The Cult

One has to wonder how different the career trajectory of the Cult might have looked had frontman Ian Astbury accepted Oliver Stone's offer to play Jim Morrison in the 1991 motion picture The Doors. But Astbury has always stuck to his guns when it comes to his vision of the darker side of psychedelia. And with plenty of classic Les Paul guitar fuzz and sultry baritone sleaze, the Cult's 2007 release Born Into This is no exception. Although This falls short of capturing the energy of its seminal mid-'80s albums (i.e., Love and Electric), a song such as "Illuminated" shows that the band is still capable of crafting hook-laden hard rock incorporating a host of influences (psychedelic rock, metal and new wave, among others). And if its current headlining theater tour — and opening slots in the UK for Led Zeppelin next year — are any indication, the Cult has no plans of slowing down anytime soon.