The Southern Death Cult

Southern Death Cult | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 26, 2011)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Beggars Banquet Records Ltd.
• ASIN: B00000189E
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #122,953 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #97 in Music > Indie Music > Alternative Rock > Goth & Industrial

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars classic british death punk, April 17, 2003

By 

Crypt "thecrypt777" (Arkham) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Southern Death Cult (Audio CD)

This is a compilation of their 3 song e.p., and some great sounding live sessions. People who only know of The Cult's arena rock oriented albums might be puzzled to know that this was Ian Astbury's first band. While he never renounced his Gothic past, this album is quite different from The Cult's more popular albums such as Electric and Sonic Temple. Pure minimalistic, arty gloom and doom. This actually sounds alot like early Cure, Skeletal Family and Joy Division. Not quite as abrasive as Bauhaus, not as experimental as Christian Death and not as glam oriented as Specimen or Sex Gang Children. All the elements of the original Gothic Rock sound are here. The tribal drums, ghostly guitars, howling vocals and oppressively morbid and gloomy atmosphere. Also, some themes that have recurred in The Cult's songs are present here, such as Native American imagery, yet some songs like The Crypt are surprisingly morbid, and others like False Faces are surprisingly angsty. Every song here is classic, even those that are a bit on the rough and raw side. The only song I really skip over is Flowers in The Forest, which is strangely jazzy and doesn't really fit on the compilation.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the few truly gothic albums, July 18, 2008

By 

A. J. Griffin - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Southern Death Cult (Audio CD)

Not counting Christian Death and Death in June (or Diamanda Galas, for that matter), this album is one of the few truly "gothic" albums to be realeased in the late 70s/early 80s. I would disagree with an earlier review that "The Crypt" is a throw-away song. In fact, it's one of the stand-outs on the album, mixing a heavy, menacing bass with an ambient sound accentuated by piano. It makes its point, truly gothic.

For those who had this album on LP, know that the CD provides a few extra tracks, can't remember which, but they're good, maybe four of them. This CD is only fairly recently available on US domestic issue. To let you know - the live (guess they might be BBC?) tracks are not so great, I always used to skip over them and truth be known those tracks are why I don't listen to the album so much.

But if you're into ealry-80s and late 70s English New Wave, you absolutely must own this record. It's one of a kind, and with its successor, Death Cult's "Ghost Dance", provides a great idiosyncratic duo that can't be beat.

Catch the Native American references also.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Goth Rock album, April 16, 2007

By 

Matt "Cannibal King" (Beyond the Tanarian Hills... Pennsylvania.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Southern Death Cult (Audio CD)

What can be said about the Southern Death Cult? Only that they helped lay the way for the goth and deathrock bands to come. This album is a compilation of their recorded material over the short lifespan that they held. Its full of raw goth punk heart as well as dark and political lyrics. This album is a favorite of mine because I can listen to the whole thing without skipping songs, though I do favor a few over the rest:

The Girl - Pounding tom drums and a springing, growling bass line make this track a stand out for me. Its almost reminicent of New Orleans even though I've never been there. My favorite.

The Crypt - Morbid and still full of energy, this song should be on the gothic compilations. The piano addition to this song gives it that eerie graveyard feel. Ians wild laughs and yelps sure help as well.

Vivisection [live] - If a crowd of goths and deathrockers were to ever start a circle pit, it would be to this song. Pure unrestrained goth punk with a slight surf rock feel. Cliff-hanger dragouts between verse and chorus lines will keep you energized.

I recomend this album to anyone who has heard their name, but has procrastinated in buying the album. Thats what I did and I felt bad for doing so. Any fan of goth or deathrock will find something to love in the Southern Death Cult.