The Sisters of Mercy
9 vinyl records found
The Sisters of Mercy emerged from Leeds in 1980 as one of the most distinctive acts in post-punk and gothic rock, built around Andrew Eldritch's commanding vocals and the mechanical precision of Doktor Avalanche. The band released three studio albums across the 1980s before a contractual dispute with their label halted new recordings, though they've remained active as a live outfit ever since.
About The Sisters of Mercy
The Sisters of Mercy began with Gary Marx and Andrew Eldritch, though the early lineup proved unstable until 1981 when Craig Adams joined on bass and Doktor Avalanche was introduced. This setup allowed Eldritch to concentrate on vocals while the drum machine provided mechanical rhythmic foundation. Early independent singles like Damage Done and Body Electric, along with the Reptile House EP, built an underground following through covers and originals alike. The 1983 single Temple of Love led to a WEA contract, and the band recorded its debut album First and Last and Always in an atmosphere of internal conflict.
The mid-to-late 1980s saw the band's most stylistically significant work. Eldritch relocated to Hamburg and collaborated with Patricia Morrison on Floodland, a keyboard-heavy album that included the singles This Corrosion, Dominion, and Lucretia My Reflection. For Vision Thing in 1990, a fresh lineup featuring Andreas Bruhn, Tony James, and Tim Bricheno returned the sound to guitar-oriented territory, and the band toured extensively before tensions with East West Records intensified. By 1993, after releasing Under the Gun and the compilation A Slight Case of Overbombing, the band ceased recording amid a contractual standoff. Eldritch settled the dispute in 1997 by submitting unreleased material under the name SSV, though Go Figure never received official release.
The Sisters of Mercy resumed live performances in 1996 and have maintained touring since, introducing new songs such as There's a Door and Don't Drive on Ice in recent decades. The 2006 reissue campaign touched the three studio albums but brought no new studio material. The Groove Hunter currently tracks 4 editions across the catalog, including Floodland, First and Last and Always, Greatest Hits Volume One: A Sl, and the Oslo Broadcast 1985 Ltd Analog.
