More varied than its predecessor,
Electric,
Sonic Temple finds
the Cult trying several different metal styles, from crunchy
Electric-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
Sonic Temple into the Billboard Top Ten, due to the exposure provided by the hit single "Fire Woman." ~ Steve Huey