Electric

Released in 1987, Electric marks a seismic shift for British rockers The Cult, following their 1985 breakthrough, Love. This third album not only matched its predecessor’s UK chart peak—reaching number four—but also outpaced it in chart longevity, enjoying a remarkable 27-week run, the band’s longest for any album.

Electric represents a calculated pivot from the band’s signature gothic rock towards a more traditional hard rock sound. This transformation was orchestrated by producer Rick Rubin, who was brought in specifically to tap into the era’s hard rock, glam metal, and heavy metal zeitgeist. Rubin, famed for his work with hip-hop and thrash metal acts like Slayer, infused the record with a gritty, stadium-ready intensity that resonated with the late ’80s rock scene. Electric was so influential it earned a spot in the prestigious 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

In a fascinating twist, Electric was later re-released in 2013 as Electric Peace, a double CD set. This edition included the original album and a second disc featuring the previously unreleased Peace album, recorded during the band’s earlier sessions at Manor Studio.

After the success of Love, The Cult embarked on crafting a follow-up album with producer Steve Brown, recording a dozen tracks at Manor Studio in Oxfordshire during the summer of 1986. These sessions, known as the Manor Sessions, produced material initially slated for an album titled Peace. However, the band was dissatisfied with the results and sought a new producer.

Enter Rick Rubin, whose reputation for crafting raw, powerful sounds made him the perfect candidate for revamping The Cult’s direction. Rubin approached the album with a vision that involved blending the sonic elements of classic rock giants. According to engineer Tony Platt, Rubin used AC/DC’s Highway to Hell and Back in Black as benchmarks, and even pulled sonic inspiration from Led Zeppelin. This meticulous approach aimed to capture a sound that was both classic and refreshed, melding the thunderous guitar tones of AC/DC with the dynamic drumming of the Australian rockers and the vocal power of Led Zeppelin.

Although the original Manor Sessions tracks were eventually scrapped, their legacy lived on. Four of these tracks appeared as B-sides, with five more released on a limited edition EP. The remaining material finally saw mainstream release in 2013 with the Electric Peace set.