More varied than its predecessor,
Electric
,
Sonic Temple
finds
the Cult
trying several different
metal
styles, from crunchy
-era '70s grooves and the fuzzy, noisy
psychedelia
of
Love
, to mellow
ballads
and commercial '80s
hard rock
. Not all of the experiments work, as some of the songs lean toward ponderousness, but enough of them do to send
into the
Billboard
Top Ten, due to the exposure provided by the hit single
"Fire Woman."
~ Steve Huey