Perturbator aka James Kent has been synonymous with the synthwave genre since its rise to prominence in the early 2010s. The trio of albums I Am the Night (2012), Dangerous Days (2014) and The Uncanny Valley (2016), the latter two released on his current label Blood Music, firmly cemented Perturbator’s place at the top of the scene. The French artist had become renowned for crafting cyberpunk worlds and taking the listen on a journey through them with his. In 2017 New Model was released, the aptly named EP showed that Kent was looking to move beyond the realms of his previous work. Nearly four years from that release, the shift in direction has now reached its fully fledged form with Lustful Sacraments.
The introductory track Reaching Xandadu gives is a hint at what is to come, with the ritualist-esque bass accompanied by underlying synths and techno beats. Once the glass breaks at the end of the song, we are thrown into the deep end of a new Perturbator’s track. The song opens with a post-punk style riff and haunting vocals, followed by the return of synths he is known so well for and plenty of techno beats. The way this song is so immaculately layered and transitions between the differing elements on the track shows that Perturbator hasn’t faltered with his new sound. The bridge found in the latter half of the song leads into some warping synths which once again begin to drag you into his world. A more than impressive opener to introduce listeners into this new era.
Since its original release in 2019, “Excess” has been given a re-work for the album. This is a song that to historical Perturbator fans will feel the most familiar. The fast-paced beats blended with synths give the song that urgency that could be found in previous tracks such as “She Is Young, She Is Beautiful, She Is Next” from Dangerous Days. Kent here showing that has managed to evolve elements of his existing sound while being add in new ones too. “Excess” runs a minute longer than its original release, the closing while likely to act as almost an interlude, does feel slightly drawn out and should have remained at the original length.
Next we are treated to one of the two features the album has to offer, the first one being on “Secret Devotion” featuring True Body. The vocals on this track from True Body blends suitably with the steady beat and Perturbator’s new found style. It builds up a perfect tension with the haunting vocal delivery and lyrics, which is then is played upon in the following track “Death of the Soul“. There is a frantic feel to “Death of the Soul“, the video music shows a pinball bouncing through the machine which is a suitable metaphor. The techno beats are well placed in terms of pace and decibel that it induces the feeling of consternation. This then layered with disembodied Russian vocals that add that sense of disarray to the track.
“The Other Place” opening plays into the feeling that “Death of the Soul” leaves the listener with but then eases out with a return of the warping synths and some guitar hooks which help carry the song. Overall, it is the more neutral song on the album and acts as bridge into the final stretch of the record. While in isolation it might seem as a somewhat unexciting track in comparison to what else is on the album, when listened as part of the album it works well as a nice palette cleanser.
The final third of the album takes a different tone and atmosphere to what had come before. In “Dethroned Under a Funeral Haze“, everything is slowed down, giving a sense of introspection and regret to the track—that the previous highs that occurred earlier in the album are now having an adverse affect. There are simple but effective lyrics used to express this message too, “I’m letting my arms down, my skin has turned to grey. Leaving this place now, finally passing away”.
“Messalina, Messlina” is an almost crescendo of a penultimate track. The crushing beat with overloading synths release all the energy that has been built up throughout the album. There is a strange element of catharsis to this song after “Dethroned Under a Funeral Haze” and the emotion of that song. It is also one of those long epic anthems that Perturbator has made a staple of his albums and is possibly one of his best.
Finally, we end of “God Says” which is the second feature on the album from Hangman’s Chair. Similar to the True Body feature in the album, Perturbator has chosen two features that slot into the album without feeling out of place. On previous albums the features had at times caused the album to deviate from an overall sound which left the albums feeling a tad scattered. Here, both features in terms of vocal performance and the way they are blended in do not feel alien to the rest of the album. As a track, “God Says” serves as a closer to reflect on the themes and the story in the album. In simple terms, it’s a comedown from the highs and lows that have been presented to the listener over the past eight tracks, and a good one too.
Lustful Sacraments is a change in course for Perturbator and for the better. The time spent away from releasing music has allowed Kent to refine his new sound and ensure there is no doubt that leaving behind the well-trodden path of synthwave wasn’t a mistake. With a runtime of just under 47 minutes, it feels more compact and concise than previous albums. There feels no wasted space on the tracklist and no unnecessary features. As an album, it feels like the start of a new era for the French artist and serves has a solid foundation for the future. While the next decade of Perturbator may lack the bright lights of the cyberpunk-inspired previous decade, it will certainly be far more interesting.
8.5/10