There are some albums in the history of rock music that really do stand the test of time and still holdup when you listen to them today. I've come across countless releases that I believe would fall into this category, and the debut album from UK band The Mission titled “God’s Own Medicine,” is in my opinion one of those perennial albums.
Originally released in November of 1986, The Mission’s debut album came to be after singer/guitarist Wayne Hussey and bassist Craig Adams left their previous band The Sisters of Mercy to start a new group. Joined by guitarist Simon Hinkler and drummer Mick Brown, this new band looked to continue to explore the post-punk/new wave/goth rock soundscapes which Wayne and Craig had created in The Sisters of Mercy, but they would also go on to create a truly unique sound of their own with the release of The Mission's debut album.
Lyrically, this album features some extremely captivating lyrics to the accompany the haunting melodies and mesmerizing chord progressions. From the opening lines on the first song, “Wasteland,” where Hussey delivers the memorable lines with such a solemn sounding tone, “I still believe in God, but God no longer believes in me,” instantly grips you before being introduced to the vibrant sounding galloping guitar riff. I definitely believe, “Wasteland,” is a great opening song that features some brilliant arrangements to complement the song’s very deep and impactful sound. Wayne Hussey’s vocals are extremely well recorded and his voice perfectly soars over the instruments during the chorus section to deliver some unbelievably emotionally charged lyrics. Throughout the album I would say that the chorus sections vividly stand out on each track, which one can attribute to how the band masterfully transitions from the verse sections to choruses. Also, instead of overwhelming their compositions with unnecessary synths to create massive sounding atmospheres, the dynamic guitar work incorporated on each song really builds up these monumental sounding musical landscapes.
Another aspect about this album that cannot be overlooked, and definitely adds to the band's unique sound, is Hussey’s use of a 12-string electric guitar. On tracks like, “Wasteland,” “And the Dance Goes On,” and “Severina” the overall sound benefits from the extra fullness of the 12-string, especially during the chorus sections. Out of the three singles released from the album, "Stay With Me,” “Wasteland,” and “Severina,” I would say that, “Severina,” is the one track that people tend to recognize the most from the album, and in my opinion would be very influential on future goth rock/new wave/post-punk artists. Again, the utilization of full chords mixed with the haunting melodies and tight rhythm section due to the solid bass lines from Craig Adams as well as Mick Brown’s tight drumming, makes the music flow with a profound synergy.
My favorite song on the album, “Love Me to Death,” is a very bewitching song that I would describe as a romantic gothic love song where you hear these haunting words that manifest over the gloomy sounding chords. The female vocalist in the background provides a great contrast to Hussey’s voice, which ends up highlight the song’s strong emotional theme. Just like with, “Severina” and some of the other tracks on this album, “Love Me to Death,” is rich with mesmerizing atmospheres conjured up by Hussey and Hinkler guitar work.
In the end, I write this recommendation as I strongly believe that this album is one of those releases which can appeal to a wide range of music fans. The band’s sound and style definitely fits in with some of the other goth rock/new wave bands of the time, but also goes beyond due in large part to the exceptional songwriting skills and memorable arrangements. The band has released plenty of other solid albums following, “God’s Own Medicine,” however if you have not heard anything from The Mission before then I think the debut album is where you should start without question. Actually, the band is soon to be going on tour in April with plenty of West Coast dates lined-up, so I'd definitely recommend going if you have the chance.
Check out the song "Wasteland" below:
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