NEW SONGS!

[Yggdrasil]

Any of the unreleased stuff recorded in a studio would get high rotation in my day to day.

He should at least set the bar before peacing out.

Agree 100%.

[Nyth Grandbeard]

Any of the unreleased stuff recorded in a studio would get high rotation in my day to day.

He should at least set the bar before peacing out.

Agree 100%.

I am also curious about this because no one lives forever, and I wonder if he has any agency about releasing new material, or reissuing old stuff like Wake or anything before he goes. I know he doesn't owe us anything, and I don't think he should feel any pressure to give us anything. It's just weird that someone like him who has made so many sacrifices, and broke off relationships both personal and business all for the sake of the band to just stop in his tracks. It's almost a guarantee that a label will gobble up all the rights to all sisters material and just release tons of "unreleased" compilations, or cover tribute albums or whatever they can make a quick buck unless Von has a next of kin to inherit it all.

But at the end of the day it's up to him, and i'm just glad he's happy doing what he's doing.

[hellboy69]

“The Sisters of Mercy to release 5-song ‘Better Reptile E.P.’ ahead of new album - track listing”
https://www.tomorrowtides.com/sisters-wikileaks.html

[stefan moermans]

“The Sisters of Mercy to release 5-song ‘Better Reptile E.P.’ ahead of new album - track listing”
https://www.tomorrowtides.com/sisters-wikileaks.html

[mh]

And another!

[iesus]

And another!

[hellboy69]

And another!

[Nyth Grandbeard]

“The Sisters of Mercy to release 5-song ‘Better Reptile E.P.’ ahead of new album - track listing”
https://www.tomorrowtides.com/sisters-wikileaks.html

My heart actually skipped a beat for a second

[Being645]

“The Sisters of Mercy to release 5-song ‘Better Reptile E.P.’ ahead of new album - track listing”
https://www.tomorrowtides.com/sisters-wikileaks.html

Hi-hi, hi-hi ... ...

[H. Blackrose]

As forewarned on the official site: "Don't Drive On Ice"

[sultan2075]

I'll still buy 15 copies of the record if he can ever get off his ass and make another one.

[Wilkstein]

I would have no problem with paying $1000 for a new Sisters record. And I get the feeling it wouldn't be that hard to find 1000 people who would be happy to pre-pay that much to bankroll its recording.

[eastmidswhizzkid]

I would have no problem with paying $1000 for a new Sisters record. And I get the feeling it wouldn't be that hard to find 1000 people who would be happy to pre-pay that much to bankroll its recording.

as ever, that simply isnt where the problem lies.

[Todashi]

The two new songs are excellent. Love them both, for quite different reasons.

It's a particularly good trick to preview 17 odd track titles on the band's website, and then trot out a new classic that isn't even listed. Unless Here started out as one of those tracks listed and changed form and title between 2020 and 2022.

As always, I wish I had recorded versions, in particular because it's very hard to play the Sisters 2022 edition to anyone who isn't already a fan.

Sending someone a YouTube link isn't the same as putting Spotify or Apple Music on in the car or while having beers at home etc. These songs are good enough to build their audience with, but they've effectively made the live-only versions quite hard to share.

[Nyth Grandbeard]

These new songs are really making harder and harder to accept we probably won't get a new album

[euphoria]

As always, I wish I had recorded versions, in particular because it's very hard to play the Sisters 2022 edition to anyone who isn't already a fan.

Sending someone a YouTube link isn't the same as putting Spotify or Apple Music on in the car or while having beers at home etc. These songs are good enough to build their audience with, but they've effectively made the live-only versions quite hard to share.

Couldn't have said it better, precisely this is my problem with the Sisters not releasing anything! If I'm alone, I don't mind the live recordings, but never see it as a realistic option to share with non-fans.

[Dr. Moody]

It'd be nice to hear live versions cleaned up Suzanne/Ribbons quality. The neighbours would probably appreciate that somewhat.

[Todashi]

In real terms, that's probably the biggest impact that not releasing product has had on Von. He's shown he can gig in perpetuity with line up changes etc and the new songs have breathed new life into the touring act. Meanwhile, while he's been doing his own thing, the music industry imploded and he is left in a relatively good position. Legacy is everything for a touring act in 2022. All good.

But it's also very hard to create new fans without music that's relatively easy to access. Like everyone else, I"d like clean and layered versions of the new songs but also like everyone else here I'll just make do with YouTube clips and audience recordings, because I've been a fan since 1989. But younger people and other rock fans - such as perhaps some of the Ghost audience that might have come digging around out of curiosity - how are they supposed to try out the band?

That's a shame.

[mh]

But it's also very hard to create new fans without music that's relatively easy to access. Like everyone else, I"d like clean and layered versions of the new songs but also like everyone else here I'll just make do with YouTube clips and audience recordings, because I've been a fan since 1989. But younger people and other rock fans - such as perhaps some of the Ghost audience that might have come digging around out of curiosity - how are they supposed to try out the band?

That's a shame.

But yet at every gig you can always meet young people in their 20s who are seeing them for the first time, and the sense of excitement and anticipation is there, and remains very strong. Audience numbers are not going down, three nights at the Roundhouse last year (even if the third was well undersold) gives the lie to that. The band are obviously not affected as much by not having new material as they could be, or perhaps should be. Whether that's their draw as a legacy act, whether it's word of mouth from other bands, or whether it's just parents dragging the next generation along, the band are obviously doing something right that's bucking what should be the trend.

Don't get me wrong, of course it would be great to have sparkly studio versions of all of these songs, or even high quality live versions. It would be great to be able to play Summer, Crash & Burn or But Genevieve for someone who asked what the Sisters sound like. But so long as whatever it is that Von's doing seems to be working, his lack of motive can be understood, even if not liked nor agreed with.

[Being645]

But younger people and other rock fans - such as perhaps some of the Ghost audience that might have come digging around out of curiosity - how are they supposed to try out the band?

Hell, I'm 60 and can easily draw some MP3s from whatever video source within seconds. And you're basically talking about a generation of so-called digital natives gowing up with a mobile in their hands ...

[Todashi]

Yeah, I suppose I just mean that a lot of people follow the path of least resistance. I used to own a huge number of physical CDs, and now I own a monthly subscription bill.

Like, I'm tangibly worse off, but I followed the path of least resistance. I'm the turkey that voted for Christmas, just like all the other turkeys.

But let's face it, the Sisters are a freak example of obstinacy triumphing over market forces. How many other bands have or could do what Von has done? He's either a visionary or he's been super lucky to weather the storm. I just think the songs are great, the live sound is solid and the new material is ace - I'd like to see them celebrated a bit more. They've been hugely influential but haven't banked the kind of money they could have through the 1990s when album sales were something worth writing home about.

The sisters are also that rare thing - a strong legacy streaming band. It's exceptionally difficult for new bands to build the kind of back catalogue and brand value they have. They have half a million monthly listens on Spotify, and presumably something similar on Apple Music etc. A lot of those people are undoubtedly just playing the hits, or perhaps being counted because This Corrosion appears on a playlist of 80s goth, but I'd love to see them play bigger venues, and be put under a little bit more pressure to up the stage shows.

(Also, SOMEONE close to the band had to be involved in uploading the most recent band portrait to Spotify. So I presume they are at least cashing the tiny cheques Spotify sends out.)

Like, at the moment, it doesn't make financial sense to employ a bass player. It's not broken, so don't fix it. But if the venues were bigger and the ticket prices higher, and the stages wider, then having three dudes and a guy at the back who presses play would be harder to justify.

Anyway, I'll be there regardless - they're the sound of my youth and the new stuff sounds great to me. Just thinking out loud.

[Pista]

In all fairness, half of what's being played in the shows is recorded anyway so it's not like it'd be a massive amount of hassle to commit the rest to a recorded format of some description

[Being645]

OK, one point to the masses of turkeys ... ...
And yes, the results of the damned corona lockdowns are causing venues (those who survived so far) to rise prices. Also there is the war in Ukraine, which is clearly worse regarding the live concerts. It's not only the cost of concert tickets or travels, but the allover inflation. And there is no end in sight. To the contrary.

Sisters stage shows have always come with wonderful lights, and fog. Now there are the mirrors, which are great. Remember: We're only the mirror ... (well not quite, if we talk about communication, but hell). Of course one can do some great effects only on fog, but honestly, IMHO, it's just unnescessary, always been. For songs like Marian or Black Sail it might be a pretty effect, but that's it. And isn't it somewhat contradictory to sing "we are here", while a thick cloud of fog covers everything. A contradiction persisting from the beginning regarding The Sisters, imho btw, causing unnecessesary troubles like the prolonged perpetuance of unwelcome goth-associations to say the very least. Also, the major hit tracks are all played in full bright light with everybody dancing. So no, The Sisters can well do without much fog (which is also better for everybody's throat) and yes, it might be somewhat, but only somewhat, be a new experience to some, but a healthy one of a quality that might accelerate developments in a direction chosen by the band and not left to loads of foggy assumptions voiced over nowadays standard platforms. But I somewhat got off your argument ...

Larger venues, higher ticket prices, a bass player, ... oh well, let's get this war (and above all this tour) over first and spread all these great recordings from the live shows. They are wonderful, and every show is unique, even if the setlist is the same. There is always much more in them than an album can offer, and not only with regard to the number of tracks. Basically, each of the shows is an album for itself. Having the new tracks recorded in some more or less generalised format might be nice, but can never reach up to the all the varieties during the shows. Yes, it should definitely sell if things go on the way they're running now ... but The Sisters can't do both at the same time, anyway. If there hasn't been an album recorded over the past two years, then we will most likely have to wait 'til, yeah, XMas, dear turkey ... ... and then, for the next tour maybe next year, possibly a bass player only to present one to the longing crowd? But hell, The Sisters have always been kind to their following and fans, so maybe there's a chance to see that materialise.

Btw, I think Ravey Davey is clearly more than a "guy at the back who presses play" as you put it, but that's another issue.

[lazycatze]

“The Sisters of Mercy to release 5-song ‘Better Reptile E.P.’ ahead of new album - track listing”
https://www.tomorrowtides.com/sisters-wikileaks.html

I read this site for a years and it's highly likely that it will be my very first response here. But guess what? For a minute I believed it's true
Unbelievable emotions

[H. Blackrose]

Lametta and vendetta