A Merciful Release (Remastered)

Album Review

When WEA International remastered, expanded, and re-released the first three Sisters of Mercy albums in late 2006, fans received excellent upgrades with much better sound, great bonus tracks, and beautiful packaging. Behind the scenes there were finally signs that record labels were once again caring about Andrew Eldritch's infamous goth rock band and signaling that the door was open for a new album. If it was a step forward, the three-CD box A Merciful Release, released in early 2007, is at least a half-step back, one of those seedy record company moves that sent the temperamental Eldritch into an unproductive world he shares with My Bloody Valentine and Guns N' Roses. The remastered editions of First and Last and Always, Floodland, and Vision Thing are simply thrown into a flimsy box with nothing new added. Fans who have kept up with the reissues are cheated out of the flimsy box, which isn't nearly as bad as being cheated out of a new album, a problem they've dealt with for well over a decade. Anyone who sat out the remasters need only worry about the spotty Vision Thing, which actually sounds much more powerful here since everything is much bigger sonically. Any high score A Merciful Release earns is because of their classic debut and the epic Floodland both making Vision Thing sound like a bonus disc in comparison. They're huge, important, and authoritative when it comes to goth rock, and are given a new life by the amazing improvement in sound quality. Don't think you're getting the whole story, since so many of the Sisters' great moments were on singles that aren't included here. Still, until the definitive Sisters box is released, this is an easy way to consume two amazing albums and a third that now just misses the mark.