the arkive

  •  - Dreamtime - Reissue
A1. Horse Nation
A2. Spiritwalker
A3. 83rd Dream
A4. Butterflies
A5. Go West

B1. Gimmick
B2. A Flower In the Desert
B3. Dreamtime
B4. Rider In The Snow
B5. Bad Medicine Waltz

The Cult

Dreamtime - Reissue

Beggars Banquet
Released 23 February 2024
BBQ-2296

Originally released in 1984, following the band’s evolution from the Southern Death Cult, to Death Cult, and then simply The Cult, Dreamtime finds the outfit featuring Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy, pivoting from their goth and punk roots into something eclectic, aspirational, and adventurous. Rife with lyrical references to the indigenous cultures of the Americas and Australia, and set against a more bombastic and muscular musical backdrop, Dreamtime hints at what would envelop the band over the next four decades, a dedication to their wholly unique songwriting, both musically and thematically, and the frenzy that was soon to come with the release of Love only a year later.

“Spiritwalker,” the first single from the album, hit #1 on the U.K.’s independent chart.

The Cult formed in 1984 in England, with the seminal post-punk band going on to sell in excess of four million albums with numerous international and U.S. gold and platinum certifications. Ian Astbury (vocals) and Billy Duffy (guitar) have released 11 studio albums over The Cult’s 40-year career. The band, dubbed “Shamanic goths” by Classic Rock Magazine, found international renown with the 1985 album, Love, which featured the enduring rock anthem “She Sells Sanctuary,” as well as the oft-heard follow-up single “Rain.” Electric arrived in 1987, with Rolling Stone saying the collection of songs (particularly “Love Removal Machine,” “Wild Flower” and “Lil’ Devil”) “swaggers, crunches and howls.” Most recently, The Cult released Under the Midnight Sun. Mojo, in a review of the eight-song album, said “rock’s unquenchable melodramatists have the fire in their eyes still.” In late 2023, Astbury and Duffy reformed Death Cult for a series of live performances including a sole U.S. date at The Theatre at The Ace Hotel and a limited run of U.K. dates including back-to-back sold out shows at the Brixton Electric.