The Cult

The Cult are an English rock band who formed in Bradford in 1983. They began as Death Cult, a name that grew out of singer Ian Astbury's earlier group Southern Death Cult, and became The Cult in January 1984. Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy are the constants through many line-ups, and they remain the main songwriters.

Their story has two halves. In the mid-1980s they won a devoted British following as a post-punk and gothic rock band, with "She Sells Sanctuary" from Love (1985) among the highlights. Electric (1987), produced by Rick Rubin, added a hard rock polish and brought "Love Removal Machine". After moving to Los Angeles, they made Sonic Temple (1989) with Bob Rock, which reached the Top 10 in both the UK and US and includes "Fire Woman". They split twice, in 1995 and 2002, but have been back since 2006, most recently with Under the Midnight Sun in 2022.