The Sisters of Mercy
Encyclopedia
The Sisters of Mercy are an English rock band that formed in 1980. After achieving early underground fame in UK, the band had their commercial breakthrough in mid-1980s and sustained it until the early 1990s, 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 and songwriter Andrew Eldritch
Andrew Eldritch
Andrew Eldritch is the English frontman, singer, songwriter and only remaining original member of The Sisters of Mercy, a band that emerged from the British post-punk scene, transformed into a gothic rock band and, in later years, flirted with pop and hard rock.Eldritch also programs the tracks...

 and the drum machines called Doktor Avalanche are the only points of continuity among the line-ups. Eldritch and Avalanche were also involved in The Sisterhood
The Sisterhood
For movie, See The Sisterhood The Sisterhood was a side project by Sisters of Mercy singer Andrew Eldritch that recorded songs, which he had intended for a second Sisters album, with guest musicians.- Background :...

, a side-project connected with Eldritch's dispute with former members.

The group ceased recording activity in 1993, when they went on strike against their record company Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...

, which they accused of withholding royalties and of incompetence. Although Time Warner eventually let the band go in 1997, they have not signed to another label, and have chosen not to use an independent label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...

, despite showcasing numerous new songs in their live sets.

Since 1985, when the other original members left, The Sisters of Mercy has become the artistic vehicle of Andrew Eldritch. Former members of the group established the bands Ghost Dance
Ghost Dance (band)
Ghost Dance were a British gothic rock and post-punk band. formed in 1985 by Gary Marx and Anne-Marie Hurst as both were leaving their respective bands...

 and The Mission
The Mission (band)
The Mission are a gothic rock band formed in 1986 from the splinters of the freshly dissolved rock band The Sisters of Mercy.The band was started by frontman Wayne Hussey and bassist Craig Adams , soon adding...

.

Foundation (1979–1980)

The band was formed in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...

, England in 1979 by F-club regulars Gary Marx
Gary Marx
Gary Marx is a founding member of British rock band The Sisters of Mercy and its lead-guitarist and songwriter from 1979 to 1985....

 and Andrew Eldritch to satisfy their desire to hear themselves on the radio; during that time band t-shirts were made and a single, "Damage Done/Watch/Home of the Hit-men", was recorded and released. The name was influenced by Robert Altman
Robert Altman
Robert Bernard Altman was an American film director and screenwriter known for making films that are highly naturalistic, but with a stylized perspective. In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized his body of work with an Academy Honorary Award.His films MASH , McCabe and...

's film McCabe & Mrs. Miller
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
McCabe & Mrs. Miller is a 1971 American Western film starring Warren Beatty and Julie Christie, and directed by Robert Altman. The screenplay is by Altman and Brian McKay from the novel McCabe by Edmund Naughton. The cinematography is by Vilmos Zsigmond and the soundtrack includes three songs by...

(1971), which featured the Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...

 song "Sisters of Mercy" (from the album Songs of Leonard Cohen
Songs of Leonard Cohen
Songs of Leonard Cohen is the debut album of Canadian musician Leonard Cohen. It foreshadowed the future path of his career, with less success in the United States and far better in Europe, reaching #83 on the Billboard chart but achieving gold status only in 1989, while it reached #13 in UK and...

) ("because [calling ourselves] The Captains of Industry wouldn't have been as funny").

On the single (claimed by the band to have been played twice by John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...

) Gary Marx played guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

 through a practice amplifier and Andrew Eldritch was on drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....

. The partners each wrote and sang on a song.

Early years (1981–1983)

The band regrouped with Craig Adams
Craig Adams (musician)
Craig Adams is a British musician, bass guitarist and songwriter. Over his career he worked with a variation of rockbands while also being part of a touring crew....

 on bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

, while Eldritch's drumming was replaced by a drum machine
Drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...

, leaving him to concentrate on vocals. The drum machine was christened "Doktor Avalanche", and all of its numerous successors kept this name. Andrew Eldritch took over lyrics-writing, Doktor-programming, and record-producing
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...

 duties, while sharing the music-writing with Marx and (occasionally) Adams.

This became what is generally recognised as the first real Sisters line-up. It began with the Doktor/Eldritch/Marx/Adams incarnation of the band playing a gig in the Riley Smith Hall of the Leeds University Union
Leeds University Union
Leeds University Union is the representative body for the students at the University of Leeds, England. LUU is a charity for over 32,000 students. LUU is led by students, although many of the decisions are made by staff. There are shops, bars and clubs in the Union building...

 building in early 1981. Since nobody can remember the exact date, for historic purposes the band and fans have often celebrated the anniversary of the 16 February 1981 concert, in Vanbrugh College, York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...

, England – the band's second ever gig in the form. In 2001, it was the scene of the band's 20th anniversary concert, complete with iced cupcakes for the audience. Later in 1981, Ben Gunn
Ben Gunn (guitarist)
Ben Gunn is a British guitarist who was with The Sisters of Mercy from 1981 to 1983, appearing on several of their early singles....

 established himself as the second guitarist after several others came and went. Eldritch's melancholic baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...

, Craig Adams's pulsating bass, Doktor Avalanche's beat and Gary Marx's flowing guitar led the band to early underground success.

The band's singles were regularly featured in UK independent charts; some became single of the week in various UK indie
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...

 magazines. John Ashton
John Ashton (guitarist)
John Ashton , is a British musician, songwriter and record producer. He was a guitarist for and founding member of the Psychedelic Furs along with brothers Tim and Richard Butler...

 of The Psychedelic Furs produced the early classic "Alice". The Reptile House EP is another example of early Sisters work and marks the maturing songwriter Eldritch (who wrote, produced and [reportedly] played all instruments on it).

Their live performances featured many cover versions: among those, a medley consisting of "Sister Ray
Sister Ray
Sister Ray may mean one of the following:* "Sister Ray", 1968 song by The Velvet Underground* A fictional enormous laser cannon in the video game Final Fantasy VII* Sister Ray , a punk rock band from Youngstown, Ohio...

" (by Velvet Underground), "Ghostrider" (by Suicide
Suicide (band)
Suicide is an American electronic protopunk musical duo, intermittently active since 1970 and composed of vocalist Alan Vega and Martin Rev on synthesizers and drum machines. They are an early synthesizer/vocal musical duo....

) and "Louie Louie
Louie Louie
"Louie Louie" is an American rock 'n' roll song written by Richard Berry in 1955. It has become a standard in pop and rock, with hundreds of versions recorded by different artists...

" (by Richard Berry
Richard Berry
Richard Berry was an African American singer, songwriter and musician, who performed with many Los Angeles doo-wop and close harmony groups in the 1950s, including The Flairs and The Robins....

) became a live staple. Only three of them, The Stooges
The Stooges
The Stooges are an American rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan first active from 1967 to 1974, and later reformed in 2003...

' "1969", The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...

' "Gimme Shelter
Gimme Shelter
"Gimme Shelter" is a song by English rock band The Rolling Stones. It first appeared as the opening track on the band's 1969 album Let It Bleed. Although the first word was spelled "Gimmie" on that album, subsequent recordings by the band and other musicians have made "Gimme" the customary spelling...

" and Hot Chocolate's "Emma
Emma (song)
Emma, also known as Emma, Emmaline or Emmeline, is a song by Errol Brown and Tony Wilson released as a single by Hot Chocolate in 1974. It reached No.3 in the UK charts and No.8 in the US charts. Brown explained to The Mail on Sunday in 2009: "The story is tied to the death of my mother, aged 38...

" were eventually recorded and released on Sisters records (all as b-sides).

In late 1983, following the highly successful "Temple of Love" single, the band signed a contract with major record label WEA
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...

.

At the same time Ben Gunn left in an atmosphere of unanimous bitterness. Gunn stated that he did not agree with the direction Andrew Eldritch was taking the band – which, according to Gunn, started out as a joke on serious rock'n'roll outfits, but eventually became one. Gunn also mentioned personality conflicts with Andrew Eldritch as a reason for his departure.

First and Last and Always era (1984–1985)

Ben Gunn was replaced by Wayne Hussey
Wayne Hussey
Wayne Hussey is a British musician, best known as lead singer of The Mission and guitarist with The Sisters of Mercy....

, who concentrated on 12 string electric and acoustic guitars while also contributing as a songwriter. His studio-experience with Dead or Alive
Dead or Alive (band)
Dead or Alive were a British New Wave band from Wirral, England, United Kingdom, Europe. The band rose to fame in the 1980s with their number one single on the UK Singles Chart, "You Spin Me Round ". They were the first group to have a number one single under the production team Stock Aitken Waterman...

 also proved to be invaluable as the band set out to record their first full-length album. The Black October UK tour (October–November 1984) confirmed the underground cult status of the band. However, the growing alienation between Eldritch and the rest of the group was getting out of hand during the recording of the debut First and Last and Always
First and Last and Always
First and Last and Always is the debut album by the British gothic rock band The Sisters of Mercy, which was released in 1985 and proved to be style-shaping in the musical category of gothic rock.- Background :...

album. Eldritch's deteriorating health and psychological problems worsened the situation. The causes of these issues were frequently written about in the gossip columns of the music press of the time, NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...

, Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...

and Sounds
Sounds (magazine)
Sounds was a long-term British music paper, published weekly from 10 October 1970 – 6 April 1991. It was produced by Spotlight Publications , which was set up by Jack Hutton and Peter Wilkinson, who left "Melody Maker" to start their own company...

.

Most songs on the album were written and rehearsed by Marx, Hussey, and Adams, with Eldritch stepping in at the latest stage to write lyrics and add vocals.

Following the release of First and Last and Always, produced by David M. Allen (producer of albums such as The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...

's Disintegration
Disintegration
Disintegration is the eighth studio album by English alternative rock band The Cure, released on 1 May 1989 by Fiction Records. The record marks a return to the introspective and gloomy gothic rock style the band had established in the early 1980s...

, but not to be confused with the bass player of Gang of Four
Gang of Four (band)
Gang of Four are an English post-punk group from Leeds. Original personnel were singer Jon King, guitarist Andy Gill, bass guitarist Dave Allen and drummer Hugo Burnham. They were fully active from 1977 to 1984, and then re-emerged twice in the 1990s with King and Gill...

—also a record producer) (11 March 1985), Gary Marx split from the band in the middle of a supporting tour, citing inability to continue working with Andrew Eldritch. The group completed the tour as a three-piece act, and said farewell to the fans with the final gig in London's Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....

 on 18 June 1985. Video recordings of this show were later released as "Wake". A music video of the song "Black Planet" was also released in which the Monkeemobile
Monkeemobile
The Monkeemobile is a modified Pontiac GTO that was designed and built by designer Dean Jeffries for The Monkees, a pop-rock band and television program...

 was featured. Promotional videos were also made for the singles "Body and Soul", "Walk Away", and "No Time to Cry", but as of yet none of these videos, including "Black Planet", have been officially released by the band.

The Split: The Sisterhood and The Mission (1985–1986)

Shortly after the last gig Eldritch relocated to Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...

, soon to be joined by his remaining band mates, Hussey and Adams. Their intention was to begin working on a follow-up album, tentatively titled Left on a Mission and Revenge. Hussey had several songs written for the album, including "Dance on Glass" and "Garden of Delight". Demo versions of both songs featuring Eldritch on vocals have since surfaced, suggesting the band did work on the material in unison.

However, Eldritch has said to have pitched "Torch" as a potential song for the album, which culminated the long-standing tension between himself and Craig Adams. After criticizing the bass lines of the song, Adams unceremoniously left Germany for the UK, soon to be followed by Hussey. It's said that Eldritch hired the American singer and bass guitarist Patricia Morrison
Patricia Morrison
Patricia Morrison is an American bass guitarist, singer and songwriter. She worked with The Bags, The Gun Club, The Sisters of Mercy, and The Damned.-Biography:...

 of The Gun Club
The Gun Club (band)
The Gun Club was an American punk blues band from Los Angeles, California that existed from 1979 to 1996. Led by flamboyant singer and guitarist Jeffrey Lee Pierce, The Gun Club merged the contemporary genre of punk rock with the more traditional genres of blues, rockabilly and country music.Along...

 fame on the day Adams left.

Hussey and Adams went on form a new group called The Sisterhood. Their setlists featured songs Hussey had intended for The Sisters of Mercy, many of which he would later record and release with his new group. Meanwhile, Eldritch protested their usage of Sisterhood name as too similar to The Sisters of Mercy and a name that had been applied to the fan community of The Sisters of Mercy, and in an attempt to stop the practice released the single "Giving Ground" by his own band, The Sisterhood
The Sisterhood
For movie, See The Sisterhood The Sisterhood was a side project by Sisters of Mercy singer Andrew Eldritch that recorded songs, which he had intended for a second Sisters album, with guest musicians.- Background :...

. The single was later followed by the album Gift. Wayne Hussey's band eventually christened themselves The Mission. Hussey has since expressed regret on the entire incident.
According to some sources, with these releases Andrew Eldritch allegedly won, over Hussey and Adams, a race for a £25,000 advance (a sum opening the song Jihad
Jihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...

 on the Gift album) offered by the publishers to the first member of The Sisters of Mercy to release any output. This would tie Eldritch to WEA and release Hussey and Adams from their contract with the same record company. According to Tony Perrin (Mission manager) the case never went to court and Hussey's new band was able to release their material through an independent outlet. However, Eldritch stated elsewhere that the "2" "5" "0" "0" "0" which opens "Jihad" on the Sisterhood LP represents the sum of money he won from the Mission in the civil courts. He states in an interview, recorded in Boston, that the English courts did not recognize either his or the other members' of the band's legal right to the name "The Sisterhood". He said the courts required a release for anybody to claim ownership of the band name, which was the motivation for the initial Sisterhood single. After that single had been released, Eldritch officially owned the name, and could sue, which he did, winning 25,000 pounds in the lawsuit.

Floodland era (1987–1989)

Left to his own devices, Eldritch recorded the Floodland
Floodland
Floodland is the second album by the British band The Sisters of Mercy, which was released in 1987 and marked their commercial break-through.-Break-up of the original band:...

album (13 November 1987), marking a shift away from guitar-based rock towards an atmospheric, Wagnerian
Wagnerian rock
Wagnerian rock is a musical term which likely originated with Jim Steinman, who is quoted as using the phrase in the liner notes of the Meat Loaf album, Rock 'N Roll Hero. The phrase is assumed to be inspired by Steinman's love for the music of Richard Wagner and Phil Spector...

, keyboard-oriented explorations pioneered in "Gift". The album was produced by Eldritch and Larry Alexander, with contributions from Jim Steinman
Jim Steinman
James Richard "Jim" Steinman is an American composer, lyricist, and Grammy Award-winning record producer responsible for several hit songs. He has also worked as an arranger, pianist, and singer...

 on two songs, one of them being This Corrosion
This Corrosion
"This Corrosion" is a song from the album Floodland by The Sisters of Mercy. It was released as a single in 1987 reaching number 7 in the UK Charts....

.
This Corrosion was a composition Eldritch had already once recorded (if not released) with his Sisterhood collaborators. Also, the B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...

 featured Torch, the last song from the previous lineup. Then-manager Boyd Steemson maintains the chart success was no surprise for the band.
Patricia Morrison's musical contributions have been a matter of debate, while she inarguably played a significant part in the promotion, appearing alongside Eldritch on music videos, interviews and photo shoots. In 1992, Eldritch commented on their collaboration with the following:
The case has since been settled in court, which has to led a non-disclosure agreement between Morrison and Eldritch. Boyd Steemson later agreed Morrison was not involved much musically, adding that
The band did not play live during this period, but did perform on playback in Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...

, among others.

Vision Thing era (1989–1993)

The next incarnation of The Sisters of Mercy featured an unknown German guitarist, Andreas Bruhn, whom Eldritch apparently discovered playing in a Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...

 pub and joined the band in April 1989; controversial bassist Tony James
Tony James
Tony James is a British musician, best known as a bassist of Generation X and Sigue Sigue Sputnik.- Career :He was originally a member of the punk band London SS, along with Brian James, , and Mick Jones plus Terry Chimes .Later, James joined the early punk band Chelsea...

 (ex-Sigue Sigue Sputnik
Sigue Sigue Sputnik
Sigue Sigue Sputnik were a British new wave band created in 1982 by the former Generation X bassist Tony James. The band had three UK Top 40 hit singles, including the song "Love Missile F1-11".-Early years:...

 guitarist and Generation X
Generation X (band)
Generation X was a British punk rock band, formed on 21 November 1976 by Billy Idol, Tony James and John Towe.-History:...

 bassist/songwriter); and last-minute recruit Tim Bricheno
Tim Bricheno
Tim Bricheno has been the guitarist and writer with several notable English indie bands, including All About Eve, The Sisters of Mercy, XC-NN and Tin Star...

, formerly of All About Eve
All About Eve (band)
All About Eve were a British rock/pop band. The creative core consisted of the Coventry born Julianne Regan , and the Huddersfield born Andy Cousin , with other members changing over the years...

, on guitars. The new line-up kicked off with the Vision Thing album, released 22 October 1990, produced by Eldritch (one song, the single "More
More (Sisters of Mercy song)
"More" is a song by The Sisters of Mercy, from their album Vision Thing. It was the first single from the album, reaching number one on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart for five weeks, starting 15 December 1990...

", was a co-production and co-written with Jim Steinman). The album also featured guitarist John Perry
John Perry (musician)
John Perry is an English rock guitarist. He is most recognised for his involvement with the English new wave rock band, The Only Ones. Other bands in which he played include The Ratbites from Hell and Decline and Fall .Perry formed The Only Ones with Peter Perrett in 1976...

 with backing vocals by Maggie Reilly
Maggie Reilly
Maggie Reilly is a Scottish singer best known for her collaborations with the composer and instrumentalist Mike Oldfield...

. Designed as an assault on USA policies, the title a quotation from Vice President George Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...

 in 1987, it marked another change of direction, this time towards guitar-oriented rock.

The band launched a 1990–1991 world tour to promote the album. In 1991 they organized a controversial North American tour in double-act with Public Enemy. Fearing a clash between white fans of Sisters with the black following of Public Enemy, several towns banned the performances, and the tour was canceled halfway through. Late in 1991, Tony James
Tony James
Tony James is a British musician, best known as a bassist of Generation X and Sigue Sigue Sputnik.- Career :He was originally a member of the punk band London SS, along with Brian James, , and Mick Jones plus Terry Chimes .Later, James joined the early punk band Chelsea...

 left the group for his solo career; bass duties were transferred to Doktor Avalanche. The USA tour fiasco did not help the already strained relationship between Eldritch and the Sisters' new record company EastWest, a WEA
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...

 subsidiary (the band was assigned to it 1989 following an internal shuffle in WEA).

Conflicts with WEA led to termination of band's USA record distribution deal circa 1991–1992, so the last records of the group are only available in USA as imports.

Under the insistence of the record company the band rerecorded their early single "Temple of Love" (with Ofra Haza
Ofra Haza
Ofra Haza was an Israeli singer of Yemeni origin, an actress and international recording artist....

 on additional vocals) to promote the collection of their early independently released singles, entitled Some Girls Wander By Mistake
Some Girls Wander by Mistake
-Personnel:Tracks 1-2-3-4-11-12-13-17-18-19*Andrew Eldritch - vocals*Gary Marx - guitar*Craig Adams - bass guitar*Ben Gunn - guitar*Doktor Avalanche - drumsTracks 5-6-7-8-9-10*Andrew Eldritch - vocals, guitar*Craig Adams - bass guitar...

(1992).

In June 1992, Eldritch dismissed Boyd Steemson, the band's manager of ten years.
Around this time, Tim Bricheno
Tim Bricheno
Tim Bricheno has been the guitarist and writer with several notable English indie bands, including All About Eve, The Sisters of Mercy, XC-NN and Tin Star...

 had begun focusing on his other band, XC-NN (originally, CNN). Meanwhile, Bruhn released his debut solo album, Broon. Bruhn claimed the songs on the album were offered for the next Sisters release, only to be rebuked by Eldritch. Eldritch denied these allegations, saying he was never offered the songs.

Bricheno left by the end of the year and was replaced in 1993 by Adam Pearson. Pearson was the only guitarist on the Under the Gun single, which also featured former Berlin
Berlin (band)
Berlin is an American New Wave/Synthpop band. The group was formed in Los Angeles in 1978 by John Crawford . The band contained Crawford, Terri Nunn , David Diamond , Ric Olsen , Matt Reid and Rod Learned . Learned left during the first EU tour and was replaced by Rob Brill...

 lead vocalist Terri Nunn
Terri Nunn
Terri Kathleen Nunn , is an American singer and actress. She is best known as the lead vocalist of the New Wave band Berlin.-Biography:...

 on backing vocals. The single was recorded to promote the "greatest hits" compilation, A Slight Case of Overbombing
A Slight Case of Overbombing
-Personnel:Track 1*Andrew Eldritch – vocals, keyboards*Terri Nunn – vocals*Adam Pearson – guitar*Doktor Avalanche  – drums, synth bassTrack 2*Andrew Eldritch – vocals, keyboards*Ofra Haza – vocals...

(1993). These releases turned out to be the last commercial recordings from the band to date. Andreas Bruhn was reportedly out of the band in spirit by this time, but continued to tour with it in 1993.

Following the last concerts in December 1993, The Sisters of Mercy went into what Andrew Eldritch
Andrew Eldritch
Andrew Eldritch is the English frontman, singer, songwriter and only remaining original member of The Sisters of Mercy, a band that emerged from the British post-punk scene, transformed into a gothic rock band and, in later years, flirted with pop and hard rock.Eldritch also programs the tracks...

 called a "strike against EastWest".

Feud with East West Records (1994–97)

In or around 1994, Eldritch has alluded to have been preoccupied with legal matters surrounding the band, although he has failed to provide many details. It has been suggested by various parties that the issues stemmed from either the short-lived tour with Public Enemy in 1991, or, alternatively, Eldritch's ongoing issues with East West Records, as the band still owed them two original studio albums.

In 1995, Eldritch remixed two songs for the German group Die Krupps
Die Krupps
Die Krupps is a German industrial rock/EBM band, formed in 1980 by Jürgen Engler and Bernward Malaka in Düsseldorf.-History:Their initial sound throughout the 1980s combined synthesizers with metallic percussion...

 and appeared on the Sarah Brightman
Sarah Brightman
Sarah Brightman is an English classical crossover soprano, actress, songwriter and dancer. She is famous for possessing a vocal range of over 3 octaves and singing in the whistle register...

 single "How Can Heaven Love Me". A new Sisters of Mercy album, however, failed to appear.

Eldritch's associates approached Gary Marx, the co-founding member, to write tracks for a new studio album. Marx then met with Eldritch, with the two agreeing upon the terms under which the backing tracks would be produced. After Marx delivered a total of eleven tracks, Eldritch backed out of the project 'without uttering a single word'.

In 1996, the band was revived for several gigs supporting the Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...

, with Andreas Bruhn's place initially taken by Chris Sheehan. During subsequent tours, the guitarist spot would rotate between Sheehan and Mike Varjak.

In late 1997, the contract with EastWest was terminated, after the company agreed to accept material recorded under the SSV name instead of two albums for which the Sisters of Mercy had contractual obligations. The company agreed to accept the material (techno-like droning featuring mumbling vocals by Andrew Eldritch, without drums) without listening to it first. The recordings were never officially released and circulated only through pirate MP3
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...

s.

Following the release, the official Sisters of Mercy website contained the same "update" for several years;

Later years (1998–present)

While the band failed to release new recorded material, independently or otherwise, Eldritch has revived the band for short tours every year since 1996, aside 2004. The band plays unreleased songs, obscure B-sides, and reworked old classics. In 2005, long-time guitarist Adam Pearson played his last trek of concerts with the Sisters, now paired with a new member, Chris Catalyst
Chris Catalyst
Chris Catalyst is the guitarist from the rock bands Eureka Machines and The Sisters of Mercy. He was also known as Robochrist, a solo industrial comedy set with face paint and props which he used to perform, but which is now on hold for the time being.He was born in Beverley, East Riding of...

. Pearson since moved on to play for the MC5
MC5
The MC5 is an American rock band formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan and originally active from 1964 to 1972. The original band line-up consisted of vocalist Rob Tyner, guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith, bassist Michael Davis, and drummer Dennis Thompson...

.

In 2006, the band toured extensively through North America and Europe with their new guitarist, Ben Christo, formerly of UK punk/metal band AKO. With over 70 shows, the tour was the longest the band had undertaken in fifteen years. In Autumn 2008, the North American leg of a subsequent tour was conducted, followed by a string of shows in Europe (February–April '09), Lebanon and Israel (May '09) and South America (June '09).

In 2011, the band celebrated their 30th anniversary. Playing two nights in Leeds in mid-February, followed by gigs in Belgium, The Netherlands, Hungary, Germany, France and Luxembourg. They have also announced gigs in England, Scotland, Finland, Japan for the summer of 2011, Australia and New Zealand in September, and will play in Dublin, Ireland in November 2011.

Unreleased songs performed live

First performed Song name Writer(s) Venue Notes
1993/12/03 Come Together Andrew Eldritch
Andrew Eldritch
Andrew Eldritch is the English frontman, singer, songwriter and only remaining original member of The Sisters of Mercy, a band that emerged from the British post-punk scene, transformed into a gothic rock band and, in later years, flirted with pop and hard rock.Eldritch also programs the tracks...

Bank Austria Zelt, Wien
Wien
Wien is the German language name for Vienna, the city and federal state in Austria.* Wien , in Vienna, Austria* Theater an der Wien, a theater in Vienna located at the former river WienWien may also refer to:...

, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

1997/06/03 War on Drugs Andrew Eldritch Joseph's Well, Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...

, UK
1997/06/11 Summer Adam Pearson (music), Andrew Eldritch (lyrics) Manchester Apollo, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...

, UK
1998/01/14 Romeo Down Adam Pearson (music), Andrew Eldritch (lyrics) Stadthalle, Erlangen
Erlangen
Erlangen is a Middle Franconian city in Bavaria, Germany. It is located at the confluence of the river Regnitz and its large tributary, the Untere Schwabach.Erlangen has more than 100,000 inhabitants....

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

1998/01/14 We Are the Same, Suzanne Mike Varjak (music), Andrew Eldritch (lyrics) Stadthalle, Erlangen
Erlangen
Erlangen is a Middle Franconian city in Bavaria, Germany. It is located at the confluence of the river Regnitz and its large tributary, the Untere Schwabach.Erlangen has more than 100,000 inhabitants....

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

1998/01/24 Will I Dream? Adam Pearson (music), Mike Varjak (music), Andrew Eldritch (lyrics) Colosseum, Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

1998/08/29 New World Order Andrew Eldritch Summer Horizon Festival, Gelsenkirchen
Gelsenkirchen
Gelsenkirchen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the Ruhr area. Its population in 2006 was c. 267,000....

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

Credits unconfirmed - Played from the PA; not yet performed live
2000/08/12 Crash and Burn Adam Pearson (music), Andrew Eldritch (lyrics) M'era Luna Festival
M'era Luna Festival
The M'era Luna is a festival of goth, metal and industrial music. It is held annually on the second weekend of every August, in Hildesheim, Germanyat Flugplatz Hildesheim-Drispenstedt, a former British Army airbase....

, Hildesheim
Hildesheim
Hildesheim is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located in the district of Hildesheim, about 30 km southeast of Hanover on the banks of the Innerste river, which is a small tributary of the Leine river...

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

Credits unconfirmed
2000/08/12 Top Nite Out Adam Pearson (music) M'era Luna Festival
M'era Luna Festival
The M'era Luna is a festival of goth, metal and industrial music. It is held annually on the second weekend of every August, in Hildesheim, Germanyat Flugplatz Hildesheim-Drispenstedt, a former British Army airbase....

, Hildesheim
Hildesheim
Hildesheim is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located in the district of Hildesheim, about 30 km southeast of Hanover on the banks of the Innerste river, which is a small tributary of the Leine river...

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

An instrumental
2003/04/01 I Have Slept with All the Girls in Berlin Adam Pearson (music), Andrew Eldritch (lyrics) Jahrhunderthalle, Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

Credits unconfirmed
2006/05/07 Still Chris Catalyst
Chris Catalyst
Chris Catalyst is the guitarist from the rock bands Eureka Machines and The Sisters of Mercy. He was also known as Robochrist, a solo industrial comedy set with face paint and props which he used to perform, but which is now on hold for the time being.He was born in Beverley, East Riding of...

 (music), Andrew Eldritch (lyrics)
Rock City, Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...

, UK
2009/02/26 Arms Chris Catalyst (music), Andrew Eldritch (lyrics) Dock's, Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...



In 2002, Eldritch did reminisce on some recent meetings he'd had with various record companies.
In October 2006, Side-Line Music Magazine announced that the band was in talks with the Universal sublabel W14 Music. Signed or not signed, three Sisters of Mercy reissues were released on 3 November 2006 in Europe (and 30 October in the USA) via Wea International: "First And Last And Always" (1985), "Floodland" (1987) and "Vision Thing" (1990). All 3 albums contained bonus tracks.

The official Sisters of Mercy website has remained essentially the same since it went online. The Merciful Release and Reptile House links have been shown as Site Under Construction for several years. The Sisters of Mercy have not released new recorded material since 1993. Even lead guitarist Ben Christo told Side-Line that he does not know if and when a new album would be released. In 2010 Eldritch confirmed that he currently sees no reason to release an album in an interview with Classic Rock
Classic Rock (magazine)
Classic Rock is a British magazine dedicated to the radio format of classic rock, published by Future Publishing, who are also responsible for its "sister" publication Metal Hammer. Although firmly focusing on key bands from the 1960s through early 1990s, it also includes articles and reviews of...

contributor Joel McIver
Joel McIver
Joel McIver is a British author. The best-known of his 20 books to date is the bestselling Justice For All: The Truth About Metallica, first published in 2004 and selling close to 50,000 copies in nine languages since then. McIver's other works include biographies of Black Sabbath, Slayer, Ice...

. When recently asked to elaborate, Eldritch pointed time constraints and lack of available material as some of the problems involved.

Influence

The band cited Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...

, Hawkwind
Hawkwind
Hawkwind are an English rock band, one of the earliest space rock groups. Their lyrics favour urban and science fiction themes. They are also a noted precursor to punk rock and now are considered a link between the hippie and punk cultures....

, Gary Glitter
Gary Glitter
Gary Glitter is an English former glam rock singer-songwriter and musician.Glitter first came to prominence in the glam rock era of the early 1970s...

, The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City. First active from 1964 to 1973, their best-known members were Lou Reed and John Cale, who both went on to find success as solo artists. Although experiencing little commercial success while together, the band is often cited...

, The Stooges
The Stooges
The Stooges are an American rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan first active from 1967 to 1974, and later reformed in 2003...

, Motörhead, Suicide
Suicide (band)
Suicide is an American electronic protopunk musical duo, intermittently active since 1970 and composed of vocalist Alan Vega and Martin Rev on synthesizers and drum machines. They are an early synthesizer/vocal musical duo....

, The Birthday Party
The Birthday Party (band)
The Birthday Party were an Australian rock band, active from 1973 to 1983.Despite being championed by John Peel, The Birthday Party found little commercial success during their career...

 and The Fall as among their influences. Cohen himself wrote and performed a song entitled "Sisters of Mercy" on his debut album, Songs of Leonard Cohen
Songs of Leonard Cohen
Songs of Leonard Cohen is the debut album of Canadian musician Leonard Cohen. It foreshadowed the future path of his career, with less success in the United States and far better in Europe, reaching #83 on the Billboard chart but achieving gold status only in 1989, while it reached #13 in UK and...

. The band shares influences with other bands in the first wave of what is termed "goth
Gothic rock
Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...

" music.

Whilst the band enjoys a considerable fan base with overlapping interests in so-called dark culture, The Sisters of Mercy consider themselves first and foremost a rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...

 band. They have actively discouraged their association with "goth" via regular public statements in the press, not to mention stipulations in their standard contract riders. Nevertheless, this has not stopped them from regularly appearing at festivals where this music is featured, such as M'era Luna
M'era Luna Festival
The M'era Luna is a festival of goth, metal and industrial music. It is held annually on the second weekend of every August, in Hildesheim, Germanyat Flugplatz Hildesheim-Drispenstedt, a former British Army airbase....

. In addition, The Sisters of Mercy were highly influential to the second wave of Gothic rock
Gothic rock
Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...

 bands.

Members

The Sisters of Mercy line-ups
(1980–81)
  • Andrew Eldritch
    Andrew Eldritch
    Andrew Eldritch is the English frontman, singer, songwriter and only remaining original member of The Sisters of Mercy, a band that emerged from the British post-punk scene, transformed into a gothic rock band and, in later years, flirted with pop and hard rock.Eldritch also programs the tracks...

    , vocals, keyboards, guitars, drums
  • Gary Marx
    Gary Marx
    Gary Marx is a founding member of British rock band The Sisters of Mercy and its lead-guitarist and songwriter from 1979 to 1985....

    , guitars, vocals on one early track
(1981–83)
  • Andrew Eldritch, vocals, guitars, drum programming
  • Gary Marx, guitars
  • Ben Gunn
    Ben Gunn (guitarist)
    Ben Gunn is a British guitarist who was with The Sisters of Mercy from 1981 to 1983, appearing on several of their early singles....

    , guitars
  • Craig Adams
    Craig Adams (musician)
    Craig Adams is a British musician, bass guitarist and songwriter. Over his career he worked with a variation of rockbands while also being part of a touring crew....

    , bass
  • (1984–85)
  • Andrew Eldritch, vocals, guitars, drum programming
  • Gary Marx, guitars
  • Wayne Hussey
    Wayne Hussey
    Wayne Hussey is a British musician, best known as lead singer of The Mission and guitarist with The Sisters of Mercy....

    , guitars, backing vocals
  • Craig Adams, bass
  • (1985–89)
  • Andrew Eldritch, vocals, keyboards, guitars, drum programming
  • Patricia Morrison
    Patricia Morrison
    Patricia Morrison is an American bass guitarist, singer and songwriter. She worked with The Bags, The Gun Club, The Sisters of Mercy, and The Damned.-Biography:...

    , bass
  • (1989)
  • Andrew Eldritch, vocals, keyboards, guitars, drum programming
  • Patricia Morrison
    Patricia Morrison
    Patricia Morrison is an American bass guitarist, singer and songwriter. She worked with The Bags, The Gun Club, The Sisters of Mercy, and The Damned.-Biography:...

    , bass
  • Andreas Bruhn, guitars

  • (According to the Vision Thing booklet, there was a period when both Patricia and Andreas were on board.)
    (1989–90)
    • Andrew Eldritch, vocals, keyboards, guitars, drum programming
    • Andreas Bruhn, guitars
    • Tony James
      Tony James
      Tony James is a British musician, best known as a bassist of Generation X and Sigue Sigue Sputnik.- Career :He was originally a member of the punk band London SS, along with Brian James, , and Mick Jones plus Terry Chimes .Later, James joined the early punk band Chelsea...

      , bass
    (1990–91)
  • Andrew Eldritch, vocals, keyboards, guitars, drum programming
  • Andreas Bruhn, guitars
  • Tim Bricheno
    Tim Bricheno
    Tim Bricheno has been the guitarist and writer with several notable English indie bands, including All About Eve, The Sisters of Mercy, XC-NN and Tin Star...

    , guitars
  • Tony James, bass
  • Dan Donovan
    Dan Donovan (keyboardist)
    For other people with this name, see Dan Donovan.Daniel "Dan" Donovan is a British keyboardist probably best known for being a member of Big Audio Dynamite. Following a brief stint in 1990 with The Sisters of Mercy he became a founding member of Dreadzone...

    , keyboards
  • (1992)
  • Andrew Eldritch, vocals, keyboards, guitars, drum programming
  • Andreas Bruhn, guitars
  • Tim Bricheno, guitars
  • (1993)
  • Andrew Eldritch, vocals, keyboards, guitars, drum programming
  • Andreas Bruhn, guitars
  • Adam Pearson, guitars, backing vocals, bass
  • (1996)
  • Andrew Eldritch, vocals, keyboards, guitars, drum programming
  • Adam Pearson, guitars, backing vocals, bass
  • Chris Sheehan, guitars, backing vocals
  • (1997–99)
  • Andrew Eldritch, vocals, keyboards, guitars, drum programming
  • Adam Pearson, guitars, backing vocals, bass
  • Mike Varjak, guitars
  • (2000–03)
  • Andrew Eldritch, vocals, keyboards, guitars, drum programming
  • Adam Pearson, guitars, backing vocals, bass
  • Chris Sheehan, guitars, backing vocals
  • (2005)
  • Andrew Eldritch, vocals, keyboards, guitars, drum programming
  • Adam Pearson, guitars, backing vocals, bass
  • Chris Catalyst
    Chris Catalyst
    Chris Catalyst is the guitarist from the rock bands Eureka Machines and The Sisters of Mercy. He was also known as Robochrist, a solo industrial comedy set with face paint and props which he used to perform, but which is now on hold for the time being.He was born in Beverley, East Riding of...

    , guitars, backing vocals
  • (2006–)
  • Andrew Eldritch, vocals, keyboards, guitars, drum programming
  • Ben Christo, guitars, backing vocals
  • Chris Catalyst, guitars, backing vocals


  • Note: this list does not include short-lived members from 1980–1981, and live band members from 1990 onwards (from 1992–1993, one keyboardist and one keyboardist/singer; and from 1996 onwards, and a Doktor Avalanche operator, Simon Denbigh of the The March Violets
    The March Violets
    The March Violets are an English goth rock band of the 1980s, incorporating singers of both sexes, drum machine rhythms and echo laden electric guitar, much in the way of scene mates The Sisters of Mercy, who also originated from the city of Leeds...

    , who was billed as 'Nurse').

    Doktor Avalanche

    The original incarnation of Doktor Avalanche was a BOSS
    Boss Corporation
    Boss is a manufacturer of effects pedals for electric guitar and bass guitar. It is a division of the Roland Corporation, a Japanese manufacturer that specializes in musical equipment and accessories...

     DR-55 ("Doctor Rhythm"); the Doktor was later replaced by a Roland TR-606
    Roland TR-606
    The Roland TR-606 Drumatix is a programmable analog synthesis drum machine built by the Roland Corporation from 1981 to 1984. It was originally designed to be used with the Roland TB-303, a monophonic analog bass synthesizer, to provide a simple drum and bass accompaniment to guitarists without...

    , soon followed by a TR-808, and, briefly, a TR-909. On one album, First and Last and Always
    First and Last and Always
    First and Last and Always is the debut album by the British gothic rock band The Sisters of Mercy, which was released in 1985 and proved to be style-shaping in the musical category of gothic rock.- Background :...

    , an Oberheim
    Oberheim
    Oberheim Electronics is an American company, founded in 1969 by Tom Oberheim , which manufactured audio synthesizers and a variety of other electronic musical instruments.-Oberheim Electronics:...

     DMX bore the Doktor name.

    With increased financial resources from sale of the album, the Doktor was upgraded to a Yamaha RX5, and subsequently reinforced by Akai
    Akai
    Akai is a consumer electronics brand, founded by Saburo Akai as , a Japanese manufacturer in 1929. It is now headquartered in Singapore as a subsidiary of Grande Holdings, a Hong Kong-based conglomerate, which also owns the formerly Japanese brands Nakamichi and Sansui. The Akai brand is now used...

     S900 and S1000 samplers. An Akai S3200 has been used as studio equipment. Soon after, the first digital
    Digital
    A digital system is a data technology that uses discrete values. By contrast, non-digital systems use a continuous range of values to represent information...

     Doktor appeared in the form of a set of Compaq
    Compaq
    Compaq Computer Corporation is a personal computer company founded in 1982. Once the largest supplier of personal computing systems in the world, Compaq existed as an independent corporation until 2002, when it was acquired for US$25 billion by Hewlett-Packard....

     portable PCs, which had to be scrapped when it became impossible to maintain them because of a lack of spare part
    Spare part
    Spare Parts may also refer to:* Spare Parts , by Status Quo* Spare Parts is a Doctor Who audio drama.* Spare Parts , by Servotron* "Spare Parts" , by Bruce Springsteen* "Spare Parts"...

    s.

    In recent years the "Digital Doktor" has been moved to a custom-built laptop designed by Andrew Eldritch and constructed by an English weapons manufacturing company. For a time there was some division in the band as the whether or not the Doktor should be moved to a Macintosh
    Macintosh
    The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...

     running Logic
    Logic Pro
    Logic Pro is a hybrid 32 / 64 bit digital audio workstation and MIDI sequencer software application for the Mac OS X platform. Originally created by German software developer Emagic, Logic Pro became an Apple product when Apple bought Emagic in 2002...

     or remain as is.

    Doktor Avalanche also "runs" the on-line advice column
    Advice column
    An advice column is a column in a magazine or newspaper written by an advice columnist . The image presented was originally of an older woman providing comforting advice and maternal wisdom, hence the name "aunt"...

     on the Sisters' website.

    Discography

    • First and Last and Always
      First and Last and Always
      First and Last and Always is the debut album by the British gothic rock band The Sisters of Mercy, which was released in 1985 and proved to be style-shaping in the musical category of gothic rock.- Background :...

      (1985)
    • Floodland
      Floodland
      Floodland is the second album by the British band The Sisters of Mercy, which was released in 1987 and marked their commercial break-through.-Break-up of the original band:...

      (1987)
    • Vision Thing (1990)

    External links

    The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
     
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