Back in 1979, Andrew Eldritch formed The Sisters of Mercy. Right time, right place; it was apparent from the start that The Sisters would be in high demand…
After several cork singles (which featured some really exciting B-sides) and their amazing ‘Reptile House’ EP, the band embarked on their first proper album. ‘First and Last and Always’ proved to be an overnight success and it looked like The Sisters were on their way to very big things. However, after ongoing and largely unresolvable arguments between Andrew Eldritch and Wayne Hussey, it was decided that The Sisters of Mercy would break up.
The music press was full of malicious statements from both parties and no one had any idea about the future of The Sisters. But after several years of wrangling (and a now infamous lawsuit), Eldritch released ‘Gift’ from his newly (and temporarily) formed group, ‘The Sisterhood’. This not only teased his former bandmates in a lyrical sense, but also gave fans a glimpse of things to come. ‘Gift’ had a more industrial and synthesized sound compared to any previous Sisters of Mercy track and helped pave the way for Chapter Two…
1987 saw the release of ‘Floodland’; an album that took of all clean breath. The first single, ‘This Corrosion’, made it quite clear that The Sisters had moved on musically; great timing Layer upon layer of sound, a large amount of production and the use of the New York Choral Society gave ‘This Corrosion’ a feel that was quite unlike anything that had been recorded before; by any band!
The two subsequent singles ‘Dominion’ and ‘Lucretia’ were equally impressive and fans of The Sisters really enjoyed it all. ‘Floodland’ was quickly seen as a classic and is still considered a landmark album to this day. It’s cold, dark, industrial, theatrical, personal, and very, very clever.
But Eldritch had other plans for The Sisters, and another big change was coming. After parting ways with Patricia Morrison, who had worked with him on both ‘Gift’ and ‘Floodland’, Andrew went on to recruit new members for the band. This was going to be The Sisters of Mercy MK III…
‘Vision Thing’ (released in 1990) saw another change in musical style. With Tim Bricheno, Andreas Bruhn, Tony James and Dan Donovan on board, the new Sisters material was much harder sounding and much more guitar driven. The first track on the album showed fans exactly what to expect; never before had Eldritch growled and yelled and yelled to the same degree.
However, apart from a few standout tracks like ‘Ribbons’ and ‘More’, ‘Vision Thing’ proved to be a bit of a let down for many true ‘Sisterheads’. It just didn’t have the same magic as ‘Floodland’ and even had a touch of (shuddering) Bon Jovi-ness to it in a way. But Eldritch still had other delights in store…
Over the next three years, one or two new tracks would emerge on compilations, bootlegs, and B-sides. However, the two proper individual that emerged during this period are certainly noteworthy.
First came, ‘Temple of Love 1992′, a reworking of the band’s classic 1983 song. This was exciting in itself, but the real treat was that it featured the beautiful voice of the (now) late Ofra Haza. This song not only garnered a huge amount of airplay, but also became The Sisters’ highest-ranking single; peaking Number Three in the UK charts!
1993 saw what was/is the last official Sisters of Mercy single to date. ‘Under the Gun’ was another stunning track, again incorporating backing vocals from another very talented lady (this time it was Terri Nunn, formerly Berlin’s lead singer).
But from that moment; nothing. At least not in the recorded material front… The Sisters of Mercy have toured a colossal amount over the last eighteen years and have played many new songs at these shows. There have been numerous rumors about a fourth album, but nothing concrete yet. One thing though is Safely; if Mr. Eldritch ever steps up and puts out some new material, then he’ll be very welcome. The Sisters of Mercy still have a strong gothic following and everyone is dying to see what happens next.