Death Cult

Emerging as the second name in the sequence of transformations that would ultimately produce the Cult, Death Cult was assembled in 1983 by Ian Astbury shortly after he disbanded Southern Death Cult. He enlisted guitarist Billy Duffy (ex-Theatre of Hate), bassist Jamie Stewart (ex-Ritual), and drummer Ray Mondo, leading to the release of an EP on Situation Two in mid-1983. Nigel Preston took Mondo’s place behind the kit that fall, and a further EP followed before year’s end. Even so, Death Cult had already become the Cult by December.