"Black Light"
01/27/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
""Exile" is the second release in the latest Numan transformation. Leaving behind, 1st the punk roots then the electronic and the pop/funk, (for good?) Numan has ventured into new and exciting territory starting with the 1994 release "Sacrifice." This new style is dark, heavy and laden with beats. It is "Goth" like no one else I have ever heard. Opening with the slightly metal sound of "Dominion Day", moving on to the gothic/industrial, yet danceable, and the most brilliant track on th c.d., "Dead Heaven" and finally to balance everything out, the dark ballad "Absolution" with it's lyrics of desperate longing and the genuine emotion inflected in Numan's voice as if he's purging his deepest thoughts in real time. This album is his darkest and best. This is not another "Cars". This is somehow bigger, despite the lack of mainstream radio play. This is his "epic" in my opinion and if you like dark music that is spectacular at the same time, this must not be missed."