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The Cult: Back And Better Than Ever

© Marianne Moro

As many bands did back in England in the early 1980s, the Cult began as a dark-hued,eyeliner wearing goth band. Born as the ominous sounding Southern Death Cult,the group from Yorkshire, England was the brainchild of vocalist Ian Astbury. The band gained a fan base quickly, and they were opening for Bauhaus after barely a year together. Astbury, however, was displeased with the band's direction, and abandoned the project at the height of their popularity

The Southern Death Cult soon metamorphasized into the Cult,with Billy Duffy signing on as guitarist. Dreamtime, the band's first album yielded a #1 U.K. single, Spiritwalker. Followed by Love and the single She Sells Sanctuary, the Cult gained an extensive following in the U.K. It was also a prerequisite for British bands of the early 1980s to adhere to certain fashion and trend perimeters, such as excessive use of eyeliner, brocade jackets and Ian and Billy were no exception. They were touted as new wave, but things soon changed.

With Rick Rubin on board to produce, Electric combined Doors like imagery,Duffy's signature guitar sound and Astbury's evocative,commanding vocals in a swirling,psychedelic masterpiece. On tunes like Love Removal Machine and Wildflower, they paid homage to the trippy metal of the late 1960s with a sense of humor - and the cover of Born To Be Wild, is heavier than the orginal.

Produced by Bob Rock, Sonic Temple was the Cult's breakthrough album. Sonic Temple was solely dedicated to the hard rock, guitar god ethic prevalent at the time, minus the spandex and insipid sex lyrics. In 1990, I loved this album so much that for three weeks, it was all I listened to. I didn't play another CD, watch TV or listen to the radio. This was it for 21 days. Oh, God, in retrospect that sounds really psychotic, but I wasn't living in my parents' basement at the time, so it's OK. Fire Woman made the us Top 10, but every song is stellar in that classic rock, catchy guitar riff,driving around Friday night with the top down kinda way. Hey, they even comment on Edie Sedgewick (Ciao, Baby), tell the truth about New York City

Hot on the success of Sonic Temple, the band headlined a tour in 1992 to support their next release Ceremony, a watered down version of previous efforts. Most of the songs dealt with American Indian imagery, mother earth and similar concerns. The album was in cut out bins a few months after its' release, and on some American tour dates, more fans came to see their opening act, Lenny Kravitz, than the Cult. The usual Behind the Music type fallouts ensued, including substance abuse and intra-band squabbling.

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