Gothtober-Lifeless Past : "Cryptic Modulations"

 

This band from the Netherlands has some intersting elements at work to create a creepier version of post-punk with an emphasis on the punk, but still dressed up enough for Halloween to keep my interest. The opening track is more original than the second, which finds a female vocal taking over. There is just not the same level of sonic depth, and it pretty much just rides the bass line in a manner that highlights the fact they are using drum machines. Typrically they have more atmosphere than your average punk-flavored creeps, to the point that they come close to crossing over into darkwave on the third song. 

Reach" also finds a balance of sound that takes you deeper into the shadow, which should be the point of this kind of music; it makes up for the fact that the vocals are not all that dynamic andd just kind of drift along. It works up til this point, but I am going to need more dynamics from them, or I am going to start getting a little bored. There is more an electronic pulse to "Danger", the vocals on the verses kinda drone like Boy Harsher used to. Though to their credit, they do emote more on the chorus. The guitar kinda of takes on the heavilly effected Cure-ish role. 

"Delirio" is more atmospheric, but kinda falls along the more expected lines, with brooding vocals and the smoke machine dialed up to 11. The vocals, however, are kinda boring and feel obligatory, checking off the expected boxes. Not that this is an isolated incident in the genre; they obviously got the green light from someone they were drawing inspiration from. "Resist" finds them returning to a more punk pace as they keep the post-punk tension in the taut guitar. It is a dynamic shift but not really redefining the genre with this. 

"Invisible" goes for more of the indie rock-flavored dark wave pulse. The vocals fill the intended space but are not that hooky. It is pretty dark and moody, so they got the assignment basically right. Then they shift gear into the more frantic tension of post-punk for the last song. I will give this an 8;5, I appreciate the mood they have achieved. It could be hookier and more memorable when it comes to the song but this is a sound I like so I am somehat pacified by that but they would be hard-pressed to find themselves in regular rotation with me since I am well stocked with this sort of thing. 

Haywire : "I Don't Want to Say Goodbye"

 

There was a great deal of hype around this album, but when it really kicks in, it seems like we have a hardcore band , or a once-hardcore band, playing pop-punk. I mean if it worked for Turnstille, then perhaps there is a chance they can get on Saturday Night Live as well. I'm sure there will be cucks in the industry who are defending this kind of selling out. It reminds me of the Mighty Might Bosstones. Thank god there are no horns. It's way too happy for me. The title track is even worse in this regard than the opening track. Thankfully, this album clocks in at around twenty minutes, so I don't have to endure a great deal of this. 

There is more grit to the bassline of "Flex Your Head," which does lean more in a hardcore direction. It is more like old-school hardcore, which I can appreciate. Then they are back to the pop punk for "Interstate Love Affair" , another song that is not angry enough. "Forever Alone" finds their balls. The bass line once again saves the day. Gang vocals and pounding drums work well; not sure why they can't stick to what works. "Trouble in Paradise" works a little better; the pop-punk elements are balanced out, which feels likea better compromise. 

The balance of the two sonic polarities is more tenuous on " Perfect Stranger" which is at its heart a breakup song of sorts, so it's like a cross between the Dropkick Murphys and Blink-182, which might appeal to punk poseurs who grew up in the 90s.  "Sincerely Yours" is higher energy. But also too hopeful. I will give this an 8 as it was a little disppointing for me as it got so much hype behind it, well made ,sounds good, just not my thing. 

 

pst481

'Gothtober - Exhuming the Tunes with Christian Death's "The Rage of Angels"

 

Here is the final chapter of Rozz Williams Christian Death era, as he killed himself four years later. With its title, you would expect this to be an angry album. There is more spite in the spoken-word opening track. But it is more of a sprawling intro than a song unto itself. Lost Minds" is closer to the organic punk of the first album, but it is a little more upbeat, not angry.  Not the mood for someone about to ride the downward spiral. "Still Born Still Life" is also more punk. It works for me, and while it is not the best-sounding work he did in the 90s, I appreciate where it is trying to go.

I have not spent much time with this album so this refresher course is showing me how wrong I was for not doing so; it's one of the closer moments to their classic era, even with the chaos of "Sex".  "Her Only Sin" is the first song that misses the mark, with a silly guitar melody running through it. "Bad Year" finds him back on track with the sound we want to uphold the band's legacy.  It might be my favorite song from this album. I do like the riff of "Torch"; it's almsot metal. The second part of "Still Born/ Still Life" is pretty cool and a great snapshot of what death rock should be. 

"Procession" is another very dark and cool song that upholds the band's legacy, and helps to give Rozz a better farewell. The is a cool doomy riff s erving as it's backbone. A cool song that upholds the band's legacy and gives. I guess it's fitting that a cover of Bowie's "Panic in Detroit " should be the last song. Hr doesn't try to be Bowie, but does his own version of it. I will round this up to a 10 as there is just the one silly song that is the blemish but ome of the other awesome moments balance it all out. 

6.8

PST490

Wolves in the Throne Room : "Estuary"

This time they are not getting attuned to nature but going post-apocalyptic. This finds the title track opening the album with less atmosphere than usual and a rawer, more confrontational sound. This leads them tat times sounding more like other American Black Metal bands. There is none of the Cascadian element that finds things welling to a lush sonic peak. This leads to them writing more compact songs rather than sprawling out well over the ten-minute mark. Only one song comes close to hitting the ten-minute mark.. They are a little darker on "Knights of Taimat," but it is also more blasty from the get-go. The keyboards creep in a little more as things progress. Midway into this one, things get more melodic, which helps save the song and create more dynamics. Lower death metal growls come in more frequently, though the darker sonics create a great mood.

"Foretold in Reflections" is six seconds shy of hitting the ten-minute mark; a minute of that extra time is invested in the intro. Double bass flows over the initial riff before they merge with atmosphere, while, not like their earlier work, it finds them doing things on their own terms. There is more of a hypnotic throb that develops here. It has an almost doomy sound as they churn at a more deliberate pace, which also accounts for this being a longer song. Midway into the song, things break down into ambient synth as the drums take on a more ominous march. This all seems to be a pretty decent investment of time, so I can't complain about this too much. 

"The Orca Cliffs" is closer to their grandiose swell sounds, with a flurry of racing drums moving rapidly under it. This takes you back to the harrowing sonics that trace back to bands like Weakling. It slows into a more sweeping swath of shimmering tremolo. They have proven they can play this style of black metal. 'Ghosts Among the Obelisks" has a more haunting sound to it that carries a ghostly melody. Double bass kicks things more into motion as the metallic snarl possesses the song. It's almost like the song sticks to the melodic theme, and the drums shift under it, stepping on the gas. This is one of the best drumming performances on any of their albums. 

The last starts off with the kind of angry storm that would not be uncommon on a 1349 album. They really race into this one at full throttle. It is well done for what it is, and shows they are legit black metal if they want to be. This is certainly a angrier, more metal album; if you have been a black metal purist who thought these guys were too hipster for you, then perhaps this album will provide the needed argument otherwise. I will give this album a 9.5; for now, it will take a few more listens for me to fully digest it despite being more straightforward in its attack. It drops October 26th.

pst489

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. 

 

pst488

'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. 

pst487

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 

pst486