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Saturnalia is mysticism and hedonism, saints and sinners, dark and light, but this is no clear-cut Manichaean collaboration. Both Lanegan and Dulli represent this, both contain all the good and the bad they sing about, sometimes at different moments but very often together, and it's that joined duality, that very disturbingly human quality, telling us things about ourselves we'd rather not acknowledge, that makes the album so absolutely alluring.
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It's not the sort of release that throws a lot of curveballs, but Saturnalia is nonetheless a solid album from two veteran musicians.
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Alternative PressThe lofty expectations are met in full with Saturnalia. [Apr 2008, p.160]
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Saturnalia, is teeming with the kind of raw and gritty music one might expect to hear kicked around in, well, the gutter. And considering the project is a collaboration between Mark Lanegan and Greg Dulli, that's certainly not a bad thing.
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Musically the most important aspect of this collaborative effort is that their voices work so nicely with and against each other.
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Saturnalia is easily the best album I have heard this year and will undoubtedly be included in many a year end list.
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This is a lovingly crafted record which has the same misty fug and aura as The Soulsavers and Lanegan indulged in recently.
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It’s in those moments [of appealing moment of vulnerability] as well as in the swarming chorus of 'God’s Children' that the duo hit their true heights, and those same qualities are the ones most likely to mark this album as an enduring piece of work from two icons of a class that has long since graduated.
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FilterDulli and Lanegan, two of today's greatest underappreciated frontmen, are hypnotic; narcotic. [Winter 2008, p.96]
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Fans of Dulli and Lanegan should happily devour the Gutter Twins, but even better, newcomers are in for a smooth, memorable introduction to two of the darker characters in rock today.
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MojoIt's a gloom that suits them both. [Apr 2008, p.112]
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What gives Saturnalia its real kick is the way it emotionally engages.
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Saturnalia revels in sin while occasionally contemplating salvation. Mesmerizing comes to mind.
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Lanegan began speaking of this collaboration before a note had been recorded, and it plays out perfectly.
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Musically, Saturnalia, named after the Roman festival where slaves and masters switch roles, is a concentrated dose of their usual badassery, never straying too far from the territory Dulli explored on the last three Singers albums, and even includes many of the same collaborators.
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Repeated listens to this wonderful record reveals a wealth of musicality more prominent than perhaps anything either Dulli or Lanegan have been attached to yet.
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Q MagazineIt's the best thing either has done in a decade. [Apr 2008, p.116]
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These guys sound like they're genuinely torn between looking up at the stars and trying to find an exit to the sewer. Neat trick, that.
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This represents a new territory for both Dulli and Lanegan, and it's one that they (generally) excel in.
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The Twins' mission statement seems to be more about mood than memorable songs.
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It’s Dulli sounding like Dulli at his best. And Lanegan delivers some of his more devastating vocal performances.
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This is intense music, with moments of pure bliss.
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With Lanegan at his stentorian best and Dulli in full confessional mode, Saturnalia is a feast, certainly--but one where the dishes are served delightfully raw.
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Under The RadarSaturnalia isn't breaking any new ground, and in large sections it sounds a lot more 1992 than 2008, but there's enough majesty and confidence behind it to make one hope Dulli and Lanegan will give it at least one more album. [Spring 2008, p.83]
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The result's a bit grungy, sure--but there's also an undercurrent of dark, sinister country and blues that suggests they're not just rehashing old times.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 14 out of 16
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Mixed: 1 out of 16
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Negative: 1 out of 16
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BulletMagazineMar 29, 2008Intense, dark, brooding - but a sense for the melodic which makes this an essential listen.
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NJstixxMar 22, 2008
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Raindog'sRantsMar 21, 2008