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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'Gothtober - Exhuming the Tunes with Christian Death's "the Path of Sorrows"

 After the dark, trippy ritual of the opening track, when it gets to the title track, things are dark, elegant, and move with a smooth, doom-laden grace. "Hour of the Wolf' finds the pace picking up, though there is a little more chaos in motion.  There is a stormy heaviness looming over it. Rozz's vocals are a free-form declaration. "In Absentia " is back to a more ritualistic darkness expressed in the creeping synth melody, as Roozz's vocals haunt the foreground. The funeral feeling of this is peak goth. His vocals sound great as the song builds in its bizarre ebb and flow. 

"Mother' is so atmospheric it almost lacks form and function as sparse piano plays around his voice. William's croons over the droning strum of "the Angels" wander into shadowy places. The abstract qualities of these songs are intentional, but take some getting used to when you compare it to their classic work that was rooted in a rowdier energy. "Book of Lies" is held together by the strum of the gutiar, giving Rozz more to work with. "A Widow's Dream" wanders around without making a solid landing until the third act. 

"Easter" opens with speculative poetry musing over minimal sounds. Synths linger with dreams of building into something more solid. The cover of "Venus in Furs" is very fitting, and Rozz's voice works well with it. I will round this down to a 9, as there are strong moments, but the bar is set pretty high for these guys, be it Valor or Rozz. Not the album to start with; more for fans. 

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Gothtober- Bleached Cross : "Wrath"

 It's about time we get into some heavier shades of darkness. This album starts off with more of an industrial feel and sung vocals that drift behind grim sonics. A bass line carries things into a synth-laced dungeon of sorrow. The sung vocals deviate from your typical sullen post-punk tropes and have more of a 90s industrial rock feel, with more angst to them and hyper-emotional delivery. It's emotional to the point of being emo, which is heard on "Blood Moon". The fact that it's not trying to be pop punk or anthemic makes this work for me, since it would not if this had been handled differently. They have synths where the big arena power chord would normally sit. 

"Crucible" is more likea a post-punk but with mid-2000s  smoothness to the melody, like the Killers might have done if they were darker. Things get more aggressive on "Tomb," which uses harsh vocals and some atmosphere. "Lingering Souls". The more emotive vocals return on "Lingering Souls" . The more emo melodies are balanced with electronic elements. Not the smoothest chorus, but it works for what it is. "Torment" finds us back in 90s industrial mode. 

"Requiem" finds their feeling more invested in a manner that brings AFI to mind. The more militant vocal refrain reconfirms this AFI comparison. "the Dark" finds a more modern post-punk vibe established, which is one thing I should be clear about: they have more of a late-90s post-punk sound, owing little to bands like Joy Division. There is a Myspace goth feel to this for certain. Lyrically, it seems like religion is what broke their hearts on this album. There is a cool bass line that leads into the last song. Things shift into a danceier place for this song. I am going to need to spend more time with this album but I like what they are doing and their commitment to making their personal darkness into sound, so I will give this album a 9.5 

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"'Gothtober - Exhuming the Tunes with Christian Death's "the Iron Mask"

 

This is a Rozz Williams re-recording of a classic song. For the opener 'Spiritual Cramp," it works, as the vocals are more articulated and the lyrics stand out, making the music feel more like new wave than punk. "Sleepwalk" also feels different from the original. It is a cleaner mix, and they are giving the vocals more love, but double-tracking them to give you a better idea of Rozz's voice. A more metallic guitar tone crunches in with some songs, but it does not take it as far as Valor's metal flirtations. 'Skeleton Kiss" is a new song, and it works well with a creepy boogie to the riff, and Rozz singing some impressive harmonies with himself. Eva O is joining him on this album, and you can hear her raise her voice on this one. 

"Figurative Theater" cleans up the preformance from the original arrangement, hsi lyrics are phrased with more precision. Eva's harmonies are pretty cool. This one feels a little more upbeat. The articulation of the lyrics proves to be another plus. There is less of the punk tension, as it's less frantic and played more deliberately. This feels like what a band sounds like in the studio, with "Only Theater of Pain" sounding like how they sound on stage. "Desperate Hell" finds the vocals phrasing more refined. The guitars sit further back andd the vocals are mixed way up front, making it Rozz's show. I can see where a guitarist might hate these versions. I love that "Death Wish " feels more like a metal song with vocals mixed up. The harmonies on this rule, and you can really hear how great of a singer Rozz is in his own right. 

"Luxury of Tears"  is not the song from "Ahes" I would have re-recorded, but here we are; it works for what it is. I guess Rozz really liked this song. "Cervix Couch" also feels like an odd choice, but Rozz must love it enough to want to carry it into the 90s. The Death mix of "Skeleton's Kiss"  feels darker. The live of Gary Numan's "Down in the Park" is pretty cool, they nail it. This album is an essential gem for fans; I give it a 10.

   

4

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Gothtober - Theodor Bastard : "▽"

Russian electronic wizards continue to blend world music into their mix of sounds. They have said they shifted into a darker direction as the world is darker. The opening track shows they still have a pop inclination in their choruses, but the collage of sounds all transfigure each other into something unique and oddly catchy. Where Dead Can Dance takes ancient sounds from the world and creates with them, these Russians are not tied to the past but delve into electronic heavilly on songs like "Nebo". There is a great deal of sonic weight to the layers of sound even in the face of ethereal ambiance.  

"Kaplya Rosi" has what feels like more organic folk instrumentation, which is given a slinky groove to work off. It reminds me a little of Björk. "Zveroboy" is more ambient, with her voice gliding into a fairyland before a trip-hop-like beat grounds it.  'Dusha" is more of a folk song that happens to walk on electronic legs. This trip-hop meets folk vibe continues on with a more ethereal tone on "Ditya".  Sometimes there are hints of pop music that weave through things to create a more acessible sound. 

"Sverkay" is the lead single andd first song that sparked my interest in what they are doing; it also carries a more rock intensity in its dynamics. There is a wonderful aching melancholy in the chorus, which is what  I want from my dark electronic music. "Vremya" finds a haunting folk ambiance moving through their electronic beats; this combination has been a winning formula for this band. This album is catchy and dynamic as well as full of complex sounds. I will gives this album a 10 as it was one great song after another. Drops November 13th on Season of Mist Records

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"'Gothtober - Exhuming the Tunes with Christian Death's "Insanus, Ultio, Proditio, Misericordiaque"

This 1990 album is the last from Valor before our timeline intersects with Rozz Williams again. It is almsot more likea Laibach album. Opening with a droning symphonic piece before lightning hits Frankenstein's castle. "Malus Amor" finds them clicking back into a rock formula. Granted, 1990 was a weird time for music, and they were at the most transgressive end of the weirdness as death rock started to merge with industrial. The beat almsot reminds me of Robert Palmer. But if you think about it, it's not too far removed from the Revolting Cocks. It struts more than grooves. 

They bring in pieces that return to sprawling stretches of unsettling amabiance and balance them out with songs more supplied with actual instrumentation, such as "vexatio" which brings a creepy sensibility to blues-tinged rock. Even this descends into weirdness, but we were at least given something with more substance to contrast it with, which is pretty dark. "Somnium" has a straight-up rock drum beat and oddly rendered rock chords. Volar's stream-of-consciousness vocals rein it in to something on brand. Not what you would think of as death rock, but it still sounds like the band. 

"venenum" has some rockabilly qualities. It would have fit well into today's indie rock market. They were ahead of their time even when trying to find where to go next. This album is much better than I remember it being."Mors Voluntaria" finds heavier guitar looming in. I liek the weird effects on his voice for this one. Not as many guitar solos on this one as the previous Valor albums, nor are there any hints of Jimi Hendrix, which is an improvement. There is some weirdness they wander into between the heavy riff segments. This sometimes causes it to wander off. "Vita Volutaria" is more of an abstract outro. I will give this on a 9.5; it's better than I remembered. 

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Gothtober- RARE DM : "Attention"

 

This album came out back in May, so I am getting caught up, but this will be the last dark wave adjacent future pop album I review, as there has been a great deal of that this year, it seems, and I do not hear anybody outdoing Boy Harsher, though this project does not shy away from catchy melodies and complex, dancey synth arrangements. There is, however, a similar feel to the breathy vocals on the second song. "Honey" has more of the indie ambiance that propelled Boy Harsher earlier on, but that is where comparisons pretty much stop, aside from the fact that this is moody electronic music with female vocals. 

Things begin to get sexual on "Mean Girled", this horniness carries over into "Butterfly Historian" even though that song has a much different vibe.  The bass thumps in a more dance-floor grinding fashion for "325". Here, some of the eroticism gets projected onto cars.  She sings about driving around Europe which checks out with the vibe. "LA Traffic" minds 80s synths informing the booty shaking; it's a marginally brighter sound. The groove works well. "Lil DM" is moodier but with a playful undercurrent, as the vocals are more crooned in a higher register. There is a tragressive Billie Ellish vibe to the more self aware pulse of "Skater Hits Me Harder". The formula begins to get a little diluted here. 

She gets back on track with the more driving pulse of "Significant Other". Though it's just an instrumental dance track with odd sounds peppering it. "Feel Nothing" has a more hypnotic pulse. Her vocals are more chanted as the song takes a ghostly turn. She is not following a hyperpop blueprint but is aware of what it is. The last track is so atmospheric it might as well just be an outro. This album impressed me , I like smart moody pop music so it checked off a great deal of sonic boxes for me I will give it a 9.5.

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