by Dave Franklin

Created on: January 16, 2007   Last Updated: May 09, 2007

Mention the word Gothic today in connection with music and names like Evanesence, Marilyn Manson and a whole host of sub-metal acts will be offered up of examples of that genre. The modern version of the Gothic sound has merged somewhat with mainstream music to become a badge or at best a fashion statement, a pigeonhole but nothing more. In the same way that punk has moved on from its original meaning, so gothic has become a shadow of its former self, both have become a conformity within the music scene, rather than the fringe territory that they both occupied, they are now just corporate marketing tools and buzz words used out of context. Goth emerged as the dying hours of the seventies crept away from a melting pot of punk attitude, new wave rock ideas and not a small amount of electronica that was surging forth on to the scene. The first band to dominate and encapsulate this gothic creation where undoubtedly The Sisters of Mercy, a clinical and brooding beast that defined the early days of the scene before imploding due to personality conflicts and the good old creative differences.

As the Sisters of Mercy came to an end guitarist Wayne Hussey and basses Craig Adams put together their own band and The Mission where formed. Fans of the gothic movement seemed to fall in one camp or the other. Sister's fans regarded Hussey as the equivalent of Milton's fallen angel; he, who had once sat at the right hand of gothic icon Andrew Eldritch, was now the enemy. I doubt if the ensuing legal wrangles and music press coverage did any harm to either band and after a while the status quo was restored and both bands got on with the job at hand. Between 1985 and 1996 The Mission released a string of albums, ever evolving from its gothic roots to a more mainstream rock sound and for those that want an introduction to the bands work, this retrospective compilation is a great place to start.

The tracks are presented in no particular order with regards to chronology, the layout seems to be more about balance and flow than any less aesthetic criteria, but the sleeve notes do give all the information you need in matching track to album. All the albums are well represented and show the band in all its guises, from gothic romantics to powerful rock giants, from the extroverted pure energy tunes to the dark love songs and more musically thoughtful creates that intersperse them.

The album opens in the same manner as their second album Children, a period that saw the band leave its formative

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next Page >>