I was absolutely gutted to learn recently that Pure Reason Revolution have broken up. 'Amor Vincit Omnia' is, without a doubt, one of my favourite albums of all time. As per the title of this review, I consider it a masterpiece, and I do not use that word lightly. It is forty-five minutes and twenty-two seconds of unceasing brilliance. Most of the people who dislike it or find it underwhelming hold this view either because they fail to understand the album, or because they do not find the style to their liking, which isn't entirely surprising considering how different it is from 'The Dark Third'. I loved TDT, and pre-ordered this album as soon as I could, based on the strength of the former, but now I scarcely listen to the band's debut. I would almost always rather hear the follow-up.
'Amor Vincit Omnia' is dark. Incredibly dark. It is one of the most emotionally powerful and psychologically affective musical works I have ever heard, and that's coming from a music graduate. The story of damaged love and intense bitterness that Jon Courtney et al weave (not in the form of a linear narrative, but in the form of glimpses, tableaux and reflections, as if Jon cannot bring himself to talk about it directly) is phenomenally moving, and contains an abundance of musical and lyrical brilliance. There are moments not only of the aforementioned bitterness, but also of tragic, undistilled heartbreak, of 'violent woe' (as Jon puts it), of incredible tenderness, of pathological terror (particularly the drunken, lurching synth at 6:50 in 'The Gloaming'), of utter numbness, of devastating pain, and of profound bleakness (especially in the complex ambivalence of the final track's triumphant resignation).
There is not a song on this album I don't adore. At first I wasn't too keen on 'Disconnect', but once I had taken time to fully digest it I came to love the bitter irony of its seemingly-upbeat cheesiness. In fact, everything I originally considered a flaw I have come to either overlook because of the astonishing quality of the music (the bizarre pronunciation of 'Machina' has long since stopped bothering me) or to see as an asset (I now consider the 'muddy' production to enhance the immersive atmosphere, though I'm perfectly prepared to accept that this is by fluke). The musical highlights for me include 'Deus Ex Machina', 'Les Malheurs' and 'Apogee', while favourite lyrics include "God's creatures rattle their cage; /Dull blisters ravage her face" ('Victorious Cupid'), "Did she sigh those psalms for me? /She catwalks to the bedroom and her scars just hold their seams; /Now watch the stars they pull our skin" ('The Gloaming') and "Damaged dust sheds lust; /Dead dust to dust" ('Disconnect'), but in truth these parts barely outshine their surroundings, owing to the consistent excellence of the album.
Musically intelligent, lyrically inventive and profoundly moving, 'Amor Vincit Omnia' will take you on a journey from which you cannot return.