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The Sisters of Mercy Keep Their Long, Dark Shadow Alive

Some girls wander by mistake

Rumored to have taken the name of the classic 1968 Leonard Cohen song, the Sisters of Mercy have long been derided with the “goth” label. And although their blend of psychedelia, doomy metal, and danceable beats appealed to the clad-in-black crowd, it is a term that sole constant Andrew Eldritch has come to loathe.

Sisters of Mercy

In Leeds, England, Eldritch formed the first incarnation of the Sisters of Mercy in 1980. Wrapping Eldritch’s deep, ominous voice around throbbing bass, psychedelic guitar, and the raw generated beats of a drum machine named Doktor Avalanche, the Sisters released a handful of singles and EPs in the early 1980s. Such classics as “Alice,” “Anaconda,” and The Reptile House EP derive from this period. Building on influences such as Suicide, the Stooges, and the Mekons (whose Jon Langford was a part of a very early Sisters lineup), the band forged a new sound that sat alongside Joy Division and Bauhaus but differentiated themselves via a primitive and raw darkness pulled in from Eldritch’s unmistakable muse.

The Sisters began to make a name for themselves with the appearance of “The Temple of Love” 12-inch single, a pulsating, seven-minute dance track that became a hit in various underground clubs, both in England and the States. With that, the band finally signed to Elektra Records and recorded their first full-length, First and Last and Always. Swarmed with beats both dancy and dirgy, the album was a culmination of everything the band had done before and then some. Although the record was not a hit in America, it did give them a bit of a foothold here with the help of videos to such now classics as “Black Planet” and “Walk Away.”

However, due to internal tension within the band, this lineup weren’t able to capitalize on the strength of First and Last and Always. Original guitarst Gary Marx quit, followed by guitarist Wayne Hussey and bassist Craig Adams. The latter two attempted to form the Sisterhood. Eldritch ultimately blocked them from using the moniker by recording an EP under the same name. Hussey and Adams soon relented and changed their name to the Mission, a much more bombastic group that took the worst pretensions of U2 and other arena rock bands of the time to give the world a pale and very pretentious imitation of what the Sisters had accomplished in previous years.

Although the band existed in name only, Eldritch continued with ex-Gun Club bassist Patricia Morrison and various sidemen to create Floodland in 1987. Released to universal acclaim, Floodland was the band’s first exposure to any sort of mainstream success. Singles for such songs as “Dominion/Mother Russia,” “This Corrosion” and “Lucretia My Reflection” were hits on college radio as well as in underground clubs. And although the Sisters didn’t reach the level of success enjoyed by contemporaries such as Depeche Mode or the Cure, the Sisters attracted a cult following of listeners who preferred their music a bit deeper and enigmatic.

After the success of Floodland, Morrison was gone (she later married Dave Vanian of the Damned and ended up alongside him) and it looked as if Eldritch was ready to put an active band back together. The new four-piece lineup, which most notably featured former Generation X bassist Tony James, recorded 1990’s Vision Thing. Again critically acclaimed, the album repeated the success of Floodland while forging in a metal direction. While this might have upset longtime fans, Eldritch could have cared less. He clearly never wanted to be seen as a goth pinup boy.

Although the Sisters of Mercy have remained somewhat active with sporadic touring, there has yet to be a fourth album. The almost 19-year wait for a new record from the Sisters has eclipsed both the lauded My Bloody Valentine and perennial delayers Guns ’N Roses for the longest stretch between releases. Still, rumors persist that there will be a new album. For the diehards—of whom there are still many—the rare concert tour that includes this week’s Buffalo date is a cherished occasion until that new record comes.

The Sisters of Mercy make a rare concert appearance in Western New York—the first since the fabled Gathering of the Tribes tour stop with Public Enemy at the old Darien Lake Amphitheater in 1991—this Monday, October 27 at Town Ballroom with special guest Bison b.c.

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