Babylon Mystery Orchestra release their fifth controversial album

Sidney Allen Johnson is Babylon Mystery Orchestra as he does the lead vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards and programming. BMO have released ‘Divine Right Of Kings’ (2003), ‘On Earth As It Is In Heaven’ (2004), ‘The Great Apostasy: A Conspiracy Of Satanic Christianity’ (2006), ‘Axis Of Evil’ (2008) and now ‘The Godless, The Godforsaken And The God Damned’ (2010). 

If I were to go into a bar and deliberately insult someone, it could provoke a fight. It could feel that BMO want to start that fight on a far larger scale. The word – crusade – springs to mind.

So here is an excerpt from the BMO official website “The controversy and political incorrectness reached its zenith in 2008 with the release of "Axis Of Evil." BMO mastermind Sidney Allen Johnson turned his vision toward the triumvirate of treachery and wickedness that seeks to impose its freedom suppressing will over the entire world: Islam, Socialism and the Illuminati. The result was extreme criticism and extreme praise in about equal measure. Loved or hated but never ignored, you will develop an opinion for Babylon Mystery Orchestra.
The latest release, "The Godless, The Godforsaken and the God Damned" finds our Prophet of Wrath still unrelenting and uncompromising as he casts his gaze at the world around him...and doesn't particularly like what he sees.” 

Musically BMO has a gothic hard rock and metal sound. So it could be a mixture of Sisters of Mercy meeting Danzig in the funeral vaults with Black Sabbath. Starting off in ominous tones, ‘Catspaw’ bites chunks out of celebrities who use their status to promote political causes. The cover booklet includes quotes from John Lennon, Sean Penn, Leonardo DiCaprio, Chrissie Hynde (the Pretenders) and Bono to illustrate this point. 

The subject matters covered in the songs include NASA covering up the discovery of alien technology (Apollo), the widespread use of abortion (A Constitutional Right/Jesus Save), political correctness and tolerance (Hate Crime), communism and Ernesto Che Guevara (Viva Cristo Rey!), evolutionary teaching (Godless), and a response to the quote from President Obama “We are God’s partners in matters of life and death” (You’re On Your Own …. This Time). 

Finally, he returns to the Islamic theme from the previous album in ‘The Twelfth Imam’. The lyrics are “Conceived inside a slave and full grown by six / He could speak from the womb and disappear as he wished / Hidden from prying eyes, the destroyer of mankind / Al Mahadi waits in patience for Allah’s perfect sign / He leads to your demise / He will make your fears come true / Look deep in his eyes, He will bring the worst out of you / Iman curse the spirit / Iman curse the soul / Iman curse the spirit / Imam summoned from below “. 

I would like to state that whilst I have reviewed this album, it does not mean that I agree with all the sentiments expressed. Equally it does not mean that I disagreed with all of them. 

Rating: 6/10 

Reviewed by Peter Willoughby

Tracklist:

myspace.com/babylonmysteryorchestra