The Cult

Formed by frontman Ian Astbury and hailing from Bradford, West Yorkshire, The Cult enjoyed critical praise and commercial success on sides of the Atlantic throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. The hard rock band was originally launched under the name "Death Cult," with Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy amending it to "The Cult" in 1984. Mixing a passion for uncompromising, metal-influenced rock with Astbury's deep, abiding interests in American Native Indian history and elements of psychedelia, the group charted an early hit with 1984's "Spiritwalker," which appeared on the debut album Dreamtime that same year. Love followed in 1985, reaching Number 4 on the UK charts and spawning the gold-certified single "She Sells Sanctuary." The Cult's success flourished with subsequent releases like 1987's Electric and 1989's Sonic Temple, the latter of which was a Top 10 success not only in the band's native UK, but also in America. Sonic Temple also featured the international single "Fire Woman," which reached Number 2 on Billboard's Alternative Airplay chart. Following the release of a self-titled album in 1994, the band took a long hiatus before reuniting for 2001's Beyond Good and Evil. Another break followed, with The Cult coming back together for the band's eighth studio album, Born Into This, in 2007. 2012's Choice of Weapon and 2016's Hidden City both enjoyed Top 20 chart placements in the UK, while 2022's Under the Midnight Sun climbed to Number 15, marking the band's highest peak on the UK's Official Albums Chart since 1991.

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