choke cherry : "Messy Star'

This band carries a raw grunge edge to their otherwise trippy take on "dream pop' that leans into the pop hooks. The opening song rocks out more and the dense guitar riffs pack more of a punch. One-half of the songriting dup fronted a hard-core band so the value of laying the smack down as needed is preserved on her. They might not go into screaming breakdowns, but they know what being heavy is worth. The title track works off some subtle hooks that are highly effective. The loud-to-soft formula is very 90s but cements their songs as being authentic to that era which they pay homage to. 

The jangled strum of "I Know You" sets the stage for the thoughtful verses. The chorus is not as big and radio-ready as the previous songs but still works well for what they are doing here,as here vocal is the guidepost. The guitar phrasing on this one is very clever. Dynamically there are no surprises with this one but it is a well-thought-out idea that works as a song. They kick in a get rowdier, but when you accept grunge is part of who they are it is a logical progression. 

"Mirror Mirror" rocks out in a harder fashion, with the vocals taking on a more aggressive shouted cadence. Some of the more nuanced vocal colors work really well for me here. It bounces more than it stomps, but they are not trying to be a metal band, so that does not factor in as much. The palm-muted crunch in the climax of the song is pretty effective. I will give this one a 9.5, and see how it grows on me. It drops on October 25th on Fearless Records. 

Gothtober - Cold Cave : "Passion Depression"

 Coming off a stint opening for Depeche Mode, Wesley is even more committed to the 80s-styled synth wave grooves, though his haunting baritone allows the project to retain its sense of dark wave. "Shadow Dance" stays on a darker path, as it coasts on a neon-laced synth bass line through the dark alleys of Hollywood.   Vocally his cold croon works well here. He becomes even more submersed in the 80's fixation with "Blackberries".  Lyrically he is playing off every dark wave cliche when it comes to being dramatic about relationships.  but overall, things flow together enough to deliver. 

"Hourglass' gives a lighter emotional shade than the first three songs that overtly lay on the darkness. Which works for, me but it also makes me more willing when he switches things up mood-wise with this one.  The vocal melody feels more like something a band like Modern English might do. Rather than attempt to go in a more pop direction with it, the song drones off a variation of the same melodic themes. The first song that strikes me as the song I would want on my "goth nite' DJ set from this album is "Siren Song".  It pulses with the kind of intensity you need to get the Vampira's twerking. He dialed in the production of his vocals perfectly here. 

The new wave radio nuance slips back into "Everlasting". His croon almost has more of an Ian Curtis feel here, though retaining enough of his personality to keep them from sliding into the post-punk revivalist hordes. Finally, a guitar riff plays a larger role in a song for "Holy Road" with Amy Lee's vocals coming to the forefront. Dark-driving synths take control of the last song. It is done in a way that has a heavier feel. His vocals drop down into a starker take on his baritone. I will give this one a 9.5, meaning it is better than most of the dark wave coming out these days but is not as iconic as "Cheris the Light Years ".  It will keep fans coming back for more. 

Gothtober- Kite : "VII"

 

This grandiose synth duo from Sweden has released a lot of singles but has yet to produce a full-length album despite having been an ongoing project for the past 16 years, They have assembled their singles and compiled them here into this album. They are highly skilled at grooves and big sprawling atmospheres, so those skills are showcased here. The vocals are oddly androgynous but work well on the anthemic "Hand Out the Drugs". While their song generally pulses off the melodic theme they establish with few surprises, they are still skilled enough songwriters to muster hooks. This applies even when things simmer down to more of a ballad. 

In some ways they remind me of Sigur Rios, in how the dynamics float, but without the post-rock instrumentation and more like applying it to Pet Shop Boys like new wave sounds. This is heard pretty clearly in "Don't Take the Light Away". There is also a touch of Kate Bush in the feel of "Teenage Bliss".  I can hear how fans of Fever Ray might dig this as it shares a similar odd vibe. It gets labeled Dark Wave, but this project is goth in the same way Cocteau Twins are, the darkness is veiled in ethereal wonder. "Demons and Shame' is the first song I would say is dark. Goth in the same way Zola Jesus falls into the genre. 

"Glassy Eyes" has a touch of folk to the vocal melody. "Bocelli" finds the vocals taking on a less biting tone. This also creates another more balladic moment. "Bowie 95 " is the first time we hear the vocals drop into a lower more masculine voice. If I was DJing a goth nite it's the song by them I would fit into the mix. 'Panic Music" has a weird youthful vibe to it. Some of the synths feel like 90s house. "Losing" features Anna Von Hausswolff, it's a pretty haunting song. The vocals are really well produced. Henric De la Cour also adds his voice to the choir. "Hopelessly Unholy' is a great song title. It's the orchestral version, giving it an almost Rufus Wainwright feel. There is no doubt he is a great singer, but he does make so weird choices in phrasing. "Hum Hum' is the last song, it's not far removed from the spectrum of sounds they have indulged in so far. Less emphasis on the vocals, making it feel almost more like an outro. I will give this a 9.5, it's pretty spectacular, like taking in a movie with your ears. 

Gothtober : Zombina & the Skeletones : "the Call of Zombina"

This British band has been around since 98. They play a dark 50s style pop that barrows from horror-billy and spooky punk, though their lyrics are the darkest part of what they do. Their singer has a bright pop voice.  Sometimes lower gothy backup vocals surface to help the mood but they are typically sitting pretty far back in the mix. "Vampire's Kiss' is almost too upbeat to paint the picture she is creating with the lyrics though the more horror-tinged sonic elements are wrestling against her cheerful vocals. 

"Don't Kick My Coffin" is more convincing and comes closer to horror punk, with its chord progression almost mimicking the Munsters theme song. The more death rock guitar melodies of "I'm Horrified " make things work better than the poppier bounce some of the songs have flirted with. "Valley of the Shadow" has more horror-billy elements in motion, that create the needed sonic shivers to send up your spin, It goes to show it does not matter how you dress up if you do not have the needed minor-key melodies going on it is not going to fit. 

They came out before Twin Temple but the two share a great deal of common ground, These guys might be darker than Twin Temple, and vocally are more pop as she does not have the Amy Winehouse thing going. "Ghost Train 2" finds the pace picking up. The guitar delivers the needed Western flair. The song progresses through more rock-oriented breakdowns. The way it leaves room for them to jam them out lets you know this band would be fun live. The last song works really well, as this band is skilled songwriters they could be a shade darker for my tastes but this is growing on me. I will give this one a 9. 

pst516

Gothtober-AESTHETIC PERFECTION : "Bad Vibes"

 

These guys have been around since the days of Myspace, and perhaps that is where you know them from. To their credit, they have kept their ears to pulse of where music was going and stuck to their guns to not lose a great deal of who they are in the process. Granted who they are is a Hot Topic marketing scheme to some extent. They carry a heavier thum to their sound for the three-song EP which opens with the punchy title track that is equal parts, Marilyn Manson, Bad Omens, and their long-running dose of angst for teens who ear too much makeup

 Their image is typically darker than their music but this time they have balanced it out. The second song "Into the Void" is not a cover of the Black Sabbath, but touches more on their older sound, though heavily tempered with a Rob Zombie-like drive, which if you are celebrating Gothtober with us is something to be happy about. I have never been impressed with these guys, but I have to admit this is the best I have heard them sound, so it's hard to complain about something that is working. 

"Self Inflicted' rounds this out and has a strong electronic groove, with the vocals taking on more emotive nuance, as he coos his way into the verses rather than the more aggressive roar that dominated the first two songs. This is not the most original thing I have heard all month, but goth does thrive on adhering to a certain sound, the trick is not being a tribute act and making it your own, which they have done, while it winks in the direction of what Marilyn Manson has done, there have not been a great flux of people paying tribute to him since before the days of Myspace, so these guys are making it work. I will give this one a 9.5, which is way better than I expected from these guys but you gotta give credit where it's due.

pst516

Gothtober - Cyberaktif : "eNdgame"

 

This industrial project features an all-star industrial lineup of cEvin Key, Bill Leeb, and Rhys Fulber. It sounds like what you would expect, a cross between Skinny Puppy and Frontline Assembly. They are song-focused rather than just throwing beats and sounds at you as the vocals have a purpose. Granted given the minds this music is coming from it could easily slip into the set of any "goth nite" DJ who is worth a shit.  "Bitter End' feels more like a Skinny Puppy song, though it lacks Ogre's vocal, even though they try to give the vocals a darker edge, it is not the same, but a worthwhile effort. 

As the album moves onto "A New World Awaits" the sonic theme seems to be darker than your average industrial band these days, which includes Front Line Assembly, but is not as dark as Skinny Puppy, which is generally a pretty tall order. Even most of the band's solo work was lighter than Skinny Puppy too. "You Don't Need to See" feels like it would churn up the dance floor more than the previous songs, which is respectful. Lyrically however it is much bleaker than what I have made out from the other songs, so I appreciate that. The chorus works really well. 

As the album bounces around, they visit many of industrial music's varied niches. This works since they created most of them. 'the Fright ' is more introspective as the melody explores the darker sonic landscape.  It is almost like a ballad. It reminds me of Killing Joke's more melodic moments. "Broken Through Time" has more groove, but uses restraint in its aggression. It also showcases their songwriting smarts in how it modulates while keeping its sense of motion.  The vocals on this album are very purposeful and not just an afterthought with some coll melodic moments. The last song works less off groove and hooks and drones on moody ambiance.  I will give this album a 9.5, if you like industrial music it's a must, was released on Artoffact Records

    

pst515

Gothtober- Meat Beat Manifesto & Merzbow : "Extinct'

 I like Meat Beat Manifesto. I respect Merzbow. I was hopeful going into this, but once I pressed play I realized what I signed up for. I should have known this would be more sound-focused than song-focused because the first track is over twenty minutes long. The noise wrestles against the beats for dominance, putting them at the more extreme edge of industrial music. Five minutes in I began to have my doubts, aside from the layers of distortion shifting there is no real change until ten minutes in when the noise begins to win out, though the beat is maintaining a steady drone. The feedback ebbs a little to give the programmed drum tracks room to breathe at times.

 Playing this at high volumes would surely cause hearing loss, and has the finesse of sitting in the laundromat and listening to the dryers churn. 15 minutes in is when the first real shift occurs that feels like something that might be referred to as a song. It shifts its spin cycle in the levels of pummelling which is the most modulation we find til the end of the track. "Burner" is even more abrasive at its onset. Nothing happens aside from the droning sonic torture until ten minutes in, Then it sort of breaks down a bit into something that sounds like electric cars catching on fire from salt water.  

The third track of this album that would be single if things did not drone on for so long is the radio edit of the first song which trims things down to a more manageable not quite five minutes, that is not as abrasive as the first track, Still, you could not put this on at a club and not close the place down. I will give this a 6, I would prefer a new Meat Beat Manifesto album not this experiment in performance art. 

pst514