The Sisters of Mercy - First and Last and Always

Band/artist - The Sisters of Mercy
Genre(s) - Gothic rock
Origin - United Kingdom
Album - First and Last and Always
Year of release - 1985

The eighties have never been my favourite musical decade, and they never will be. Simplicstic, horridly fake-sounding drum patterns, utterly static song structures, plastic keyboard ditties and a rotten attitude spoil things for me quickly. Music for/by the instant gratification generation. Every once in a while, however, a good artist from those times pops up, demanding the credit it's due. I guess this must be having its effect on me: I no longer even cringe when Toto comes up on the classic rock station. But back to the album at hand. The title is trying to confuse me but First and Last and Always is definitely the Sisters' first album, not their last. It doesn't have the band's mindblowing anthem This Corrosion but as an album it holds together better than Floodlands which has a lot of boring moments. Something I can't explain is how the Sisters of Mercy incorporate all the negative traits of 80s rock but somehow manage to create a blend of them that transcends its faults. The melodies are strong, it's both dark and catchy, and Andrew's vocals are compelling. I could listen to this all day long.

1. Black planet
2. Walk away
3. No time to cry
4. A rock and a hard place
5. Marian
6. First and last and always
7. Possession
8. Nine while nine
9. Amphetamine logic
10. Some kind of stranger
    

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