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The Sisters of Mercy

THE SISTERS OF MERCY
 
 
The Sisters of Mercy  are an English rock band, formed in 1977 in Leeds.  After achieving early underground fame in UK, the band had their commercial breakthrough in mid-1980’s and sustained it until the early 1990’s, when they stopped releasing new recorded output in protest against their record company.  Currently, the band is a touring outfit only.  The group has released three original studio albums, of which the last was released in 1990.  Each album was recorded by a different line-up; singer-songwriter Andrew Eldritch and the drum machine called Doktor Avalanche are the only points of continuity among the line-ups.  (More from Wikipedia)
 
 
One of the best new wave albums I have acquired in recent years is Dangerous Dreams by the Nails; and the Allmusic (specifically Whitney Z. Gomes) review of the album states:  “The grandeur of the Doors, the propulsion of Iggy Pop, and the moroseness of the Sisters of Mercy, combine with the Nails’ own talent to create the perfect vessel for riding high on a dark wave of depression.”  However, with all of that praise, the album still merited only a 2½-star rating.   

 

(March 2013)

 
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The Sisters of Mercy (named for a well-known Irish religious order) was one of my favorite bands of the 1980’s alternative rock explosion, particularly their video of “This Corrosion” that I saw numerous times on the late-night MTV alternative rock showcase 120 Minutes.  (The extended version of “This Corrosion” on their album Floodland was not nearly so effective).  Andrew Eldritch is the only continuous member of the band (along with a drum machine called Doktor Avalanche that really is something special), though the grim visage of Patricia Morrison on the video for “This Corrosion” is at least as memorable as his own. 

 

(October 2014)