The Cult Albums Ranked

The Cult is a British rock band formed in 1983. Before settling on their current name in January 1984, the band performed under the name Death Cult, which was an evolution of the name of lead singer Ian Astbury’s previous band Southern Death Cult. They gained a dedicated following in the United Kingdom in the mid-1980s as a post-punk/gothic rock band, with singles such as “She Sells Sanctuary”, before breaking into the mainstream in the United States in the late 1980s establishing themselves as a hard rock band with singles such as “Love Removal Machine” and “Fire Woman”. Since the initial formation of the Southern Death Cult in Bradford in 1981, the band has had various line-ups; the longest-serving members are Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy, who is the band’s two songwriters.
After moving to London, the band released their second album Love in 1985, which charted at No. 4 in the UK and included singles such as “She Sells Sanctuary” and “Rain”. On their third album, Electric (1987), the band supplemented their post-punk sound with hard rock; the polish on this new sound was facilitated by producer Rick Rubin. Their fourth album, Sonic Temple (1989), proceeded in a similar vein, and these two albums enabled them to break into the North American market. It was also during this period that The Cult relocated to Los Angeles, California, where the band is currently based. Here are all of The Cult’s albums ranked.

Don’t miss out on the pulsating metal sound of The Cult below! Click to enjoy the songs taht made them popular in the UK and the US!

10. The Cult and the Electric Interview (1987)

“Electric is a new direction from Love, moving more into the American rock genre and for a first effort in that market, this album has to be admired. The music is more fierce than before, creating storms in songs such as Lil’ Devil and Love Removal Machine, my personal favourites. Lil’ Devil is also part of a great opening trilogy of songs, Wild Flower (which introduces us to the new direction of the band) and Peace Dog, the title of which is inspired by The Doors’ Peace Frog.”

9. Born Into This (2007)

“The Cult’s Born Into This is a solid effort, sounds strong and should please anybody who’s been into them, but it hardly can be considered a gem in their career. The album was produced by Youth and mainly recorded in London – Ian’s voice still great, Billy’s playing somewhat more controlled. These years the band relies on the drumming skills of John Tempesta and the bass playing of Chris Wyse, which is fine although it feels as if they are just going through the motions at times.”

8. Choice of Weapon (2012)

“”Choice Of Weapon” is, in my opinion, The Cult’s strongest release since their controversial self-titled album in 1994. And, with the band’s lineup maintained since “Born Into This”, there’s a welcoming tight cohesiveness to their playing, a sureness that just wasn’t there before. This may as well mark the beginning of a much-needed, promising new phase in their career.”

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7. Dreamtime (1984)

“A quirky little album, `Dreamtime’ was the debut of the Cult on long player format and may come to a surprise to fans that came of age during the period of `Electric’. Post punk and gothic were two of the most common descriptions of the band’s sound in 1984 and they may have lost some of their original fan base as result of changes later in the decade but there was no denying the explosive presence of Ian Astbury and his long-time guitarist collaborator Billy Duffy even at this early date. “

6. The Cult (1994)

“The Cult suddenly graduate to the alternative/grunge-dominated musical landscape of the 90’s on this eponymous release.  You typically expect self-titled albums to be relatively “traditionalist” in approach- either they’re landmark releases from early in a band’s career or they’re backward-looking comeback albums.  The Cult is neither of these things, and is arguably the least typical release in the group’s entire catalog.  The clearest analogy that I have for this record is U2’s Achtung Baby.  Both records see 80’s mainstays supplementing their usual arena rock melodies with tons of feedback and a generally “messier” guitar sound.  This isn’t to say that The Cult sounds exactly like Achtung Baby, or that it’s nearly as good.”

5. Ceremony (1991)

“I liked sonic and electric and even the original love that broke the band.. all have their different styles and sounds.. this one is just not as good as any before or after it. the next record the self titiled cult (black sheep) was great then the band broke up– astbury does holy barbarians then solo record which both were brilliant then beyond good and evil and then born into then choice all excellent.. but this ceremony –while alright isnt their best… seems a lil lack luster–“

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4. Beyond Good and Evil (2001)

“Beyond good and evil is are really phat album. In certain ways not as ethnic and melodious as previous work by the Cult. But after a period of silence a definite statement of what they are capable of. I liked this CD better than the born into this CD. It is definitely a Bob Rock signature sound, recognizable from previous cult numbers like the witch. Having Said that this CD just rock the socks of , it is big it is loud it is a wall of sound, and most important it is the Cult. or at least what I think the Cult should/could have become.”

3. Electric (1987)

“Electric influenced many more of the best rock groups to follow this 1987 release. Soundgarden, Guns, Alice In Chains. All of these groups were major commercial successes. I don’t really know why The Cult never hit bigger. True they weren’t as commercial looking as the other groups with they’re more gothic look…best way to say it is they were definately before their time.”

2. Love (1985)

“This album is a true underground classic and is certainly one of the best albums of the 80s. One of those magical combinations of artists that comes around from time to time, with Steve Brown’s amazing production and the incredible drumming of Mark from Big Country – it’s a work of art in every way, from the unique cover art to the gorgeous sound quality – especially the recording of the drums and guitars.”

1. Sonic Temple (1989)

“Sonic Temple is a very fitting title for this album, it is a temple of sonic goodness and while there are a few songs I don’t listen to a lot, the majority of the songs still sound as fresh and exciting today as they did in 1989. ‘Sweet Soul Sister’, ‘Sun King’, ‘Edie (Ciao Baby)’, and so many other tracks are just outstanding and the production, the lyrics, and the sound is just great. Sonic Temple also was the album that really did a lot for the Cult.”