Pornography is the fourth studio album by English rock band The Cure, released May 4, 1982 on Fiction Records. Recorded at RAK Studios with producer Phil Thornalley, the sessions were notoriously turbulent, fueled by internal conflict, heavy drug use, and Robert Smith's depression, all of which shaped the album's dense, abrasive sound. Pornography marks the culmination of the dark trilogy that began with Seventeen Seconds (1980), closing a chapter that would define an entire genre.
Despite a lukewarm critical reception on release, the album peaked at number 8 on the UK charts and has since been recognized as a foundational work in gothic rock. Shortly after its release, bassist Simon Gallup departed, and the band pivoted toward the brighter, more radio-friendly sound that would define their commercial peak.
For collectors, an encapsulated pressing captures this album exactly as it existed before the world got to it: a genre-defining artifact sealed at its origin point and never touched by the secondhand market.
What Alliance Authentic Preservation Means: Every copy listed was moved directly from the pressing source into preservation: uncirculated, unhandled, and documented before it ever reached the open market. Each preserved copy includes an embedded NFC chip. Tap it with any smartphone to access your Certified Copy: verified authenticity, documented condition, and a full provenance chain from pressing source to you.
Limited to 5 individually numbered copies.
