Reviews (page 4 of 7)
It leans heavily on atmosphere, and while that atmosphere is strong, it doesn’t really develop much. The songs tend to sit in the same space rather than build or transform, so after a while it starts to feel static. There’s a clear identity here, just not a lot of movement within it.
no es mi estilo, pero es muy bueno
Better than I expected but not my cuppa
Liked Dominion and Flood I but felt like this had diminishing returns pretty quickly
a little too much goth/gloom for my taste, very Type-O Negative in music and voice. if they were on, i wouldnt turn it off but i wouldnt go seeking it.
Wow this was super interesting!! Not my favorite, but boy did this entertain me. Super odd singing over super mainstream 80s music, with crazy lyrics, and fantastic theatrics. It's the most non-mainstream mainstream music I ever heard!! And holy cow that lead singer looks like th coolest guy EVER! The only reason it doesn't get a four is because it did start to get repetitive.
Reminds me of early Bowie. I liked it.
Not bad and not great. Very one tone and one beat.
Not something I’d normally listen to but was a pleasant surprise. An Ok album to have in your collection so when applying a random shuffle a track pops up once in a while. Also useful to have when on a day trip to Whitby. 3/5 17/4/26
No m’engancha de primeras falta segona escucha …
it's 3.5
not bad, interesting sound. very 80s
Good but not ultra memorable. Gave me the Cure vibes meets Depeche Mode but darker. Would potentially give it another listen.
excellent drummer. au début j'ai trouvé ça downant.... mais j'avoue que j'y ai un peu pris goût à l'atmosphère gloomy, ça tombe bien dans une semaine de pluie. Les tounes sont trop longues et je dirais pas que c'est de la grande musique dans l'ensemble.
Не знаю, все звісно стильно, але якось воно залишилось в тому часі. Мені подібні жанри інколи в настрій заходять, але весь цей готік-рок (тайп о негатів не рахуємо, це окрема штука), естетично мабуть все ж не моє.
Interesting sound, not great, but not a boring listen.
Yeah, I'm here for this. Again not really my thing, but one of the great things about the list is hearing how all the experimentation in the 60s turns into hard rock and metal and glam and punk and post punk, which leads to new wave and gloomy goth synth like this. And how you can still hear all of these sounds coming back into fashion then leaving again in music today. So not an album I'm likely to go back to, but I appreciate it.
Taking me back to my adolescent goth phase (it was never a phase) and loving it
Lowkey imposing.
3 - good album
This type of music is right up my alley, so I really enjoyed this album. There were some stand outs but as a whole it just doesn't quite have enough oomph, with half the songs feeling kind of forgettable. Will be checking out the band more though.
Surprised to find I kind of liked this, like an 80s glam rock version of Franz Ferdinand
I could feel my hair turning darker and my jeans gaining new holes as I listened to this as an album, This Corrosion is an awesome song, but unfortunately the rest of the album doesn’t really live up to that. However, it’s not bad. If you like Gothic Rock you’re probably a big fan of this album, but most of it went to the background for me, but it never annoyed me.
Interesting, not for me. 6.1/10
5/10 - Favorite song: driven like the snow
Hey now! Hey now, now! Catchy af. I enjoyed my time with it but I’ll probably never come back to it. Definitely a time piece that existed and did well at its time, but not so much today.
This was pretty fun. I haven’t listened to a lot of stuff like this before, but I think my appreciation of Drab Majesty helped make this more palatable than it might have been.
I was ready to come in here and hate, but then This Corrosion hits and all hatred is gone and the vibe is simply immaculate. This is a disgustingly 80’s album in the best way. Terrible album cover too. Favorite songs were Lucretia My Reflection and This Corrosion.
I’ve never really been into goth rock, but after listening to this album, I'm definitely hooked.
This is really good, but not quite my goth album of choice. Part of the problem is definitely that the Sisters of Mercy sound became archetypal as the 80's and 90's progressed, so to me, this doesn't sound like it has an extremely strong identity, even though I know that this was pretty groundbreaking. The post-punk basis of earlier goth is slowed down, reverb-ed out, and given a dancier coat of paint. But it kind of sits in a weird place to me: to put it as efficiently as I can, it's not as dark as The Cure's albums from before it, and it isn't as catchy as The Cure's albums from after. But Sisters of Mercy do definitely carve out a path in the genre that I think of as more "goth" than any of the aforementioned The Cure albums. So I can enjoy this as it's own thing. There are a few really strong songs here: like Dominion/Mother Russia, 1959, This Corrosion, and Never Land. But some of the others are devoured by the aesthetic, without giving the songs themselves a chance to shine. I will also say that while the vocals slot really nicely into the sound here: I don't think Andrew Eldritch is really a stand out presence. But regardless of some little complaints, I thought this was really enjoyable, and I'm glad I heard it.
Sisters of Mercy are a musical Frankenstein’s monster made up of parts of The Cure, Dépêche Mode, and Echo and the Bunnymen. Unfortunately, they got the Abby Normal parts of each and end up just being very 80s goth. A few pretty good songs and a few dull ones. Took me right back to high school. Fine but ultimately non essential
Not in love with his singing but it’s a great glimpse into the sound of the 80’s. Having no experience with this band before, and going off their sound, I was surprised this was from 87 as it sounds like it’s from earlier in the decade. Man, grunge was just starting at this time and was going to explode in 91. Wild times.
Crunchy
Classic goth rock band and sound. That's the only reason I can imagine it's on this list, because I don't think it stands out much past that.
lol. Lmao even. Gotta respect it even if it's not my bag. Gotta be one of the most 80s things ever produced.
233/1089 this was just good. it’s goth rock that’s pretty easy to listen to, but i wasn’t wowed the final two tracks were my faves i think but didn’t necessarily leave a huge impact personally 54/100
Some of the vocals are very Bowie-esque. What’s not to like?
Love the 2 songs I already knew, Lucretia My Reflection and This Corrosion. The rest was a mix of minor hits and misses. Reminded me of Kris and I in our Goth phase.
Fun, intense, a little vampire-y. Really answers the question, what if the Cold War happened but you were also goth? 100% on the high end of a 3 but still a 3. Season: True Winter Favorite Song: Flood I
Man, OG goths were pretty cool. I was skeptical about this album from the jump simply based on the year and cover art. I would say it surpassed my assumptions. It's angsty, dripping with atmosphere, and sonically interesting. Some of the instrumentation is undercooked, and many of the tracks kind of sound the same, but I did enjoy this for what it is. I'm not going to go out and buy black eyeliner or a spiky choker after this, but I will let out a single tear and crank New Corrosion every now and again. 3/5 from me.
Classic bit of Goth. I remember this as one of the early cd releases. Still good but very much of its time
Not sure why it's on the list. A couple of listenable tracks.
Goth! Goth! 80's! Have to be in the right place to listen, but rewarding if you are.
Dominion / mother russia - 4 Flood i - 4 Lucretia my reflection - 4 1959 - 2 This corrosion - 3 Flood ii - 3 Driven like the snow - 4 Never land (a fragment) - 3
I would have assumed this was a parody of gothy 80s music. It has every cliche
Solid 80s album.
So 80s I really enjoyed this. Very gothic as well. High 3
Nice vibe, voice annoys after a while.
Based on the opening moments I imagined Floodland as having the familiar sonic palette to post-punk bands of the era, particularly Echo and the Bunnymen. The gothic element transforms it though, making The Sisters significantly eerier, darker and moodier than their post-punk counterparts. Despite this it doesn’t shy away from pop sensibilities, folding in hooky melodies in frequently unlikely places. I can see how they became a cult hit as they are pushing the gothic aspect of their sound further than any major acts that come to mind (The Cure, Joy Division, Nick Cave, Swans). It's a flavour that I haven’t yet heard elsewhere.
I have one problem with this record, and its almost certainly a sylistic choice - the vocals are either too low in the mix for me or they’re delivered in too flat a manner. This is big music draped in gothic shades, and for me the vocals are simply getting lost and i’m subsequenly missing something to provide an anchor to the feelings the v evocative instrumentals trigger. That being said, there is such a satisfying amount of chorus and reverb on everything and its adjacent to many things i truly love (echo and the bunnymen, the cure, bowie, etc.) Landing high 3 but not far off a 4
This was fun!
Not bad!
Soundtrack of a Halloween themed club night
I didn't mind this, although it's not something I'd usually listen to (but danced to this shi at ManRay in Cambridge for sure lol)
Интересно был послушать что-то готическое. Очень красиво и текстовая составляющая цепляет. Круто!
own
Never head of this group before. It was ok. Would I listen again? No.
que dramáticos
A more gothic and baroque version of Echo & the Bunnymen or Joy Division. Enjoyed more than I expected 3 out of 5
Spookyscary
Strange choice to put a second album from a different lineup that received middling reviews on the list. Sounds like the debut is much more well regarded. Was alright, like a poppier, less interesting Depeche mode. This overserious goth approach sounds a bit silly if it's not on point, which happened a fair bit here. 2.5.
Man, this is my favourite kind of 80s. It's meant to be so moody and dramatic, but it's so glam too. Cover reminds me of lost boys, which also had the whole "look how bad and moody but also how glam we are" thing going on. I don't think I've ever listened to sisters of mercy before, I suppose it's a bit like the cure, but more glam. I like the drum machines. I quite enjoyed it overall, but find it quite hard to take seriously... I'm not sure if that's what they're going for, but maybe I'm wrong 3.5
Decent, strong start.
The Cure if they were kinda boring
I understand that this album was a lilypad for some great music to top the European charts. It felt a little boring to me. Kind of like listening to B.O.B. from 2015 - this album was just 80s music.
Like the dark 80s vibes but wish there was more up tempo stuff on here like Corrosion with the backing vocals and the screaming. That was the peak.
I was not previously familiar with the artist or the album. I had a pre-conceived notion of how I expected the album to sound based on the album cover: a dark and moody 80s sounding album, and this album delivers that exactly. This album is a pretty good listen. It's not really something I see myself coming back to but I'm glad to have heard it once.
Very good album.
75
I keep asking myself how did this album end up on this list. In this case not because it’s bad but because it’s a more fringe genre and group. Definitely a style I enjoy but it didn’t stand out to me.
quintessentially 80s, which unfortunately hurts it a little bit. for me, anyway, this isn't memorable as a good album; it just includes all the staples of 80s synth/goth rock. that said, I don't dislike it, I just can't imagine seeking this out myself for a repeated listen. after all, I can only handle so many reverb-heavy drum machines, and other bands do it better. cool album art and band name, though. it has that going for it.
So incredibly goth that it's funny. To me, 1959 sounds damn near like that vampire-puppet rock opera song that Jason Segal does at the end of Forgetting Sarah Marshall. This band is at least a little bit aware of their excessive levels of gothy-ness, and there are some songs here that kinda rule. They personify their friggin' drum machine and call it "Doktor Avalanche", and it does go pretty hard. This one is weird, but not inaccessible, and a fun listen.
2.9 1x 80s not my thing but recognize the quality
A bit overblown. Not good and not back
Alle vet at Dominion / Mother Russia er en av 80-tallets mest 80-talls bangers. Jeg trodde dette skulle bli et mesterverk jeg hadde totalt oversett, men sitter igjen med blandede følelser. Jeg liker sounden, men føler at de faller mer inn i synthpop enn gothic rock og at synthpop krever litt mer edge og sterkere låter det vi blir servert her. Liker, vil elske, vet ikke.
I like this one a lot, its a really decent canvas to paint things on. Gothy, attitude yeah pretty decent It seems a little like a corporation version of the cure. Good though 3.8/5
Feels like The Cure but with heavy metal, which is fine.
Nocturnal 80s synth rock that sounds exactly how the cover looks. It starts strong out of the gate with a driving, dramatic goth rock song that has a thrilling climax; you need to remember when and where this was recorded to realize just how dark the lyrics "mother Russia, rain down" are. While the album never strays from that dark sound, it does pack quite a bit of variety. "1959" is just vocals and piano, "Flood II has a prominent acoustic guitar, and "This Corrosion" adds harsher elements that make it the fiercest song. While the variety keeps the album from getting boring, it also never reaches the heights or melodrama of that first song. It's also so familiarly 80s with its drum machine and production that it's hard to point out anything that's unique about it. A good album, but it doesn't compare to The Cure or The Chameleons.
This sound is certainly locked in time, with 80s synth dust all over it. I love the broodiness, and the arrangements though. I feel like I’m being chased through a cemetery at times, partying with a martini in hand at others. A+ album cover too.
Liked it but the synthy 80s thing after a while gets a little samey
I like it, but something about it is not quite hitting for me. It’s one toe outside the line somewhere of a bunch of music that I like from bands like OMD, Joy Division, Echo and the Bunnymen, and others in the genre. This is more gothic. I think I need another listen through to make my mind up.
With their drum machines, synths and OTT goth imagery, the Sisters always felt just a bit too plastic and fake to me, but they’re fun
Pretty OK? I wish we had half stars so I could feel better about giving this 3 stars.
The Good: We will be shown mercy! The Bad: Maybe, just maybe, we wanted the sisters to show us something else?… The Ugly: Finding out that one of the sisters isn’t a sister… So, 1987, a good year! A year when Sign ‘o the Times came out, or Michael Jackson’s Bad, U2’s the Joshua Tree, Appetite For Destruction by GNR, or even Introducing the Hardline According to TTD… and on and on the list can go. It is said that, if one takes a good look at the ‘80s then there are two years that are doing their best to be one of the best years EVER in music: 87 and 84… Now, why am I spouting forth the above history lesson? Well, listening to Floodland there was one thing that stood out, which is the simple fact that this album, though a great listen, is late to the party. By 1987 sounds had started to change. The reverb on the snare drum, with the compression added to it, was gone… over… finito. So why is this album then critical listening?… I don’t have the full list of 1987 albums that are included on the 1001… however, why did a user have to add INXS’s Kick? One of the greatest fucking album of that year. Anyway, off to find out what album will (hopefully) thrill me today! This one, 3*… would’ve been 4* if it had been released 5 years earlier...
I had never heard of this before. It’s hard for me to hear that giant 80’s drum machine snare and stay open minded. The was the first sound in music I remember being taught by someone older that it was dated and lame. But the second track takes that sound to such an extreme that I was on board and was sort of disappointed when it was toned down in later tracks.
This is the funniest album cover so far, especially since according to Wikipedia the woman on the right didn’t contribute to the record at all. I had never heard of this band but found the record pretty intriguing, if not exactly listenable. What drives someone to make these aesthetic choices? God knows, but I appreciate how unique it is.
What's not to love about Industrial Operatic Synth Pop Rock? It's a mood and a space.
A good album for Halloween. I liked the bass line on "Lucretia My Reflection" but as for the rest of it...fairly forgettable. 2.5 rounded up to 3 for it's emotion.
Very 80s glam rock, no suprises
This was pretty good, but for me it was nothing outstanding. I enjoyed it but it got a bit repetitive at times.
Gothic, large arrangements
It's objectively insane for a goth band to listen to "Paradise by the Dashboard Lights" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and think "now *that's* the guy I want producing my album," and yet it actually kinda works? Too bad he only produced two songs, though...
Music, 5/5. Vocals 1/5 and it ruins it
Very 80s. I liked it
80s industrial goth rock. Certainly more approachable than some other artists in this genre. I enjoyed it enough, but it firmly let you know when it was recorded with some rather specific 80s synth and drums.
Favorite Track: Dominion/Mother Russia
Another very cool gothic rock album, unfortunately at 50 minutes this one was overstaying its welcome a bit. Sorry, Sisters, you can't quite carry a long album quite like Robert Smith can.
This wasn’t some generic 80s album like some of the reviews were calling it. I actually enjoyed it more than I expected, though I do think you have to kinda be in a certain mood to really love it.
In hindsight the production by Jim Steinman is obvious
Albums like this clearly show that the UK artists that overpopulate this list excel when they keep it bleak and morose. 3/5
If Meatloaf and The Cure had a baby, it would sound like this.
Decent goth synth pop
Why is goth associated with the inverted cross of St Peter? Because every musician even adjacent to the genre disowns it. Siouxsie isn’t goth. Robert Smith isn’t goth. Bauhaus aren’t goth. They all say so. And they’re not entirely wrong: The Damned were punk; the Banshees drifted into psychedelia; Bauhaus were glam in the shadows; The Cure wrote pop as naturally as breathing. “Goth” in its pure form rarely exists. The bands that hew closest to the stereotype usually do so as fan-service: black boots, dry ice, cabinet-of-curiosities references, Weimar cabaret schtick. Goth becomes a vibe, a subcultural merchandising unit. Type O Negative’s Black No. 1, which my sister-in-law put on the car stereo the other day, distils this perfectly: cringing organ, obvious riff, subterranean vocals, a glossary of clichés. Goth as checklist. You could almost mistake it for something from Floodland were it not for an essential difference: Andrew Eldritch is the only pure goth. The Sisters of Mercy have no obvious lineage, no cultural cosplay, no horror-film shorthand. Just Eldritch, his drum machine, and his hermetically sealed vision. He calls it rock and roll - but rock and roll after Altamont, after the dream curdled. Late-seventies/early-eighties rock stripped to its bitter, internal monologue. It’s ridiculous, of course, and therefore perfectly matched to Jim Steinman. Given how Floodland is built from iterations of the same idea, Eldritch could easily churn out more. But he doesn’t. Three albums, then silence -his vow that he will never record again. The repetition is the point, but it’s also proof of how hard this stuff is for him to extract. You don’t complain that gold, once mined, looks the same; you’re just glad it’s gold. Contrast that with the musicians who passed through his orbit. The Mission, Ghost Dance, The Bolshoi - all operating within the same palette, but only in reference, only in imitation. They give the fans what they want. Eldritch, despite himself, emits something he can’t reproduce on command: the only goth worth calling goth. 3.5 I found these songs difficult to judge. The dramatic intensity of the production - particularly the reverb-drenched vocal - makes a Herculean task of drawing the mind’s eye from images of vampires riding motorbikes. Today, without the luxury of another few listens (which I suspect the album is well worth) I can only say that it was absorbingly silly. 2.5/5
I loved Sisters of Mercy but really only loved ONE album of theirs: Vision Thing. Listened to it CONSTANTLY in high school. I had Floodland but didn't like it nearly as much so I didn't listen to it a lot. I wonder if any of this will even sound familiar?... "Flood I" sounds like what would be playing in a trippy nightclub sequence from an '80s movie about vampires. A lot of this album does, actually. I do remember "1959." This was better than I remember it. Still no Vision Thing though.
barely a 3. do not lure me in with deceptive promises of goth sisters when all you have to offer is a goth mister.
The more I listen the more I kinda dig it. Kind of a Iggy Pop doing nu wave goth industrial metal haha. Kind of Nine Inch Nailsey at times.
Good atmospheric
I love gothic rock, but this isnt one of my favorites
Seems reasonably safe to assume that Davey Havok was listening to this pretty regularly while working on AFI’s latest album.
Might be fun to dance to but largely forgettable to be honest.
This album basically encapsulates everything about ’80s goth: the huge reverb soaked drums, the trash-container drum sounds, the chorused and flanged guitars, the synths, the MIDI-ballad, and those strange digital-synth percussion effects. Even the structure feels very ’80s, the verses are basically just quieter versions of the chorus. Album is very dark and gothic, but also has a massive sound. The production is huge and cinematic, especially considering it’s essentially Andrew Eldritch and a drum machine. The synths are cold, the basslines are powerful, and the vocals feel like someone reading scripture in a haunted cathedral. Some songs could have been a bit shorter though, multiple 6-9 minute songs in an album can get boring. I already knew this album from “Lucretia My Reflection” which is easily one of the catchiest goth rock songs ever written, and "Never land - A Fragment" as well. Everything on this album feels intense, dramatic, atmospheric, cold, and theatrical. My favourite songs are: Dominion / Mother Russia, Flood I, Lucretia my Reflection, The Corrosion, Flood II, Never Land - A Fragment,
1987 vampire music. Love this genre and the synth vibes. Lucretia My Reflection is my favorite song and went straight to my playlist. Solid 7/10 album and so unique.
I have big problems with some of the instrumentation. The saxophone bits are unbearable and the drum machine sounds terrible. That said, the melodies are pretty good, and some of the goth-ier dirges are right up my alley. 2.5/5.0: Mixed
some of these songs gave me jock jams energy
Decent dark and broody album 3/5
It’s so much my jam. But I do have to admit this does sound derivative of other bands. 3.5/5
So much better than I expected it to be. Super moody. Really enjoyable.
★★★½
I'm definitely in a critical mood today. I immediately identified this is new-wave and kind of made a decision about it right away... new-wave isn't my thing. It's clear that it's trying to be darker, and reading the Wikipedia and Spotify artist profiles introduced me to the term 'darkwave', which is a cool term. However, this band, that before today I had never heard of, does NOT represent that term, which before today I had also never heard of but now I have a picture of what I want it to be. This sounds like a new-wave band that went to Spirit Halloween for their darkness. It's ok but just new wave in a minor key, and doesn't sound authentically dark to me.
Not bad. Liked the first song.
Not sure I’ve heard anything by Sisters of Mercy before but they are pretty much what I expected. The production and sound are unmistakably 80s and whilst I enjoyed elements to this there were songs that dragged a bit for me, I’m not primarily into goth music, I just usually admire from afar and in any case I’d go to The Cure for my fix.
As the rivers rise and fall, Sisters Of Mercy flood the land with reverb-laden gothery not-so-subtly underpinned by a strong undercurrent of European Cold War anxiety.
Pretty good
Never heard of this before. Decent.
Pretty cool.
Better than expected.
Ihan tuli mieleen yks suomalainen gothic rock bändi.⭐️⭐️⭐️
not my cup of tea
It's pretty amusing that this came up on Hallowe'en, to be fair. None more Eldritch 😅
Honestly this started strong but in the end I felt like it came across as a compilation of generic sounding 80s music.
It's decent rock n roll. A tad too dramatic for my taste, but I can see the appeal.
I had no idea what this was going to be. It is not for me.
More mid stuff. Not bad. Not good either.
3.4/5 First of all, minus points for being an album that doesn't include "More" or "Temple Of Love". But that's really the biggest negative I can give here. The music diverges from mainstream pretty hard (even in the 80s) which makes it interesting. The mix between darkwave, goth rock and the singer's striking voice lets it stick out. Some songs might sound a little similar, but ig that's what happens if you specialise your sound to this degree. Well done, but please give me "More".
Not what I was expecting somehow, kind of a gothier depeche mode. Some of the production techniques sound a little dated (that gated snare) but could see others liking it for the nostalgia. I generally liked the music but the vocals grated on me after a while, a bit like a bad Bowie parody.
Goth-y
Like a minimalist goth Depeche Mode. Perfect mid October listen.
This is a decent 80's goth album with some good songs like "Dominion/Mother Russia," "Lucretia," and "This Corrosion." But its self-seriousness and overall "ooh, look at us, we're so dark" vibe often seems laughable and heavy handed. And the less said about the drum machine the better. Still, I'll take the lead singer's voice over the pouty, cloying, annoying voice of Robert Smith of the Cure any day.
Only one I was familiar with here is This Corrosion, which is a great song. I went in intrigued, and it started out pretty strong. But I got tired pretty quickly of essentially seven minute long Gregorian chants. I like the atmosphere of these but theres some serious dynamism missing. I could pick out a ton of other bands from the same era that have overlapping similarities in the sound - The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Depeche Mode, Echo and the Bunnymen, even friggin Duran Duran a little bit - that just do it better with tighter arrangements and stronger hooks. This is fine but Im not goth enough to know what makes it special i guess
Good listen, very gothy, and I enjoyed the fact it was not too long. Fav lyrics : Lucretia my reflection Fav music: Dominion/Mother Russia Fav song: Dominion/Mother Russia Honorable mention: Never Land
2.5
good
Very chilly and rich album with great atmosphere. I’m not a goth but I understand those tortured souls a little better now. Best song: Dominion / Mother Russia
Sounds a bit like The Cure.
Little dramatic
It’s pretty good
A very interesting first album. Very gothic and unique. But it is a little boring at times.
This just screamed bad 80s.
Synthpop drum hits off the bat, 80s vocals. First song, way too long. Was not expecting the chorus on This Corrosion - but here for it! Kind of like Rammstein x The Cure vibes going on.
I have mixed feelings and emotions about this record. I discovered Sisters of Mercy through the Gun Club. When Patricia Morrison left the Gun Club and ended up with Sisters of Mercy I had already read about the split that had left Andrew Eldritch on an Island with his drum machine. Control freak and dumb ass, Morrison was reduced to a backup vocalist and Goth icon for the video shoot. NB: she later joined the Damned and married Dave Vanian. So, on to the album. This is the only record where the drum machine captures the feel necessary to sustain these Damned inspired dance goth songs. There is no denying that This Corrosion, Dominion/Mother Russia (Medley) and Never Land (A Fragment) are complete representations of goth inspired indie dance tracks highlighted by Eldritch’s baritone. 1959 could have been a Meatloaf track. The record is uneven. For ever highlight, for example Lucretia My Reflection, there are Flood I and Flood II which are weak by comparison. Again, my personal bias probably influences my listening experience. There is no denying there are catchy tracks on this record making this album essentially an irony burger - dark lyrics sung to a catch goth beat. Where is all the Cure moroseness? All that said, the hits still stand up today in 2025. And yes, you could probably still dance to them. Does this belong in the Top 1001? Nope but is it a marker on the Goth highway.
this feels like diet david bowie
So 80s. There were glimpses that I liked, but overall meh.
I didn't hate the record, but I certainly don't love it. It's not really my style.
Ça change un peu, des moments sympas mais j'ai pas été transcendée
Very goth-y. Very emo-y. Feel like I'm supposed to listen to this in a dark room with candles - although some tracks had a decent bop to them. Not my jam.
"This Corrosion" has been a banger in my youth and "Dominion/Mother Russia", "Lucretia My Reflection" and "1959" are o.k. too. So I give it at least three stars although the rest of the album don't convinces me in the same way. 3,5
This was surprisingly enjoyable. Lots of energy. Crazy good bassline. Raw punk energy.
Goofy, over-the-top, 80s goth pop. Quite enjoyable if you don’t take it too seriously.
the birth od heavy metal. kovia sanoja mutta pakko olla totta. tämän pimeempää ja rajuumpaa ei koskaan aikaisemmin ollut ja uskaltaisinko sanoa, ei tule koskaan enään olemaan. heyy now hey now now.. dark underbelly of rock music... pimeä alavatsa kivimusiikissa. tärisen vittu pelostsa vittu sätkin täällä peloissani miten ne ... miten ne kehtaa?? miten ne kykenee laittaa tällästä SAIRASTA paskaa DARK FUCKED UP SHIT.. SATANIC BLACK MAGIC!!! SICK SHIT!!! tää on meikäläisen manifesti: tapan nää!! pakko tappaa ennen kun beelzepuppi itse tulee kyrvästä ulos ja huutaa lallattaa rallattaa pistää menemään... corrosion
Pretty much if you said what did the 80s sound like I would imagine this haha. It was fine, had some good vibes and songs within it but a bit overblown and each song could have been shorter.
Definitely an 80s album and one I had never heard before. Would have probably enjoyed it then. Now it sounds very dated.
Decent album. Didn't pick a standout song
Enjoyable listen.
pleasantly creepy? good vibey in the background. haunting but nothing extremely subline or overexciting. chill dark music. i give it a 3/5.
meh
Good solid heavy rock
Rad, but nothing earth shattering.
Cool Halloween album
Not bad. Suffers from 80's snare drum reverb production. Hot take: English goth rock ruined baritone lead vocals for years. Eddie Vedder was a rare exception for a long time; even natural baritones like Chris Cornell sang in their extreme upper registers for like a decade to avoid sounding like this. Probably worth listening to if you're committed to this project, just to hear that The Cure weren't a one-off. Not necessarily worth listening to for pure enjoyment, though. I just have never liked goth rock.
Not my typa vibe
this is what i thought all gothic rock would sound like before I listened to the genre 70/100
Some good tracks, not as bad as expected
childhood memories here
Cool. 3.5
I'd go 3.5 on this one if I could. Entertaining 80s synth sounds, but man, every song on here is about 2-3x too long.
Love me some goth new-wave. Some of the songs get a little long in the tooth. Overall up my alley.
Fine. Can’t say I’ll ever be tempted to listen again though.
6/10
Depeche Mode meets Nick Cave
Неплохо, но все таки не мой звук. Устал к концу прослушивания, и казалось что идёт больше 45 минут.
80s to the core
Liked the final song the rest wasn’t to my taste.
It was interesting. Not quite my style, I cant see myself listening to them on a daily basis, but i enjoyed looking into this kind of genre and listening to the album. Fav songs: Dominion / Mother Russia, 1959, Flood II, Driven Like the Snow
This is well constructed, a pretty solid album. It is just too 1980s for me. It's concentrated 1980s.
Dark and brooding, and soaking wet in reverb, stabbing and aggressive drums, spooky synths, big church-y choirs. The pinnacle of 80s goth rock.
It has a handful of good songs.
A really cool Bowie-like album. But Bowie mixed with Duran Duran!
new to me. Not bad
Not bad
Not quite good enough to be up there but a good album with good songs. Achingly 80s production, which I'm a sucker for.
Not my thing, but impressive, especially considering it was written, performed, and sung by one man.
Got some funky vibes a la Depeche Mode. Got some disco vibea. That sounds like the ultimate mix for me, but it's not as good as it sounds. It's not bad though.
giving ebony darkness dementia ravenway
Floodland nails that dark 80s goth vibe I like, but overall it felt a bit slow and didn’t really keep me hooked.
Low key banging acrually
eightieeeeeeeeeeeeees
tem algo tão familiar nas músicas. foi bom, mas nao é algo que eu escutaria novamente. primeiro álbum!!
This was cool. Interesting.
if i was in a castle and the moon was out and i was also an immortal monster this would hit, but without the right atmosphere it’s kind of mid
IDK, I gave this album three listens. There were moments to be sure, but there are others who do everything SOM is trying to do here better.
3.5
I think I liked this a bit more than most here. It really takes me back to a certain time in my life... Senior year of high school. Even though I wasn't a goth, by any means, I had a few goth friends or as well as a few non goth friends who liked the musical aesthetics. I wasn't much drawn to it back then, but now, probably my first time listening to it in over 35 years, it's like a time tunnel. I will say this album is very dated, and could have only come out in the mid to late 80s. I've never inherently dislike this album. But I've never inherently loved it either. But it does bring back good times. So it may shine a little brighter on me today. 7.45 ★★★½
Like the overall vibe, but dislike the production. 3 stars
I've somehow never heard a song by this band, despite having heard of them. I kind of enjoyed the overall sound of the album -- they remind me of early 80s Cure, Bauhaus, and Nick Cave. However, I think the songwriting could be tightened up a bit. A lot of the songs go on forever without much happening. I was suprised to see Jim Steinman of Meat Loaf fame produced two of the tracks on the album, which is a super weird fit. Highlights for me were "Dominion/Mother Russia" and "Lucretia My Reflection", the latter of which is the catchiest thing here. I wasn't really that high on the rest of the songs. 3 stars.
3.5
A little hard but I like their sound
There are a couple of songs I like off of here and are absolute bangers, I'm familiar with Floodland over their other albums. I think a lot of my love for this comes from nostalgia over anything else. Dominion/Mother Russia and This Corrosion are standout tracks and have probably had a lot of influence on the gothic/post-punk scene but tracks like 1959 and Never Land just feel like filler. Their use of choral vocals and layered backing and synth turning some tracks into goth dance anthems is great but every time, I just want to skip tracks. This is definitely the best of the three albums as the other two are rather unremarkable. I'll give this a 3/5 because I think that the tracks I've mentioned are cracking, but it struggles to only just reach that and I'm giving it some good grace because of it's influence on the genre.
Cool album
Denne likte jeg. 80-tallet slik det skal være
Lucretia, This Corrosion and Flood II slaps. I didnt like the rest of the album
There’s a certain 80s vocal style that aims to sound aloof, yet authoritative. I guess I have a problem with authority. I’d be lying if I said I listened to the whole album. Sorry!
Significant brooding Bowie vibe, run through the 80's music production toolkit. It isn't bad. In fact, it grew on me... a little. It just doesn't ever really take off. As a result, the commentary comes off as just grumpy.
Dark and moody and makes you feel something. However, it lacks some of the melodies some of the great gothic rock albums have. I fade in and out of caring, although there is far more good than bad. 6/10
Nothing bad to say about this one, unfortunately also nothing good to say about it. Best thing to say about it is "OK as background music"
bit weird, listenable though
I enjoyed this. It reminds me of Depeche Mode. It was easy to listen to but nothing spectacular
Cover hits hard. Moody AF.
Hey, that's that song from GTAIV Nothing else was special about the album.
Fun little goth album
A tale of good and bad. Dominion, Lucretia, Corrosion good, Flood 1, 1959 bad. I did listen twice though, so more good than bad then.
Apparently, I am a goth, or at least should have been one? I kind liked this. The only track I've heard by them has 'Corrosion' in the title. It's on an 80s compilation that Steven Wilson curated for a a CD release a couple of years ago. I don't remember the exact title, but I can't be arsed to go look it up right now. I can hear Bowie in so much of the late 80s-early 2000s music that I've been exposed to here. Good to know he lives on...
Meh, it was ok. Kind of droned on. Nothing to really sink your teeth into.
David Bowie, Peter Murphy, and David Byrne all meet in a dark bar. Like the style.
Wanted to give this a 4, but it just kinda droned on for too long. Not a bad listen, though. 3/5 Highlights: Dominion / Mother Russia Lucretia My Reflection Never Land - A Fragment
Not terrible but so one dimensional I can only take a few tracks before I look for something else
Was not really looking forward to this - but was very pleasantly surprised (disturbed) by how much I enjoyed it. Silly in places but overall an enjoyably dark and tuneful listen. High 3 - only just marked down as not sure if/when would listen again - fav tracks 1959 & Dominium/Mother Russia.
This struck me as a full on Bowie rip-off married to 80s production - gated drums and chorused guitar. The opening bars are instantly dated to mid to late 80s. Whilst I quite like the components of 'Dominion' - epic feel, baritone delivery, dark melody - somehow the result is less than the sum of the parts. It feels like it could be part of a futuristic west end show like the contemporary 'Time - The Musical'. 'This Corrosion' is of course the big one, with it's 'Speedball 2' bassline. It is so Bowie derivative however (could be from Labyrinth - just swap "gimme the ring" for "you remind me of the babe!"). By the end of the album the formula is wearing a bit thin - drum intro, bring in the bass, sing as deep as you can in drawling tones. But, as the waitress said to me when I asked if she'd forgotten to put mustard in my sandwich, there is something there amongst all the ham.
Okay. Reverb drums, chorus guitar, gated snare, and dramatic, heartfelt vox! - we are in goth rock - Wouldn’t be my usual choice but could appreciate its quality in this genre and found some bits quite catchy. Particularly enjoyed “Eldritch served as the vocalist, performed all instruments, and programmed the band's drum machine…Morrison did not contribute to the album despite being a member of the Sisters of Mercy.” 😂 ‘The Corrosion’ is pretty epic! I almost like the album, which probably says a lot for its quality considering this isn’t really my bag. Got me grooving and moving, but in a kind of ironic, satirical way! Terrible last song to close the album. Dominion & Corrosion stood out. Does what it does well, but not for me.
Classic 80’s goth. “This Corrosion” is an absolute classic. The rest pretty much is a big pile of ok. One and done with the exception of one song but puts you in a mood.
352/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑
Good songs - great sound - very 80s. Enough reverb to fill a large church. . Jim Steinman touch fills it out even more. Never listened to Sisters of Mercy much - I think I've missed a trick.
When I saw this was my daily album my first thought was "Some unknown 80's band" Then I instantly recognized the first song, "Dominion" as one of my favorites from GTA IV, lol. Some other tracks I enjoyed were the slow ballad like 1959 with it's beautiful piano, and the toe tapping "This Corrosion". Overall a decent find. I may look into more of the bands albums.
It’s a lot It’s not bad but it’s a lot
Goth classic. It’s okay and I really dig Mother Russia but the rest of the album doesn’t really do it for me.
01) Dominion/Mother Russia - 8,0 02) Flood I - 7,0 03) Lucretia My Reflection - 7,5 04) 1959 - 7,0 05) This Corrosion - 8,0 06) Flood II - 7,5 07) Driven Like the Snow - 7,5 08) Never Land (A Fragment) - 7,0 TOTAL: 7,44 (74/100) Current ranking: 259/539 The other day, my colleagues at work were talking about Sisters of Mercy and how much they loved them in high school. Since I'm only a few years younger than them, I was only familiar with "More," which was frequently played on MTV and my local radio station in the early 90s. That's why I'm so glad to have this album on my schedule today.
Interesting, hadn't heard this one before or heard of the band.
2.5/5
Better than I was expecting
The very 80s sound, drum machine, crude keyboards made it difficult to get onto this. I did enjoy parts of it and I sense the influence to a lot of modern artists that have used and improved the 80s sound (The Horrors in particular). It lacked any stand out tracks but decent enough.
Chunky bass, formulaic, but architectural goth rock. Used to listen to this back in the day - preferred the Mission but that probably proves my lightweight status.
This album was ok, but not sure why it is on this list. Not quite as drab and goth as the write up made it sound.
This isn’t an ugh why is it on here. It is more of why would someone try Goth Rock
I had very low expectations of what "British goth rock" would sound like, so I was pleasantly surprised by this. still wouldn't ever seek it out to listen to again. couple of tracks were stronger than others with a Nick Cave kinda vibe.
I don't think I've ever heard anything by The Sisters of Mercy, and despite Wikipedia noting that there were three singles from this album, I don't think I've heard anything from "Floodland" either. An interesting mix of an almost industrial take on New Wave music at times, although without the grittiness of something like Ministry (or of Laibach's 1987 "Opus Dei" for that matter) and more of the more mundane gloominess of the Smiths or the Cure. The album is pretty solid overall, albeit a bit turgid on the slower songs (like "Flood 1" or "1959"); my favorites were probably "Dominion/Mother Russia" and "Flood II", and also the extended version of "Never Land (full length)". It's definitely dated (especially the ubiquitous drum machine, so cheesily credited as "Doktor Avalanche"), but a lot more interesting than something like, say, Pet Shop Boys or even The Cure, and I admire it that this was largely a one man production, a la Trent Reznor, although I do wish it had the bite of Nine Inch Nails. (I was also a bit bummed that I wasn't able to watch the videos for the singles, as I was mildly curious to see if they were interesting or pretentious, or both.) Sadly, though, Andrew Eldritch sounds like a bitter jerk, at least to former band members, especially with the semi decent "This Corrosion" intended to be a satirical mocking of a former "Sisters" musician's meaningless lyrics. I think the Rolling Stone reviewer Mark Coleman summed it up best: "Meat Loaf joining the Cure for a remake of Lou [Reed]'s Berlin"....
Enjoyed this more than I expected to. Got off to a great start with rather rocking Dominion / Mother Russia twofer. The lyrics were interesting and I liked the nod to Ozymandias. Sadly, I lost interest in the whole production early in the 3rd track. I was sucked in a few times after that, but only briefly.
If some lady sings This Corrosion to me for nine minutes, I'm probably going to ask her politely to give it a rest, despite her healing hands. I can't think of Sisters of Mercy without remembering an old mixtape a friend gave me decades ago with This Corrosion and I'm like "creepy, but is this ever going to end?" It's goth. It's fine. Honestly, the last three songs on the album -- at least for me -- were the best atmospherics. And 1959 was a surprise. But yeah -- I'm past this level of mopeyness.
it's almost as old as me. It's okay. Not too bad
Sad goths actually make some pretty good tunes
Surprisingly really enjoyed this. Normally wouldn't be my thing, but I dug the dark, moodiness of it all. Kind of reminded me of the best things about The Cure and Depeche Mode. I wish I could give this a 3.5 because I really did enjoy it, but just not enough as the albums I've rated a 4. It's a high 3, though.
Exactly what I would have expected a sisters of mercy album to sound like. But no temple of love? Denied!
Not my favourite of theirs, but solid goth work.
They're like a darked version of The Cure, with less pop payoff. If you're into proto-goth synthwave, this is the album for you. I felt like I was lied to, with the name of the band not matching the sound of the band. Very few female voices.
Pretty good 80s Brit pop. One of the few bands that feels like they're emulating the cure and that ilk and finding their own voice doing it.
3.5* 84%
Not that bad as I thought it will be. The midtempo post punk sounding songs are quite enjoyable, but once they slow down, it becomes a bit pathetic.
Classic 80s but entertaining.
3.5/5
Very 80s, very cure. Not really my cup of tea but not a terrible album. 3*
A constant "hell yeah" from me. "This Corrosion" maybe an all-timer.
Looking at the cover is about the same as listening to it. Gated snares, synth hooks, deep voiced british guy singing kinda softly are all evident in that picture. Nah some of the songs, like the piano one break out of new wave and there are good lyrics and a nod to Dylan which never hurts.
Much Like Bauhaus, The Sisters of Mercy are a band that I need to be in the mood for, although they do have a couple of songs "This Corrosion" that I will happily bop to any time they come on.
For some reason I thought this was a metal band. Was a little disappointed
More memories of being 15. The singles, "Dominion", "This Corrosion", and "Lucretia..." stand out as stone cold classics. The rest of it tends to fade into a goth-industrial sameness on a first full listen, but it's not bad. 15-yr-old me could've got into this if I hadn't been listening to metal and prog at the time...
The first couple of tracks were boring. Then, it started to pick up a bit. It just wasn’t for me but, it was okay. Maybe, I will come back and visit some these songs again sometime.
What a rough week for albums but this was listenable
I picked this up on CD about 30 years ago and, other than "Lucretia My Reflection," didn't get more than a couple of listens in over that time. Outside of that one song, it's all a bit overwrought, overlong, and melodramatic.
It’s a good listen as far as 80s goth rock goes…but it’s still 80s goth rock.
Drums sound absolutely massive here. I really enjoy the opening track Dominion and have fond memories of it in GTA IV. The other tracks just don't seem to really do it for me though. They all have a similar sound and just don't compare to Dominion. The atmosphere on the album is incredible still.
Pretty good.
After hearing this, I was wearing dark eyeliner. I've never worn dark eyeliner. This wasn't too bad.
This album was alright. The tracks are a lil long and get a bit repeat however the instrumentation was pretty cool. fav song: Lucretia My Reflection
This sounds like something Shaun and Gus would listen to (aka, it sounds like the 80s). I was expecting another shitty rock album which I just COULDNT HANDLE. But this had a little pop in it so it was a nice break. It loses points for being so damn repetitive. 3/5
3/5 Flood I - good track Towards the end this album feel like off-brand New Order.
Late 80's rock. Not bad, but nothing groundbreaking ...or rather it probably was, in the 80's.
I can hear strains of bands I like in there, and it’s cool to hear where they got their sound, but it’s a little too artsy for me.
I'm plenty down with hot metal and methadrine, but this isn't really my thing. I suppose it's alright for what it is, though. Goth? 3
What I expected
Pretty cool
I liked this more than I expected to given the reviews here - it's very much of its time (and has a lot of the excesses you'd expect from a late 80s synth heavy album), but it's not bad. It's a blend of Bowie, the Smiths, and Depeche Mode (though not getting close to the heights of any of them) - but it does create an atmosphere really well. Will listen again, but not regularly, 3/5.
Definitely some cool tracks here, but overall not really my style. Interesting listen from a cultural context.
Took me a few days to feel up to reviewing this. Although I'd say I dig it, I more like SOM's contemporaries and overall genre. No doubt they contributed, but in my eyes this is a lower peak amongst the greater 80s goth rock mountain range.
Ooh, goth music. At least it's something different, although it didn't do much for me. Fine enough.
Very very 80s. I enjoyed it.
Sounds a little like Depeche mode
Instrumentals were fun but the vocals were too over the top.
Don't know how I missed this band in the 80s. They're dark and moody and fit right in with Echo, New Order and Joy Division, and maybe even some early dark Cure and Depeche Mode. They'd have been on solid rotation for me with the others through college.
Nothing incredibly outstanding, but it was a fun, gloomy listen. Classic Goth
Goths… punks without the attitude or the energy. Only ever learned to play songs in minor keys. This is one of the better examples
It was alright, pretty decent. Enjoyable, but not incredibly dynamic.
dark and atmospheric goth rock. there are songs on this album that you would swear lead vocalist andrew eldritch was indeed a vampire, with his deep baritone voice and his accent. this album may seem a little dated at times, but make no mistake that sisters of mercy did help lay the groundwork for the goth rock scene.
Surprisingly, I kind of liked this. 2.83
80s goth! Love that reverby drum sound of the 80s. It's so nostalgic for me. For some reason I can just picture Jason Segel being the lead singer of this band.
This was fun. Super dark and gloomy. It very much feels like the times. What I like about gothic music is how it sometimes feels like so much (drum machines, heavy bass, keys, big drums) but then it kind of boils down to just raw bass lines over drums for huge parts of songs. That was fun with this one. In a lot of ways it reminded me of Depeche Mode, NIN, Korn and even The Airborne Toxic Event. I'm not sure I'd revisit this, but I certainly enjoyed it!
Spooky leaning synth pop
Floodland is the second album from British gothic rock band, Sisters of Mercy. The albums is primarily the work of front man Andrew Eldritch. He credits the drum machine as a band member, Doktor Avalanche. Eldritch programmed or performed all of the parts on the record. This is good, but not particularly noteworthy collection of songs. The album sounds like an edgy version of David Bowie's 80's/near-Simple Minds work.
My favourites were 1959 and This Corrosion.
Classic 80s
Very hooky choruses Evidently 80's - perhaps vocal trends and style is somewhat dated and also it's heavily 'hair' metal sound 1959 - Good satisfying chord progression, complements the piano sound very well, melody is quite nice This Corrosion - Hype especially at the end, backing vocals are very satisfying and weaves within the sound Flood II - Equally Hype Would need another listen to fully appreciate It is a 7/10 album
I was surprised to see Sisters of Mercy on here. I have had a lot of goth friends over the years, so while I've never intentionally listened to this album, I've heard most of it before. Very solid album, but not something I'd have expected on this list. Just okay. That is, until I did a bit of randomized listening afterwards and realized just how many goth bands completely copied Eldritch's singing style and the style of the songs on this album. I can see how this was a very influential album.
Dominion