Strange that one of gothic rock's most iconic and influential bands has only released three studio albums in a 25-year career. Floodland, The Sisters of Mercy's second album, is the one where everything came together. It is a majestic work—unapologetically overblown and imbued with an irresistible charm.
Enigmatic Sisters frontman Andrew Eldritch claimed he recorded the album himself with bass player Patricia Morrison (formerly of The Gun Club) and a drum machine called Doktor Avalanche. (Eldritch later claimed that Morrison had not played a note on the record and had only picked up her guitar for the videos.) Tracks like "Dominion/Mother Russia" and "This Corrosion" had an extra dramatic touch given by Meat Loaf producer Jim Steinman and driven by thunderous, industrial beats. (Both tracks feature the New York Choral Society.)
"Flood I" plumbs gloomy depths, while in contrast to the widescreen sound on show elsewhere, the melancholic "1959" features only piano and voice.
When Floodland was released, gothic rock had attracted mainstream attention. Three singles were culled from the album, all of which did well in the charts. Image was always as crucial to the Sisters as the music itself, and the accompanying videos helped underline the theatrical imagery of the album.
In interviews, it is clear that Eldritch is keenly aware of a humorous side to his band, although his hordes of fans would never acknowledge such a thing. This paradox has never been as clear as on Floodland, which somehow manages to be tongue-in-cheek and deeply affecting at the same time.
TRACKS:
1 Dominion / Mother Russia (7:01)
2 Flood I (6:22)
3 Lucretia My Reflection (4:57)
4 1959 (4:09)
5 This Corrosion (10:55)
6 Flood II (6:47)
7 Driven Like The Snow (6:27)
8 Never Land (A Fragment) (2:46)
9 Torch (3:51)
10 Colours (7:18)
FULL ALBUM:
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