I first encountered the Sisters of Mercy, and this album, rifling through my brother's old LP collection. Intrigued by its vaguely sinister cover, I took the album downstairs and gave it a listen. For quite some time I wasn't sure if I had it on the right speed - the singer's voice sounded equally bizarre on 33 and 45 rpm. Eventually I gave up trying to guess and just got on with enjoying the music.

The Sisters of Mercy are the definitive eighties goth band. They were formed in Leeds in 1980 by guitarist Gary Marx and singer/drummer Andrew Eldritch, two punk fans who shared a desire to hear themselves on the John Peel show and sell a few t-shirts. Little did they know just how successful their project would be, but not before the band had gone through the teething troubles of recording their first single.

The Damage Done was recorded with cheap equipment and a minimal knowledge of what they were meant to be doing in a recording studio. By their own admission, it's a little bit ropey.

Happily, the band continued and improved, especially when they made friends with a certain Doktor Avalanche… Doktor Avalanche was not a real Doctor, or indeed a human being, at all. It was the name the band gave their new drum machine. With the beats now taken care of, Eldritch was able to concentrate fully on his vocals.

Various other members joined the band, and the Sister's got to work on their debut album, First and Last and Always. It was a success, breaking into the UK top 20. The band went on to release two more albums, Floodland and Vision Thing, with all three feeling very different to the last, possibly due to the large gaps between their recordings and the changing roster of musicians in the band.

Some Girls Wander By Mistake, the Sister's fourth major release, is a collection of the band's rare and much bootlegged early recordings. Rougher edged than their later material, this release shows off the band's punk roots. Clocking in at nearly twenty tracks, it's a bit of a beast, and due to its comprehensive nature, not all of it is great.

But ignore the flab (Home of the Hit-Men, Damage Done and Body Electric) and you're left with the Sister's best work. Dark, atmospheric, but also very danceable, the music has the feel of dark electro, rather than the goth rock that it is usually tagged.

Floorshow, 1969 and a re-recorded version of their biggest hit, Temple of Love, are all upbeat tunes. Of course, there's no denying that the band do gloomy atmospherics very well. Eldritch's distinctive baritone is perfect for it, and Valentine, Burn and Heartland are textbook examples of how to create intricate, gothic mood music. But it's unfair that the band has been characterised as being gloomy.

Today, Eldritch is the only remaining member of the original line up, with other members having come and gone over time. Even Doktor Avalanche has been replaced several times.

The band hasn't released any new material since 1993, but they remain a touring outfit and a new album is often said to be on the horizon. This May sees them back on the road again. If you get the chance, go see them, they're great. And buy this album, it remains the Sister's best work and a gothic masterpiece.