Ye Are Gods

For the most part, Sabbath Assembly’s second full-length essentially follows the same basic template that defined 2010’s Restored to One. The group’s pre-occupation with the Process Church of the Final Judgement remains the full focus and the songs are still those of the sect reinterpreted through a sixties psych lens. However, there is a very noticeable change of tone on Ye Are Gods compared to the debut, likely spurned by personnel changes as well as the nature of the specific material that the group has chosen to interpret.

While Restored to One was merely a collection of the Process Church’s hymns, this album goes all in by providing a musical soundtrack to the sacred liturgy from which Sabbath Assembly took their name. As a result, the mood fluctuates even further than the debut and the music is considerably more multi-faceted. The elements of psychedelic rock and folk are punctuated by heavier segments that are just shy of going full on metal while the female lead vocals and choirs are interspersed with brief sermons from a high priest(ess) portrayed by Throbbing Gristle’s Genesis P-Orridge.

Speaking of which, the musicians involved also help shape the grander scope. While the debut was basically a core group with a couple guests, Ye Are Gods is essentially the other way around as the band takes on a more collective configuration. The vocals may still be the primary focus when it comes to delivering melodies, but the considerably fuller instrumentation allows for fuller textures and further reinforcements of the composition’s ominously bombastic tone. I especially appreciate the more emboldened drums, the mix of acoustic and heavy guitar, and the lofty supplemental ambiance.

Overall, Ye Are Gods does a splendid job of reiterating Sabbath Assembly’s mission statement without feeling like a retread. The move from reciting individual hymns to a full mass does well to reinforce the band’s aesthetic, allowing for a deeper understanding of the cult’s beliefs as well as broader musical textures. While this approach admittedly makes the songs themselves feel more like fragments, the way they ebb and flow with one another makes for an incredibly cohesive whole. I’m not sure who asked for what essentially feels like Church of the Cosmic Skull performing excerpts of Swans’ Children of God, but I’m glad they did.