The Sisters of Mercy – “Floodland” (1987, 2006)

An enthusiasm for “Floodland” is the sort of thing that instantly dates one as a disaffected survivor of the post-punk wars. In line with that, Andrew Eldritch (né Taylor) is either one of the most cynically destructive anti-artists post-punk produced or a satirist up there with Chris Morris, albeit one who’s only ever written a single, very long sketch. Every note the Sisters ever played dripped homage, black dread and the snide smart-ass mouth of the intelligent kid in the back row who keeps getting smacked by both classmates and teachers.  Eldritch never could keep his mouth shut, always had to have the last word, even if that word was “We’re all buggered.”

“Floodland” was the second Sisters record. Nominally, the band consisted of Eldritch and one Patricia Morrison but by this stage of the game, the Sisters were clearly Eldritch’s game. It’s a shameless, gleaming thing of thunderous, mechanical beats and layered guitars.  Jim Steinman (it seemed like utter heresy at the time, which was no doubt the idea) produced two tracks, both as gloriously over the top and apocalyptic as one could hope for. Of the two, ‘Dominion/Mother Russia’ picks up where ‘Black Planet’ from the first Sisters album left off. Huge choirs chant ‘Dominion!’,  Eldritch rumbles darkly about Mother Russia raining “down, down, down!” and Doktor Avalanche (faithful drum machine) makes like an angry T34.  ‘This Corrosion’ is even more wonderfully silly – a ten minute heavy metal disco goth opera devoted to gloating about what a screw-up his old guitar player is.  Of the rest, “Lucretia My Reflection” is a masterclass in looping a thumping great beat and bassline, 1959 is actually quite touching little piano ballad and the remainder is suitably moody and melancholy.

Eldritch frequently claimed that the Sisters were never a goth band (“We are a rock and roll band” proclaims their website, archly) but ‘Floodland’ begs to differ, from the cover (black, moonlight lit dark waters, sun glasses and Patricia Morrison) to the last sonorous thud of ‘Neverland’. But it’s goth in a good way, the way exemplified by Neil Gaiman’s recreation of Death as an ever-smiling, razor-witted goth babe – simultaneous self-deprecating and portentous, impeccably and ludicrously over-dressed with the emphasis on ‘ludic’.

I hadn’t played this record in ages – I ‘d forgotten how much I loved it.

(The Sisters lurk at http://www.the-sisters-of-mercy.com/.  It doesn’t give much away. Of this reissue, the most interesting bonuses are ‘Emma’ – yes, it’s a cover of the Hot Chocolate hit and it’s essential – and ‘Neverland’ in full, which basically proves that editing the 12 minute original down to a fragment for was an excellent idea. Must dig out my tape of their cover of Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’.)