Fields of the Nephilim released this, their second album, in 1988. It was a masterpiece of gothic rock, surpassing their contemporaries and their own preceeding album, 1987's Dawnrazor by far. It is still widely held to be one of the best albums they made, and certainly one of the best in the genre. The music ranged from the deep unfathomable sadness in tracks like Love Under Will and Last Exit for the Lost to the dark and angry bitterness of Phobia and Chord of Souls, with singer/songwriter Carl McCoy's dark lyrics and voice of gravel acting as the perfect complement. The tracks were:
- Endemoniada
- The Watchmen
- Phobia
- Moonchild
- Chord of Souls
- Shiva
- Celebrate
- Love Under Will
- Last Exit for the Lost
The album fared surprisingly well, reaching number 14 in the UK
album chart, while the fourth track
Moonchild was released to some minor success. Fans of the
band and of the genre still hold this to be a
classic, although in many opinions it is second to the next
Fields of the Nephilim release, 1990's
Elizium. Personally I find the differing styles of both albums to be equally
brilliant, with the winter darkness of
The Nephilim offsetting the distant haze of sadness and lost summers in
Elizium. But then what do I know?