The Sisters of Mercy : iSOUND.COM™

Stats

Members:
James Ray
Patricia Morrison
Ben Gunn
Andrew Eldritch

Formed: 1980

iSound Site: www.isound.com/sisters_of_mercy

Biography

Sounds Like

Artists:
Gene Loves Jezebel
Southern Death Cult
The Cure
Rozz Williams
Sex Gang Children
Love and Rockets
Peter Murphy
The Chameleons UK
Nick Cave
The Cult
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry
New Order
The Psychedelic Furs
Genres:
Alternative Rock
Goth-Rock

Featured Album

	Merciful Release Released: 2007

Biography

One of England\'s leading \"goth\" bands of the 1980s, the Sisters of Mercy have a very distinct sound, even within their genre. “The group ably brushed away the cobwebs from the gloomy Gothic façade and exposed a rock infrastructure hidden below,” described a journalist from Rolling Stone. The Sisters mixed serpentine dance beats with a deeply gloomy resonance and sultry vocals to create a heavy, yet catchy sound which even today often emulated, but rarely matched.

The one constant in the band\'s career and its driving force has been the deep-voiced vocalist, Andrew Eldritch. Eldritch originally formed the band in 1980 with guitarist Gary Marx and recorded its first single with a drum machine they called “Doktor Avalanche.” Later, bassist Craig Adams and guitarist Ben Gunn were added to make live gigs possible, and the Sisters built a reputation through performances and several singles and EPs. Gunn left the band in 1983 and was quickly replaced by guitarist Wayne Hussey.

The Sisters of Mercy recorded their first full-length album, “First and Last and Always” in 1985. Less than two years later, internal dissent had split them apart; Marx left to form a band called “Ghost Dance” and Adams and Hussey departed shortly thereafter.

A legal dispute ensued over the rights to the name Sisters of Mercy when Adams and Hussey formed their own band along with Red Lorry Yellow Lorry drummer, Mick Brown, and Artery guitarist Simon Hinkler. The group attempted to use the name “Sisterhood,” but Eldritch released an EP under the name to prevent its usage, and the two finally settled on the Mission.

From this point on, Eldritch chiefly utilized a group of temporary sidemen and rebounded with The Sisters of Mercy’s two biggest-selling American LPs, “Floodland” and “Vision Thing.”

Bio written by: SyntheticxDreams

Artist Forum


Discussion Topic	Creator
I can't believe... I can't believe people still care about the Sisters of Mercy. How do you do that? Seriously, I want to know. The Sisters have been sitting on their asses for fifteen-plus years. Their frontman is an egotistical asshole who hates, loathes, despises, and has been giving the finger to his gloom and doom (and only) followers for close to three decades. And the Sisters have THE MOST loyal fanbase I have ever encountered. Even the hyperactive Cure legions don't compare. How do you do that? I'm being serious here. How can you insult your audience for that long and still have them salivating at the thought of kissing your bare, white, Godfather-of-Goth ass? Teach me, Mr. Eldritch! Teach me!	LocustsAndStuff

Replys	Listener
Two problems with your theory, Adam. One, I'm the only person you know who's even heard of them. Two, I'm not goth.	TheRezJhonn
Not true. You brainwashed your cousin into liking them. And yes, yes, yes, you are extremely goth. How else do you explain all that black in your locker?	LocustsAndStuff
Is it my fault all the bands I like have no sense of variety when it comes to color? I'm not goth. I've never met a goth in my life, and it's kind of hard to belong to a group when there's no group in the first place. And what about that BIG ASS pink floyd flyer? That has color.	TheRezJhonn