Sisters Of Mercy – First And Last And Always (1985)

December 3, 2024

It’s interesting, because of SOM’s murky and unusual beginnings, I was expecting their commercially successful debut to be much more cohesive and brighter. Alas, their first album is a pit of depressing despair; each song – even if not super slow in pace – oozes out of the speakers like molasses. Eldritch’s baritone is used consistently here, a stark contrast to the yelped or barked Adam Ant but on crack cocaine approach of some of the earlier recordings. Despite having the pace of a strong intravenous opiate, there are some fantastic songs here, such as “Black Planet”, “No Time To Cry” and “Marian”. I’d give it a strong 3.5/5.