativity scene gone wrong." Title While there is no song on The Last Spire matching the album title, a previously unreleased instrumental track titled "The Last Spire" appears on Cathedral's 2011 live album, Anniversary. Dorrian described his decision to include the track on Anniversary as == Reception ==

The album has received "generally favorable reviews" according to Metacritic. Most reviews focus on the return to a doom-oriented sound and a reduction in the "quirky touches" in evidence on Cathedral albums including The Ethereal Mirror and, most recently, The Guessing Game. Chris Dick, writing for Decibel Magazine, stated that "Cathedral have reined in the purple puffy dragons and their Canterbury scene origins for a honed and toned (almost) mid-tempo thrust". Chris Ward described the album as bringing Cathedral "full circle", and serving as a bookend to the band's debut; however, he also heard "enough of the flavours the band sprinkled into all their albums in between to give it the feel of a eulogy of the band's output." Dean Brown, describing The Last Spire as a "true doom record", also credited the band with a "masterful understanding of dynamics" that integrated Cathedral's "signature curveballs". Grayson Currin wrote for Pitchfork that The Last Spire "does not feel like a microwaved visitation with the past or some self-obsessed tribute. Rather, these pieces sound like the work of a band hoping to fortify their legacy at the end of their career rather than simply prolong it". Natalie Zed, while criticising the middle of the album as "unwieldy", praised the band for incorporating "their musical demise into their very aesthetic". Popmatters' Frank Lopez departed from most critics with his argument that The Last Spire lacked a "pronounced tone of finality" suitable for Cathedral's farewell, wishing instead that the band would have "exploit[ed] their own morose theme a bit more and truly give the piece a sense of final departure". == Track listing ==

All songs by Lee Dorrian and Garry Jennings. • "Entrance to Hell" – 3:07 • "Pallbearer" – 11:38 • "Cathedral of the Damned" – 5:48 • "Tower of Silence" – 6:53 • "Infestation of Grey Death" – 9:01 • "An Observation" – 10:19 • "The Last Laugh" – 0:38 • "This Body, Thy Tomb" – 8:46 Japanese edition bonus track • "Tombs of the Blind Dead" – 5:18 == Credits ==

Band • Lee Dorrian – vocals • Garry Jennings – guitars • Brian Dixon – drums • Scott Carlson – bass Guest musicians • David Moore – Hammond organ, Moog synthesizer, Mellotron • Chris Reifert – guest vocals on "Cathedral of the Damned" • Rosalie Cunningham – backing vocals Production and art • Jaime Gomez Arellano – producer, mixing, engineering, mastering • Lee Dorrian – producer • Gaz Jennings – producer • Ester Segarra – photography • Arik Roper – artwork • Dave Patchett – artwork • Donato Panaccio – engineering (assistant) • Chris Chantler – liner notes == Charts ==