THE SISTERS OF MERCY First & Last & Always SEALED LP Red & Black Marble Vinyl

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THE SISTERS OF MERCY First & Last & Always hails from 2025 and is a SEALED 40th Anniversary LP pressed on Red & Black Marble Vinyl.  The template for all goth-rock records that followed, Sisters of Mercy's First and Last and Always stands as one of the—if not the most—influential albums of its kind ever released. Distinguished by Andrew Eldritch's ghostly singing, which gives the impression of hearing a forlorn ghoul croon from a foggy English graveyard, the 1985 set is drenched in gloom, claustrophobia, black humor, and dance-ready beats that provide exhilarating contrasts. 

Ever since it's release, First and Last and Always has been aptly shrouded in mythology. Eldritch pushed the envelope during the recording sessions, literally walking into walls and repeatedly unable to maintain his focus. Strung out on amphetamines, dazed by days of no sleep, upset by a recent breakup, and eating little, the vocalist channeled his discord into somber lyrics and brooding singing. He's framed by pulsing albeit lean, spare rhythms, patient tempos, and the clatter of a programmed drum machine that, in spite of its mechanical operation, sounds strangely organic. The songs evoke wet dungeons, walls-closing-in paranoia, and late-night strolls amidst the U.K.'s mysterious underground.

Despite its overall dark character, the record's arrangements value spaciousness, putting a premium on room and minimalism that makes each note count. As a result, twinkling pianos and keyboards parallel steel-cutting guitars and low-tuned bass lines that, in combination with Eldrtich's baritone, suggest glimmers of hope among the decay. Songs such as the shaking "Possession," dramatic "Some Kind of Stranger," and desperate "Marian" remain models of the gothic and post-punk disciplines more than 35 years after their debut. It's no surprise that, given all of the tension and personality that infuse the album, Sisters of Mercy disbanded just months after its release.

Side One
1. Black Planet
2. Walk Away
3. No Time To Cry
4. A Rock And A Hard Place
5. Marian (Version)

Side Two
1. First And Last And Always
2. Possession
3. Nine While Nine
4. Logic
5. Some Kind Of Stranger