The Sisters of Mercy

The Sisters of Mercy are a dark, English rock institution with a vision sustained by frontman Andrew Eldritch and his beloved drum machine, Doktor Avalanche, for over four decades. Emerging from the underground in the early '80s, the group found mainstream success with a trio of influential releases (First and Last and Always [1985], Floodland [1987], and Vision Thing [1990]) that combined brooding industrial metal and art rock with opulent dance-pop and darkwave-influenced post-punk. Sisters of Mercy ceased being a recording entity in the early '90s but have continued as a live act into the 2020s with Eldritch at the helm.

Founded by Eldritch in Leeds in 1980 with guitarist Gary Marx, the Sisters of Mercy released their debut single, "Damage Done," independently. Guitarist Ben Gunn and bassist Craig Adams were added to make live gigs feasible, and the Sisters built a reputation through a strong string of EPs and post-punk-leaning singles like "Alice," The Body Electric," and "Adrenochrome." After releasing 1983's Reptile House EP, the band inked a major-label deal with WEA. Citing creative differences, Gunn left the fold and was replaced by Wayne Hussey, who made his studio debut on the band's first full-length effort, 1985's First and Last and Always. Two years later, internal dissent had split the band apart; Marx left to form Ghost Dance, and Adams and Hussey departed shortly after that. A legal dispute ensued over the rights to the name Sisters of Mercy; Adams and Hussey attempted to use the name Sisterhood, but Eldritch released an EP under the moniker to prevent its usage, and the two finally settled on the Mission.

Eldritch chiefly utilized a corps of temporary players from this point on (although former Gun Club bassist Patricia Morrison was an official group member for a short time) and rebounded with his two biggest-selling LPs. 1987's Jim Steinman-co-produced Floodland was built from a bolder sonic blueprint than its predecessor, with Eldritch's deep baritone bolstered by choral arrangements, expansive guitars, and lush keyboard vistas. It reached number nine on the U.K. Albums Chart and spent six weeks on the Billboard 200. Eldritch recruited bassist Tony James (Sigue Sigue Sputnik) and guitarists Tim Bricheno and Andreas Bruhn for the group's third long-player. Released in 1990, Vision Thing adopted a heavier, more industrial metal approach, pairing brooding hard rock with lyrics that railed against the policies of the George H. W. Bush administration. A 1992 re-recording of the early cut "Temple of Love" soared to number three in the U.K., while the compilation LP Some Girls Wander by Mistake reached number five. A series of personnel changes preceded the release of 1993's "Under the Gun," which would be the band's last commercial recording. It was followed later that year by the greatest-hits collection A Slight Case of Overbombing.

Since then, Eldritch has assembled multiple versions of the band for touring purposes. As the decades progressed, new songs such as "Eyes of Caligula" and "Don't Drive on Ice" began appearing in the band's set lists, though Eldritch has stated that no new studio album is in the works. ~ James Christopher Monger, Rovi