The Sisters of Mercy
Dominion

THE REVIEW

Temple of the dark wave. In 1988, the Sisters Of Mercy recorded their last peak before falling into the conventional with "Vision Thing" in 1990.

The ringing guitars, the pounding on the snare, and Eldritch's charisma are still very much present. The main riff already marks the path to follow, while the choruses of the "lady dark" (Patricia Morrison) further fill that fabulous refrain, which miraculously does not fall into the stadium AOR cliché. This is the magic. You can talk about love or hint at pop nuances without spoiling anything.

The fast pace hurls you into a headwind race where neither horizon nor light is outlined. Absolutely worth mentioning is the sax, a fundamental element in "Floodland"; here we find it divinely introducing the song, almost with a cultured lounge air.

"Dominion" reached number seven on the Irish charts and thirteenth on the UK charts. It's the period of "This Corrosion", even more commercial and catchy in the refrain, and the seminal "Lucretia My Reflection". It’s the style dictated for a few years by the Cult, which Bauhaus could not or would not embark on and even digested by Litfiba at times.

The Sisters Of Mercy ward off fiery criticism only thanks to their class and intuition. Many post-punk and gothic bands, after sensational debuts, compromise with talks of money and fashion. Eldritch and company, satisfied with the glories of "Alice" and "Temple Of Love", risk canceling themselves out and proposing dishes that are not intriguing for fans.

It is interesting to note how the ideas of the projects, the fashions, and the sounds change unlike the audience, who always want the artist to remain the same. However, remaining oneself also means maturing. Certainly, with "Floodland", they did not exaggerate the aspect of their sound. Rather, they perfectly understood and shaped the mood and environment, delivering an album that is still much acclaimed.