"Beyond Good and Evil" is the seventh studio album from the British rock band The Cult. Released on June 05, 2001, it marked their first new recording in six and a half years. The album's title is a reference to the book of the same name by Friedrich Nietzsche. Ideas of existentialism and societal criticisms are thought to be weaved into the lyrical themes of the record.
Lead singer Ian Astbury is rumored to have written the album lyrics as a defiant response, asserting his own values against those of contemporary society. Musically, the album is noted as a return to the hard rock sound that characterized much of The Cult's late 80s work. The album generated three singles, "Rise", "Breathe", and "True Believers".
Notably, the album features the return of the long-time The Cult collaborator and producer, Bob Rock. Some fans and critics lauded "Beyond Good and Evil" as an impressive and welcome return for the band following a significant hiatus, while others suggested that it didn't quite reach the heights of their earlier, seminal works.
It's also worth noting that "Beyond Good and Evil" turned out to be their first and only album with Matt Sorum on drums, who left the band shortly after the album tour and returned to his previous band, Velvet Revolver. The personnel on the album included Astbury on vocals, Billy Duffy on guitars, Matt Sorum on drums, and Chris Wyse on bass.
Despite mixed critical reception, the album hit number 37 on the US Billboard 200 and made to the top 10 in Canada's albums chart. The album track "Rise" has been particularly recognized as a standout, reaching number 125 on the UK Singles Chart and number 41 on the US Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
