With the genre of Gothic Rock difficult to define, it is easy to trace much of its roots to the late ‘70s Post-Punk movement, with important acts such as Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, Bauhaus, and the Cure. Each going into leave a lasting impression on music, perhaps one of the most essential Gothic Rock bands to ever lurk in the shadows was, and is, The Sisters of Mercy.
Formed in 1980 in Leeds, England, under the guidance of Vocalist Andrew Eldritch and Guitarist Gary Marx, The Sisters of Mercy spent their early years largely underground, where they built a reputation as an intense live band with an extremely dark sound. As time went on, while still quite active, performing and releasing several singles, the band did not actually put out a studio album until 1985 with First and Last and Always. Until that point, having released the four-track EP Body and Soul and three-track EP Walk Away in 1984, as well as the three-track EP No Time To Cry earlier in 1985, it is safe to say there was substantial anticipation for a full-length album. A delay that resulted from several factors, it eventually came together when Eldritch, Marx, along with Craig Adams, Wayne Hussey, and a drum machine called Doktor Avalanche, entered the studio to record an album.
Most likely not the easiest recording sessions, it is said there was internal tension, struggles with expenses, and overall, it might be described as arduous. However, through all the blood, sweat, and tears, The Sisters of Mercy compiled ten tracks for First and Last and Always that have stood the test of time. Gloomy, melodic, and exquisitely atmospheric, the songs were wonderfully crafted and, to many, highly influential on future generations of Gothic Rock bands. As a matter of fact, it is hard to imagine there ever being others like Rosetta Stone, Type O Negative, The 69 Eyes, or The Horror without The Sisters of Mercy.
The cold, hard facts, ironically, while First and Last and Always peaked at number 14 on the UK albums chart and spent several weeks in the Top 100, shortly after its March 1985 release, the band had eroded by June of that year. A big letdown for fans who were really starting to dig into them, the aftermath included Guitarist Wayne Hussey and Bassist Craig Adams forming another critical Gothic Rock band, The Mission, in 1986, before Andrew Eldritch returned as The Sisters of Mercy two years later with the 1987 follow-up album, Floodland.
A complex turn of events from the outside looking in, First and Last and Always is still discussed as an all-time favorite forty years after the initial release. Furthermore, while a Sisters of Mercy album has not been released since 1990’s Vision Thing, led by Andrew Eldritch, the band continues to tour regularly, with a lineup that includes Ben Christo and Japan’s Kai on guitars as of 2025. Nonetheless, in honor of the epic 40th anniversary of First and Last and Always, Elektra / WEA released a striking new 4-LP Deluxe Edition Vinyl Set on July 4, 2025.
A mirror image of the 2015 vinyl box set (which celebrated the album’s 30th anniversary), in case you missed that, here is a chance to get all the material from the First and Last and Always era in one place yet again. Breaking down the release, you get the original album on a standalone LP, along with the three EPs preceding its release – Body and Soul, Walk Away, and No Time To Cry – each pressed to its own LP. All in individual sleeves with the original EP artworks, all four records are pressed to a blood red and black marble vinyl that certainly adds to the mood. All packed inside one universal box set, it is the ultimate audio history book for the first five years of The Sisters of Mercy, all in one place.
So, whether you are a lifelong The Sisters of Mercy fan or a novice who is curious about the lineage of Dark Rock, this 4LP set is worth its weight in gold. That is why Cryptic Rock gives this 40th anniversary 4LP Edition of First and Last and Always 5 out of 5 stars.
){kind=link}
No comment