Gothtober- Chalice Sect : "Finis Initii"

It only took me a week to get tired of the more future pop acts that were almost darkwave-adjacent, just managing to be dark enough to qualify for the Gothtober banner; not that, in the process, I did not find some great albums, but the new EP by this  LA trio was more what I was originally looking for. They play a more aggressive, electronic-leaning take on darkwave that almost borders on industrial but lacks the stomp. However, they do pull out riffy synth parts that pack a punch.  They use confrontational tension in the male vocals that works off a more direct approach than what Ogre does in Skinny Puppy, but starker than KMFDM. 

'Silent Fever" is more dance-oriented but without having to go for an overly pop sound and staying true to the genre's past in a forward-thinking manner. It's high energ and more uptempo than the first song, almsot creating riffs in a synthwave manner. They cross the line into a harder-hitting brand of synthwave on "Take Me There", but it has plenty of futuristic groove to hold your attention and get the blood pumping. So I am open to bands not adhering to the old-school goth sound; after all, we do not need another VNV Nation, so I approve of what it going on here, as it stays true to the vibes without being a cover band. It is a pretty dynamic song with a more melodic breakdown section. This brings more of a croon from him, introducing some dark melodrama. 

The opening synth melody of "Undefined" is a little too happy for me. Thankfully, the vocals come in and darken things up. The vocals hit further back in the mix on this one. There is actual guitar on this one, but they do not default to trying to sound like Sisters of Mercy, so they get props for sticking to their guns. I think these guys are proof you can be true to what goth is while doing your own thing, familar enough but not recycling ideas. I give this a 9.5, and will see how it grows on me. If you wanna hear what legit darkwave sounds like in 2026, this is a good reference point. 

 

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