tracklist: 1.dazzle 2.we hunger 3.take me back 4.belladonna 5.swimming horses 6.bring me the head of the preacher man 7.running town 8.pointing bone 9.blow the house down

Released in June 1984, this album is a long way of a typical Banshee work (of course if we accept there is such thing as "typical" for this group who has always been fond of experimenting in many different ways of making music). The eternal guitarist-problem of SatB is solved with the presence of Robert Smith who has been on tour with them since December 1982. It is commonly assumed that it is Robert who influenced the different style of this album, even though Siouxsie stated that "fat Robert, only thing he did for this album was to play clumsy" , after he left the group when recording of the album had finished and right before they would go on tour. Anyway , it is a fact that Robert is and has been a great musician and one with his own personal style and i think it is natural that he influenced their music in a way at that time.It really is an album without any resemblance with any of the previous or following albums of SatB.

Although the group had already made great success, especially with "Kaleidoscope" and "juju" , "Hyaena" was the album that would be their first US chart success. On the other hand, the critics that always had a problem on categorizing the Banshees, where divided on this album and although it was "intense, melancholy rock of the gothic kind(?!)" for some, others characterised it us "dull,uninspired" and finally some made comparisons saying "it is leagues better than the top" (meaning the cure's album which was released a month before). Finally, Steven Severin has quoted Hyaena is one of his least favorite Banshee's album.

Maybe it is not as challenging as other Banshees' albums but it certainly is one of their most touching , mostly sentimental albums, with the most striking thing on it being the keyboards and strings, used in a primitive (?) way. Moreover , most of the album is influenced by the group's first trip to Israel not only on music but also on lyrics. “Dazzle” , “swimming horses” and “bring me the head of the preacher man” are definitely the highlights of the album and definitely between the best songs the group has ever written.

“Dazzle” was first performed by Siouxsie on her toy piano, as she has stated (“baby piano cries under your heavy index and thumb…”). Starting with keyboards and Siouxsie singing in a very melodic way the song quickly changes into a faster tempo, leaving you breathless… and ends the same way. It really is a “glittering prize”!
“Swimming horses” is a “political” song in a way as it refers to a status in middle east where women who have had pre-martial relationships are stoned to death .A mother poisons her daughter to save her from having a terrible death: “Kinder with poison than pushed down the well…”. Keyboards together with Siouxsie’s voice on this song make it feel like a lament, a disappointment on people. “Take a ride on the tide with the assassin at your side”.
“Bring me the head of the preacher man” features a mostly oriental rhythm, referring to twisted human minds, a subject the group seems to like to interfere with. This one, together with “We hunger” and “Blow the house down” are the roughest songs of the album, with the last one being the most frenzy of all, with its oriental music of a dervish twist, and lyrics almost frightening: “It’s getting nearer, don’t turn your head around…”
And then there are songs of nostalgia of purity and melancholy of far imaginary places like “Take me back” and “Belladonna”.

An album where you let yourself drift in an ocean of sounds dreaming ornaments of dazzling destinations.
“A jamboree of surprises”!!!