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), ‘The Godless, The Godforsaken And The God Damned’ (2010) and ‘Poinium Cherem’ (2012). The title ‘Poinium Cherem’ roughly translates to mean ‘sheep doomed to destruction’ or could also be ‘purification through annihilation’.
Some would say that Sidney Allen Johnson is a determined individual, others might call him bloody-minded. He seems to be on his own, self-appointed crusade and woe betides anyone or anything that stands in his way. Musically BMO has a gothic hard rock feel and borders upon old-school heavy metal. So it could be a mixture of Sisters of Mercy meeting Danzig in the funeral vaults with Black Sabbath.
An excerpt from the BMO official website states “The controversy and political incorrectness reached its zenith with the 2008 release “Axis Of Evil” and 2010’s “The Godless, The Godforsaken and the God Damned.” BMO master-mind 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. With the latest release, 2012’s “Poinium Cherem” Babylon Mystery Orchestra completes its mission and issues a final warning to a dying civilization…will you hear it?”
The main gothic elements are the clean baritone vocals (that bring to mind Østen Bergøy) and the melodramatic lyrical expression that sees deceit and transgressions all around. The lyric booklet has a chilling quote from the United Nations, Division for Social Policy. “Present-day believers in an absolute truth identified with virtue and justice are neither willing nor desirable companions for the defenders of social justice.”
After the portentous intro, ‘Destroyer’ picks up the pace and pours out a message of discontent. After all it is subtitled ‘I, Lucifer pt. 1’. The feeling of unease continues in ‘The Affliction’ as it asks “Just as it was told two thousand years ago, wrongs have been made rights …. Has God been overthrown?”
There is a doom-meets-blues groove in ‘Apollyon’ which takes its inspiration from Pilgrim’s Progress and looks at the attacks to Christianity. Sidney also takes his very politically incorrect stand against evolution (Devilution) and homosexuality (Seething with rage). In a more obscure moment he also takes a pot-shot at quantum theory in ‘Another Path’.
The progressively epic ‘Poinium Cherem’ is full of ominous warnings of the end-times and whether America, like Sodom, should face God’s wrath for unrepentant sins. “America / Accursed is your name / You forget yourself and forget from where you came / Your transgressions have climbed to Heaven’s door / Now they bring death to your shores”
As the press release states “Absolute truth offends absolutely”. Don’t say that you haven’t been warned.
Rating: 6.5/10
Reviewed by Peter Willoughby
Track Listing
Chorale…What Should Not Be
Destroyer
The Affliction
Apollyon
I Am An Artist
Devilution
Another Path
Seething
A Prophet’s Song
We Write The Words
Poinium Cherem
Finale…What Could Not Be
Band members: Sidney Allen Johnson [All Instruments]
Discography:
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]
The Godless, the Godforsaken and the God Damned [2010]
Poinum Cherem [2012]
Record Label: Unsigned/independent