December ’98 Issue
Alternative Press Magazine

Gentlemen ranked #14 on the top 90 Albums of the 90s

Review by Steven Chean

Gentlemen carries a dubious distinction: It is without a doubt, the darkest album of the ’90s. And don’t even start naming titles like Antichrist Superstar – by comparison it’s about as sunshiny and toothless as a chocolate-smeared children’s book. With one slice of wax, Greg Dulli and his boys struck a universal nerve, carving out a pained, vengeful landmark of romantic holocaust that boldly infused all of the raw emotion of ’60s soul into the tumultuous guitar anthems of modern rock. Only a statement this bold could articulate the emotional turmoil of tracks such as “Be Sweet,” “Debonair” and “If I Were Going.” Gentlemen is a map to the bombed-out wasteland of a broken heart – and it bleeds brilliantly.