Mors Syphilitica is a Gothic rock/Ethereal band formed in 1995 in New York City by Lisa Hammer (née Houle) and Eric Hammer after the breakup of Requiem in White. Their music combines often-surreal lyrics with unusual instruments such as the mandolin and banjo, as well more conventional instruments such as the guitar. Lisa's operatic vocals give Mors Syphilitica's music a distinctive powerful, sweeping quality. On record, all of the instruments were played by Eric; while live, they were accompanied by live drum and bass players.
Their first EP, which was released on Sacrum Torch, had a very limited release of 300 copies, and proved a great success. Their subsequent recordings were distributed at first by Sacrum Torch, then were picked up by Projekt Records for their last album, which gave Mors Syphilitica access to a much wider audience.
The band did not conduct many interviews, preferring that their music would speak for itself rather than warrant explanation.