If you thought that religious music was all cringeworthy Christian pop, Kumbaya and beaming Bible-bashers, think again. Sabbath Assembly, musical interpreters of the Process Church Of The Final Judgment (a short-lived movement in the 60s, preaching the unity of Christ and Satan), have something altogether darker and more twisty in mind.
Working from classical acoustic foundations, Quaternity evocatively channels the four deities worshipped by ‘the Process’ — Christ, Jehovah, Lucifer and Satan — through gothically psychedelic tones. Revelation’s apocalyptic runners and riders also get involved in the hauntingly layered, 20-minute epic The Four Horsemen; Eastern notes, bursts of liturgical chants and ‘Process’ recitals are present enough to be haunting and original.
Shit gets heavier in I Satan — discordant psych-doom distortion with wide-eyed vocals from frontwoman Jamie Myers. Rich, organic strings in The Burning Cross Of Christ make for a dark folk vibe, while Jehovah On Death intrigues and unnerves.
Whether you find the beliefs revolutionary, dumb or bizarre, the authenticity here makes for a dynamic piece of musical culture.
