Ember Cult

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The Cult's origins trace to 1981, in Bradford, Yorkshire, where Ian Astbury formed Southern Death Cult. The name was derived from the academic term Southern Death Cult, used to describe a cluster of 14th-century Native American groups now classified as the Southeastern Ceremonial Complex, and also inspired by what the band viewed as the centralisation of political and economic power in Southern England. Astbury was joined by guitarist Buzz Burrows, bassist Barry Jepson and drummer Aki Nawaz Qureshi; they performed their first show at the Queen's Hall in Bradford on 29 October 1981. The band signed to independent record label Situation Two, an offshoot of Beggars Banquet Records, and released a three-track, triple A-side single, "Moya", in 1982. Southern Death Cult played their final performance in Manchester during February 1983. In April 1983, Astbury teamed up with guitarist Billy Duffy and formed Death Cult. Duffy had been in the Nosebleeds (along with Morrissey), Lonesome No More and then Theatre of Hate. Death Cult also included bassist Jamie Stewart and drummer Raymond Taylor Smith (later known as Ray Mondo), both from the Harrow, London based post-punk band, Ritual. Death Cult made their live debut in Oslo, Norway on 25 July 1983 and released the Death Cult EP in the same month. In September 1983, Mondo was replaced by Nigel Preston. The single "Gods Zoo" was released in October 1983. The band changed its name to the Cult in January 1984 before appearing on the Channel 4 television show, The Tube.

In Their Own Story

The Cult's debut studio album Dreamtime was recorded at Rockfield Studios, in Monmouth, Wales in 1984. The record was to be produced by Joe Julian, but after recording the drum tracks, the band replaced him with John Brand. On 4 April 1984, the Cult released the single "Spiritwalker", which reached No. 1 on the independent charts in the UK. Dreamtime was released in September 1984, reaching No. 21 in the UK and selling over 100,000 copies in the UK alone. In May 1985, the Cult released "She Sells Sanctuary", which peaked at No. 15 in the UK and spent 23 weeks in the Top 100. After Preston was fired, Big Country's drummer Mark Brzezicki was picked to replace him. The band's second studio album, Love, was recorded in July and August 1985, peaking at No. 4 in the UK and selling 100,000 copies there toward a total of 500,000 copies throughout Europe, as well as 100,000 in Australia and 500,000 copies in the United States. To date, the record has sold over two and a half million copies worldwide. From late September 1985 to June 1986, the band went on a worldwide tour with new drummer Les Warner. Two more singles from Love followed: "Rain" (UK No. 17) and "Revolution" (UK No. 30). The band then booked themselves into the Manor Studios in Oxfordshire with producer Steve Brown and recorded over a dozen new songs. Unhappy with the sound of their new album, titled Peace, they went to New York so producer Rick Rubin could remix the first single, "Love Removal Machine". Rubin agreed to work with the band only if they re-recorded the song, and eventually talked them into re-recording the entire album. The band's record company, Beggars Banquet, was displeased, as two months and £250,000 had already been spent on the record.

Reader's Guide

The Cult's third studio album, Electric (1987), peaked at No. 4 in the UK and charted highly in other territories, spawning the hit singles "Love Removal Machine", "Lil' Devil" and "Wild Flower". On that album, the Cult supplemented their post-punk sound with hard rock, facilitated by producer Rick Rubin. After moving to Los Angeles, the Cult continued musical experimentation with Sonic Temple (1989), which marked their first collaboration with Bob Rock. Sonic Temple was their most successful studio album to that point, entering the Top 10 on the UK and US charts, and included one of their most popular songs "Fire Woman". By the time of Ceremony (1991), tensions and creative differences surfaced, resulting in recording sessions held without a stable line-up, leaving Astbury and Duffy as the only two official members, with support from session musicians. The band recorded one more studio album, The Cult (1994), before disbanding in 1995. The Cult reformed in 1999 and released Beyond Good and Evil two years later. Its commercial failure and resurfaced tensions led to a second dissolution in 2002. The Cult reunited once again in 2006, and have since released four more studio albums: Born into This (2007), Choice of Weapon (2012), Hidden City (2016) and Under the Midnight Sun (2022).

Did You Know?

• The band's name Southern Death Cult was derived from an academic term describing a cluster of 14th-century Native American groups now classified as the Southeastern Ceremonial Complex.
• Southern Death Cult played their first show at the Queen's Hall in Bradford on 29 October 1981.
• The single "Spiritwalker" reached No. 1 on the UK Indie Chart in 1984.
• The band spent £250,000 recording the album Peace before re-recording it with Rick Rubin as Electric.
• The Cult's album Love has sold over two and a half million copies worldwide.