The Gutter Twins - Saturnalia

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One of the albums of the year

They've been teasing fans with their collaborations since The Twilight Singers' 'Blackberry Belle' in 2003 and now, after what seems like forever, grunge's two great survivors Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan satisfy every desire with the colossal 'Saturnalia'.

Longtime masters of sun-goes-down music, the duo have created one of those very rare albums that would make you happy to see shorter days. For either man each of these 12 journeys to the dark end of the street warrants a place on a Best Of and the atmosphere of love, lust and religious references they lure you into is so addictive that you'd scour the Internet for the outakes, the unfinished and the cast-offs.

There are rockers ('God's Children', 'Idle Children'), ballads ('I Was in Love with You', 'The Body') and dirges ('All Misery/Flowers', 'Bete Noire'), stunning duets ('Front Street', 'Who Will Lead Us') and a guitar solo so maniacal that any metal overlord would be thrilled to call it theirs. And with every listen grows the feeling that this is far too great to be a one-off.

One of the best reasons to remember 2008.

Harry Guerin

Tracklisting: The Stations - God's Children - All Misery/Flowers - The Body - Idle Hands - Circle the Fringes - Who Will Lead Us? - Seven Stories Underground - I Was in Love with You - White Noize - Each to Each - Front Street