Okay, so if you want to get technical about it then ‘The Reptile House’ is not actually an album; it is a 6 track EP. However, it is not written as an EP; it has clearly been created as a mini-album.

So there.

The Sisters of Mercy have gone through several major line-up changes over the years and ‘The Reptile House’ was recorded during their first phase. It is minimalistic, cold and dark; a ‘Floodland’ stripped down to its bare bones. There is nothing slick here; no big production, no big budget and no rented New York choir. ‘The Reptile House’ is far more basic than that.

But rather then fighting off its low budget and limited recording equipment, it revels in it. Most bands would desperately have tried to hide the fact that it was early days and they were skint. Except The Sisters did the total opposite. They embraced the limitations of the basic recording conditions and used them to create something truly powerful. Even the artwork on the sleeve is done in much the same way.

‘The Reptile House’ is ‘afterhours’ music and should be listened to at night; if it is not then it will take away the sun. The whole thing is so incredibly atmospheric. Eldritch’s voice has never sounded so sinister and on ‘Fix’ it’s downright chilling. Adding that to Hussey’s strangely jangling guitar sound, Gary Marx’s throbbing bass lines and the hypnotic drums of Doktor Avalanche results in something pretty special. Why did things ever have to change???

Any self-respecting Goth should have this in their record collection. In fact, any true Goth (or Gothess) who does not deserves to be force-dressed in a shell suit and to have their hair dyed blonde by a bunch of R’n’B fans.

Whatever way you look at it, ‘The Reptile House’ is one of the darkest and most Gothic-orientated albums ever made. Just don’t say anything like that to Andrew Eldritch as he has a problem with it; apparently, The Sisters of Mercy have never been Goths…

Found a great new site, enigin PLC design, its actually a personal blog, but well worth a look if you are into online design!