Today, 41 years ago, The Sisters Of Mercy released First And Last And Always!

First and Last and Always – The Birth of a Gothic Rock Classic

Today, 41 years ago marked the release of First and Last and Always, the debut album from The Sisters of Mercy. It was released on 11 March 1985 through Merciful Release and WEA, with Elektra Records handling the US release. A record that would go on to define gothic rock, it remains one of the most influential and haunting albums of its era. Nearly four decades later, its echoing guitars, brooding atmosphere, and melancholic lyricism continue to captivate listeners, cementing its place as a cornerstone of dark alternative music.

The album was recorded during the second half of 1984 and multiple recording sessions took place in various recording studios. It was mixed and produced by David M.Allen who also produced for the likes of The Cure, Depeche mode, Wire and The Human League. The album's production was fraught with tension. Internal conflicts within the band, particularly between Eldritch and guitarist Wayne Hussey, would ultimately lead to their dissolution shortly after its release. However, this very tension contributed to the album’s raw emotion and intensity. Songs like “Black Planet” and “Walk Away” captured a sense of restless urgency, while the title track and “Marian” submerged the listener in a world of doomed romance and gothic grandeur. The closing track, “Some Kind of Stranger,” remains one of the most poignant and emotionally charged moments in the band's discography.

At the time of its release, The Sisters of Mercy were already a force in the underground post-punk and gothic scenes. With a string of well-received singles and EPs, they had cultivated a devoted following drawn to their distinctive blend of driving rhythms, somber melodies, and enigmatic lyricism. First and Last and Always saw the band refine their signature sound—layering cold, reverb-drenched guitars over the mechanical pulse of the iconic drum machine, Doktor Avalanche, while Andrew Eldritch’s deep, resonant voice delivered poetic musings on love, loss, and existential dread. As Dr. Avalanche, The Sisters Of Mercy’s nickname for their drum machine, an Oberheim DMX drum machine was acquired for the recording of this album.

Though the album only achieved moderate commercial success at the time, its influence on the gothic rock movement was profound. The Sisters of Mercy, along with contemporaries like The Cure and Bauhaus, helped shape what would become the goth aesthetic—both sonically and visually. First and Last and Always inspired countless bands, from Fields of the Nephilim to later acts like HIM and Type O Negative, proving that its shadowy allure was far-reaching.

The album also marked a turning point for the band itself. Shortly after its release, Hussey and bassist Craig Adams departed, forming The Mission and carrying forward their own version of the gothic rock sound. Meanwhile, Eldritch retained the Sisters of Mercy name, eventually crafting a more synth-heavy, grandiose direction with Floodland (1987). While The Sisters of Mercy continued to evolve, First and Last and Always remained their most intimate and emotionally bare offering, a testament to the fragile beauty of gothic rock’s golden era. Later Eldritch would suggest the song ‘Walk Away’ was directed at Marx.

Although Wayne Hussey and Gary Marx wrote and sang some of the initial lyrics for some of the demo tracks, Eldritch eventually wrote all the final lyrics as they would appear on the finished album. Both Wayne and Marx re-used some of those lyrics later for their own projects The Mission and Ghost Dance.

Two (demo) songs that didn’t make the album, Serpents Kiss and Wake, would later be re-recorded and released by The Mission.

The album went silver (with 60,000 sold) in the UK on 30 October 1987 and gold (with 100,000 sold) on 8 May 1989. Its highest position in the UK album charts was no. 14. In Germany, the group's second largest market after the UK, the album went gold (with 250,000 sold) in 2011. Its highest position in the German album charts was no. 40.

Nevertheless, the production of the album left the band initially in enormous debt. According to Andrew Eldritch, the album recouped the production costs only by 1988.

Today, 41 years later, First and Last and Always is more than just an album—it is a defining moment in alternative music history. Its haunting soundscapes and poetic despair continue to resonate with fans old and new, ensuring that the legacy of The Sisters of Mercy endures. As we look back on its release, we celebrate not just an album, but a lasting monument to the dark romance and timeless allure of gothic rock.

First Last And Alway - Track listing

2006 CD re-issue Bonus Tracks

The Sisters Of Mercy - Personnel

• Andrew Eldritch – vocals, sleeve design, mixing
• Craig Adams – bass guitar
• Wayne Hussey – guitar, vocals
• Gary Marx – guitar
• Doktor Avalanche (drum machine) – drums

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