Welcome to Gothtober

 

"Listen to them the Children of the night, what music They make" - Bram Stoker

It's already time for another Gothtober. Who would have thought the world would last long enouugh to make it to one. It might be the last . In the worship of death this should be something we embrace. Goth should be more than just fashion, It shoulder be a mind set. A way of life. Here we are just going to focus on the music. After all half the witches of instagram  do not even know who Siouxsie is.  Or the "goths" of the cam world who are always bumping trap rap with no little clue that Type O Negative is more than the blood type which makes you immune to Covid.  We are going to explore what goth is as we celebrate it. When this discussion comes up I normally reference what Rozz Williams said about death rock, "its for punks who like Halloween" . 

It is more than that as death rock as beloved a sub genre as it maybe is only one aspect. I will touch on post -punk, but unless it is exceedingly dark I want to focus more on the sounds that go bump in the night. Because after all Halloween is the reason  for the season. We will go back and pay homage to the classics once or twice, but my focus will be on new stuff. That is not to say I will not slide a metal review in here or there, but they will not be labelled Gothtober. thus not counting towards our goal of 31 goth posts. Goth does span out to include artists like the Cocteau Twins and Dead Can Dance, so perhaps dark shoe gaze or folk might appear if it is spooky enough. 

Long time readers know the drill in October. New readers , well there is not much you have to figure out, if you like we can do most of the thinking for you here. When the world says they are going to cancel Halloween, we give them the middle finger, despite the fact that Halloween is not different for me than the other 365 days of the year., The rest of the world just gets on the same page with me, even if it is just to fetishsize it. The children of the night and they music they make is what matters when the sun goes down. Goth might be a trending topic , but here is where it is eternal 

Svalbard : "When I Die , Will I Get Better ?"

 

They throw a lot at you in the first song. It is a hybrid of hard core and shoegaze. More atmospheric than the last album. The hard core is even more in the forefront on the second song. The female vocals are better than the screamed male ones . Their is a higher guitar creating more of a sonic texture over all of this and not allowing it to become run of the mill hard core. The hard core side of the band bull dozes the shoegazing . The screamed vocals bear to wear on me with their uniformity. I do not remember that being a complaint for the last album. 

The male vocals go into a more sung part that breaks things up. It seem all three members of the band sing  There is a more rock feel to " Silent Restraint" .  The lyrics to the shouted vocals can  take form with more clarity. The yrics seem pretty pissed. "What Was She Wearing" is more commited to being shoe gaze It also benefits from being a more nuanced song.  It does build up into the kind of atmospheric hard core they have been pounding us with so far .  They blast out in anger with "the Currency of Beauty"  .

I do remember last time noting how they sometimes share a similar sonic space as Deafheaven and that is what " Pearlescent" gets built up into. There is a poppy post rock opening before the explosion which creates a nice contrast. I like how the atmosphere has been dialed up on this album. I will give this one a 9 and see how it sits with me/. 

Mr. Bungle : " The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny"

 

It's been over 20 years since they have released anything. They were not going to give you a reunion in the conventional sense as this time Scott Ian and Dave Lombardo join, Mike, Trey and Trevor to revist the demo that proceeded Bungle's self titled debut. The album opens with a guitar ditty which is basically an intro for "Anarchy Up Your Anus" .  Which is 80s style thrash that is consistant with what was coming out at the time. The first bit of oddity is not until "Raping Your Mind". Trey does a decent Kerry King impersonation . I think "Raping Your Mind" is a better song than "Anarchy" .  It is impressive that Patton can still pull off this brand of metal with as much vigor as he does.  "Raping Your Mind" does set the bar for the rest of the album has to live up to. 

"Hypocrites" shows a little more of their wacky side, before merging into a cover of S.O.D's "Speak English or Die" . It pretty much it was it is. "Bungle Grind" is like if Death Angel jammed with "S.O.D" .  It is very true to the time this was originally written.  Which with Scott Ian in tow is pretty easy to achieve.  "Methmatics" has a more rock n roll vibe to it. This is short lived as they blast back into thrash. As the song progresses you can hear a riff that would eventually become "Love is a Fist" .  "Eracist" is more mid paced and less over thrash. "Spreading the Thighs of Death" finds them back at warp speed thrash. "Loss For Words" sounds like it would have been filler on a Gwar album. 

They are back to the more brisk side of thrash with "Glutton for Punishment" .  When you think about it the guitarist from Primus was in Possessed , so this is not a reach. To be honest I find myself getting a little bored at this juncture. The whispered vocals were the most interesting part. It wraps up with the chug of "Sudden Death". Scott Ian must have just learned these parts as written nad played them as I do not hear much of his input. Ok none really. I like the taunt palm muted tension to the moshy riffs. I will give this album an 8. Their other albums would be 10s . A little too straight forward. I am sure this will divide their fan base. 

Anaal Nathrakh : "Endarkenment"

 

The crazed blackened Brits are back. They drums are more hammering than the rest of what they throw at you as the vocals are more like Devin Townsend in Strapping Young Lad. In fact a great deal of this reminds me of that band. I had to listen to the second song twice to figure out what happened in the blurred blasted blitz.  Like Emperor more melodic synths add melody to the background. These guys have a more feral grind core attack to what they do than Emperor.I feels like more of a sound than a song. The uniform approach to the double bass that is the main driving facotr behind them also creates avibe that makes the songs sound the same. This is more pronounced than I have heard from this far in their career.  They do give a little more space to "the Age of Starlight Ends" .  The guitar solo is pretty melodic , but do not let solos dictate everything. 

There is a more machine like djent feel to " Libidinous" . Not the first time we have heard them dip into this sort of sound. High pitched falsetto vocals help to further sell this song. The double bass patten is also changed up a little . The more industrial strength thrashing of their brand of black metal gain thunder and menace with "Beyond Words" . It is more violent in it's intent , but with this comes also feeling less musically inspired. Yes they beat ypur ears about, but is that something you want to return to ? Maybe two songs up tp this point have realy felt like songs, the rest is a buzz of  nasty riffs. I am sure some people will say do not teach this new dog new tricks, what that hath wrought is an incredibly dialed in reliance on familar sounds to construct something so similar to their more inspired album that it might fool so people. The songs are so fast and intense they are not long. 

Yes, they are every bit as feral as you want them do be. Is that all you want from music is the question that is most pressing. By the 6th song I am bored despite how good any solos might be. I like the song title "Create Art, Though the World May Perish" , it is the kind of bleak sentiment we need. The song is not great enough to live up to such an epic title, but it is better than most on this album. Not that the bar is high here. Where some of their albums have merely been more blackened with things like death metal and grind core taking front and center this album is more black metal. That does not mean more inspired. They have a hug guitar sound so with that said it's not the most cvlt sound. This album is more accessible to mainstream metal audiences. Things are less jarring this time around and there are plenty of melodic death metal like guitar lines. I will give this album an 8, it's well played and recorded, sounds great, song wise more obligatory stabs for the Arch Enemy crowd with black metal thrown in. 

Rumours : " Neither Innocent Nor Wavering"

 I suppose Blue Oyster Cult might be a good frame of reference for the shadows haunting the twin guitar attack this German band. There is a proto metal feel, with vocals that stand out as the are a dramatic baritone croon with balls to it. Not unlike In Solitude in many ways. On the second song they come even closer to being metal. They are really aggressive rock music. The vocals are forceful but still sung. There is a retro feel to what they do, but it works for what is going down here and is not like they are too focused on recreating a sound that they forgot to write songs. Though the vocal lines to the angrier second song are not as gripping as the first , the over all product is still pretty powerful. They cram plenty of guitar solos into this one with out getting lost in the shred. 

Things get even darker on "Black Milk" thanks to the vocals that take a more emotive and tortured drama that borders on being goth, though they are not low enough. The guitars also have a more doomy tone to them, The song builds into a more explosive dyanmic . The vocals are more of a roar. Not punk at all , but that kind of energy of say the MC5. That was the longest song at almost 6 minutes.  It goes by pretty fast as it is driving. They make me eat my words to some extent with the punk thing on the last song as it does get closer to that sort of thing. If we are talking about when punk was more rock than not. The vocals are still very much sung and not yelled, making it more metal. I can say I like the first three songs better as they were darker and not as straight forward. 

They do slow down to more of a doom tone and end the album on a bigger note, but the bulk of the song was too basic for me . It might grow on me and the first three songs were excellent. I wish this was an entire album rather than just a 4 song ep, but you take what you can get these days. I will round this down to a 9 due to the last song, but it 's generally a lot of fun and even that song is not bad it is just not at the level of the first three. 

3.8

Haim : "Women In Music pt 3 "

 In the 70s there was music that was not quiet rock , but not pop either like Carly Simon, that was called adult contemporary . In the 90s artists like Sheryl Crow, who would have been labelled this got lumped in with alternative, though what was she the alternative to. The opening track from this album finds these sisters maturing in to adult contemporary. There is some groove but not enough to be pop. The Fleetwood Mac influence they have not been able to shake is once again making itself known on the second song. I think I preferred their moment pop side that I heard before going into this, but the songs are well crafted. It's the Eagles like guitar tones that put me on the fence.  Wanting a more electric feel is normally the opposite of what I want. They do begin to move in that direction on " I Know Alone" . This aso moves the vocals in a place where they a hookier and more smartly crafted. 

"Up From a Dream" goes back into the more rock n roll mode, but with modern production. The vocals are always dialed in. It might grow on me, but musically it reminds me of Paul Simon until the chorus. I get the best of both worlds with "Gasoline".  '3AM" is poppier and in turn a better written song. I love when they bring in the touches of disco. The disco tendencies also color the smooth groove of " Don't Wanna". Here is where they really get to work their vocal magic. Nothing diva like, just working within the confines of the song. There is a reggae touch to "Another Try" this is however balanced out by a pretty decent chorus. The guitar tone on "Leaning On You" is totally Lindsey Buckingham's. The vocals cruise along smoothly with it and Fleetwood Mac is not putting out music these days so I will let it slide. 

"I've Been Done" doesn't resonate with me as much as it finds them in more of a Sheryl Crow direction. I cna however support the turn to a more stripped down Joni Mitchell sound with " Man From the Magazine". The pop elements return for " All That Ever Mattered" .  This is the first that really has that hip hop style production pop music has gone towards these days. The vocals are more thought out though. There are some bonus tracks that pretty decent but I am going to count "Fucked Up But True" as the last song. Which is stripped down and well written. I will say the bonus track " Now I'm In It' is good enough to sway me into rounding this one up to a 9.5 . 

The Return of the Mix Tape

Mixtapes art a lost art form. When I liked a girl in high school, rather than writing a 'Do u like me" note to leave in their locker I made a mix tape with my phone number and gave it to them in the hallway. Granted this made me look more like a freak, as it was always King Diamond, Slayer, Gwar and other  bands that were either Satanic or dressed up to sound like they were from a horror movie. Not saying it never worked ,but if I had drawn a sober breath in those years, I might have tried difference music. 

Now as an adult  not only do two million people read what I have to say about music every year in the varied blogs I write for as a music journalist , but  I also have my very own blog that I make what ever the fuck I want. So I am making a mix tape, as you will hear it's varied assortment of sundry music with the one thing in common being it's dark. That is the one thing most of my music has in common...yeah there is the whole Taylor Swift thing , but we can talk about that another time. Anyways dear reader I did not make this for you, unless you got a text from me saying I did in that case ignore this sentence, but the rest of you still still derive enjoyment from this collection of tunes and walk away with your virginity intact. 

Igorrr- "Downgrade Desert" 

Kylesa - Tired Climb" 

 

 

Chelsea Wolfe - " Iron Moon"

 

Sound VVitch - "Like Leather, Like Flesh" 

   

 Fistula - "Destitute"

 

 Code Orange -"Who I Am" 

Strvngers - " 976-Evil"

 

 HEALTH- "Strange Days"

 

 

 Jazmin Bean- "World Wide Torture"

   

 

Spirit Box - "Holy Roller"

 

Deftones : " Ohms"

 

The Deftones are the one nu-metal band who rose from the confines of the genre to shed the Juggaloo future of the genre awaiting  if they had not seen themselves change. The opening track, is what you expect from them. Chino's screaming is more of a squeal . The anger is not really there and he wants more Netflix and chill. But as a song if you like the Deftones then the fact they are older and more laid back aside , this is what you are looking for . Though the bass is obscured in the mix, though that is what keeps this from having the thumping drive they used to . I like the palm muted riff that brings tension going into "Ceremony" . It has more of a post -punk vibe. Nothing new the Cure has been an influence on these guys since "Around the Cure" . This mellower but has a stronger groove. His vocals also work better here. The first real touches of metal do not come until "Urantia' but once it gets to the verse we are back in a Cure direction, though the chugs return. It's a good balance of their two polarities . With this said the Cure is one of my favorite bands , so if you are more into their metal side, well...

The use flanged out feed back to set a heavier mood to "Error" . It does recapture the old school nu metal bounce, but smoothed out by the atmosphere. However in terms of song writing a little more dialed in than the first three songs. The first time I really hear the bass is on "the Spell of Mathmatics" . The songs rehashes some musical themes we have already heard, but still works, if they keep up the palm muted thing I am going to hold it against them. There is more of a "White Pony" feel to " Pompeji" I do think it's a interesting choice to use kraut rock to bridge this song with 'the Link is Dead" . They havea more feral feel to the outburst that propels this song, Far from their heaviest moments , but that ship has likely sailed at this juncture. 

"Radiant City" is more frantically pace. The guitar tone is not as sturdy, but it works for what this song does. I like where it goes on the chorus. The melodic evolution is a solid dynamic. Hands down the best song is " Headless" it captures the sensual sense of groove that I want from them, s lets face it there was something sexy about "Around the Fur" and this song captures that.The title track is the first song I heard from this and it seemed a little straight forward rock n roll and not the most inspired. It has grown on me but not a great deal . I will round this up to a 9. Much like everything after 'White Pony" it doesn' come close to touching those first three albums, but if you are already a fan it will trigger your memory response of those days and you will think this is almost as good. 

Machine Girl : "U-Void Synthesizer"

 

Prepare for bizarre. Imagine grind core done by Mindless Self Indulgence. Or a less heavy Igorrr. The vocals are spactic but so is pretty much every element of the opening track. Sometimes to the point of becoming noise. It makes my dog nervous. There is more punk like yelling to the second song, but aside from that and samples worked into this glitched out spasm of sound, it still sticks to what they did in the first song, though the vocals might serve more purpose for longer here. "On Coming" has more in commong with Street Sects, though less in the way of a post-punk vibe. In fact none of that at all. "Fortress Destroyer" is more of a interlude. This means what they do is enough like a song that you can differeniate when they are not making songs. 

"Scroll of Sorrow" finds them shifting to more of an edm song, not far removed from Skinny Puppy does in recent years. "Splatter" is more like Death Grips. They are equally as angry on " Kill All Borders" . This anger is tempered with softer electronic sounds in an attempt to subvert the mood  on the song following this. It was a needed dynamic shift. Unique in appraoch, but the resulting over all sound is not as wildly original as they would like you to believe, thus the very easilly drawn comparisons I have already mentioned. That is not to say this is not an enjoyable liste, Even seven songs in I can tell this is not something I am going to be listening to on a regular as I already have music to fill this need., 

There is almost an industrial vibe to "Fully In It" . The chanted vocals at least hook you in., 'Suck Shit' is the kind of cyber punk temper tantrum you might expect by now. I will round this up to an 8. For what this is it is fun and a unique blend of things . Not going to make any top 10 lists this year, but a project to keep my ears open for to see where they go from here. 

Hooper Crescent : "Object Permanence"

 

There is a lot going on despite this being pretty straight forward to the point of almost being just rock n roll. There are elements that sound like Brit pop. I think this comes from these guys being Austrailian. There is an clangin jangle to the other wise retro guitar tones. It reminds me of the very early punk, before it became what we think of it now and it had more rock n roll roots. Though things like synths sometimes color the songs and give it more of an 80s new wave feel. 

I like the bass line to "I Fell Backwards' but after three listens the song just breezes by and doesn't grab me. By the time we are at 'Constant Fascination it has gone so British it's become a stoned mod picnic. Almost too cheeky for it's own good. The odd angular nature of the guitar offsets the hippy happy vibes. This is about as 60s as it can get. They are better at this more mellow sound with a touch of Who like prog. Much like "I Fell Backwards" there is another cool bass groove to " Logos", The problem is the bass is too low in the mix. Instead we get tinny mid range guitars in our face. By the end of the song the guitar locks in better. 

'Sour Fruit' is almost too happy for me. The they get into a mathier riff for 'Two Hour Park" that is more Gang of Four , but with less bounce in it's step. It works much better .There is a little darker more somber mood to the last song.. I think this also makes it my favorite song from this album. I will give tis one an 8.5, the peppy nature of this album makes it something I might not normally be drawn to , but they are good at what they do so I will give this album an 8.5 

Forming the Void : "Reverie"

 

Here is a band from Louisiana that defies the normal swamp metal stereotypes of the region. Though the do dabble in some sludge like areas and at times darker than most commerical rock bands. Not that these guys are totally aiming for the radio. They are however less stoner rock than I thought it would be and more grunge. It is not surprising since I found them on an Alice in Chains tribute album. They are more Soundgarden than Alice In Chains, but with a more modern sludge rumble to their sound., There are cool shadows over the way they coast on the rumbling. It reminds me of some of the metal bands that jumped on the grune band wagon after the fact. I like the darker more serpentine riffs they use. This band's strength is when they are out to hyponotize. I normally like singers who can soar , but this guy is better when he is just serving the song. Or maybe his lower register just sounds better, despite the fact he has the notes up top.

 It sounds like they open "Manifest' with a sitar. Or they have effects on the guitars to create that sound. When it kicks in the guitar sound is the fucking shit for real. I like the way they play with the dynamics here. "Electric Hive " finds the pace picking up from the normal throb that has set the tone for this album. They did out a weighty fuzzed out pouding that is deliberate in it's lumber with '" Anicent Satilite" . The last song finds them ending the album back on the more Soundgarden throb. The singer has plenty of room to wave his melodies around it. This is also the first song that I have noticed the guitar solo. It is very rock nroll and kind of jammed out with no excessive shredding. 

If ever wondered how I score album I suppose I should give a more detailed diagragm , but for lack of one let's say a 10 is on par with the classics , we are talking a  flawless album on par with Led Zeppelin. Well no but it's a lot of fun and is easy for me to let play several times in succession. I really enjoy this album, look forward to downloading it and reccomend it to my friends in real life, you know the " Hey man I know some body you might dig , sort of thing. " I mean the are on the brink of a ten and mayb it will grow on me in that direction as an album I can not live without , but as of now I am giving it a 9.5 . 

Dirt ( REDUX) Various Artists Tribute

 

Thou opens this track by track tribute to 'Dirt". It is pretty much what you would expect for them to do . Harsh vocals with sung vocals lower in the mix. The sung vocals are kinda pitchy. They however do a much better job of capturing the feel of the song than the bullshit Low Flying Hawks try to pass off as "Dam that River". I mean why did they even waste everyones time. It is total garbage. Normally I can find one redeeming aspect , but I question if these guys even know how to play their instruments. High Priest redeems things with " Rain When I Die" . The tone is really burly.  The do a pretty spot on job. It is however not as impressive as Khemmis who strikes the perfect balance of adding their own touch while nailing the song.  These Beasts have a more aggressive take on "Sick Man" that is more punk in it's intention. It still works once they get into the thick of it. 

I can understand why Howling Giant got ever one's attention with 'Rooster" . As a song it was my least favorite on the album., but these guys took an Atomic Bitchwax approach to their bong heavy version and it is impressive. I mean these songs are such classices you have to take this kind of approach. There is a more sludge like treatment given to "Junkhead" thanks to Forming the Void. I like what they do with the vocals. Things get even denser with Somnuri's cover of the title track. The hit it pretty square on. Back Woods Payback does a much btter job than expected with "God Smack" despite some of the vocal straining. (16) nails at heavier version of " Hate to Feel" Vocally they pull this off better than I assumed. There are the more aggressive barked vocals but it works. The sing when needed and do not use the snrled vocals to compensate for not being able to actually sing. 

Vokonis does a very interesting version of "Angry Chair". It's heavier but still lets you know they know what is going on. The best descision was to give "Would?" to someone who was not going to try to meet it head on, yet still gave it the proper respect. I do think they could have gone for the belted part to give it sometimes , but oh well I will take it.Not surprising this used to be Subrosa Even with that bullshit Low Flying Hawks tried to pull, I would just pretend that track doesn't exist and I certainly will do the same with that band. The rest of this is pretty great and gives me some new bands to check out.

Gargoyl : " s/t"

 I have never listened to much Revocation. Never like the way the albums were produced. This project is much more interesting even it it is frequently trying too hard. At best they come across like a cross between King Crimson & Alice In Chains, with King's X like tendencies. "Cursed Generation" is more straight forward hard rock. Bass driven with a more turn in a darker more melodic direction. King Crimson and Alice In Chains are both bands I am fans of. The vocals are what makes it Alice In Chains like. Those harmonies you can no layer with out intentionally knowing you are going for that sound. At their weirdest Robert Fripp is not in this band so they can never really pull of what King Crimson does but in their more abstract moments that give it the good jazz try. This is felt going into the song "Electrical Sickness". Their bass play does not use a fretless and offers more balls to the equation than their normal guitar sound. 

"Wraith" is an interesting song. I like that is is some what soulful and dark. It wanders a great deal with angular melodies. "Ophidian" is a little more dissonant. The vocal floar over it in a higher register. "Nightmare Conspiracy" seems to have cool lyrics but the bob and weave around the chaotic part riffs.. Dynamically it builds into a heavier mood, withut being overt metal. The angular operatics of "Waltz Dystopia" feels more like something Devin Townsend would do. The title is the most fitting as it is in waltz time.  "Ambivelent I" finds the bass doing most of the work yet again to keep things heavier than just rock. There is a dizzy feel to this song that refuses to find an actual groove until it dances around where most rock would go sometimes converging down into a palm muted chug. "Acid Crown " kindsa feel like an extention of the previous song, until it finds a darker pulse and a sax is  running over it which gives a different sonic texture which is what this album needed. 

The last song is back into a more King Crimson direction, The chord structuree owe more to jazz than rock music.  I will give this album an 8.5. They are good at what they do, though the Alice In Chains harmonies can be heavy handed. This album is on the more obtuse side of prog at times. The put a great dea of efofrt into this and genrally pull every thing off . If you are into grunge and prog then this will be your jam for sure. Season of Mist drops it October 9th. 

Carnation : "Where Death Lies"

 

This band from Belgium smacks you in the ears going into their second full length. They remembered to write songs and not just battering you down with dense guitars. It's not a pure double bass fest either. Old school death metal in the apporach, but the production gives it a more modern sound rather than these guys just trying to dial in Tampa from the 90s. By the thirds song it begins to devolve into more of a speed fest. The second song was already not as gripping in terms of hooking me into it . They come back and add enough syncopation to "Spirit Excision" to avoid turning into angry chugged mush. Entombed is a fair comparison s to where they are coming from sonically. Enough other influence from bands like Bolt Thrower to keep them from sounding like an Entombed clone. 

"Napalm Ascension' finds the rule of cool riffs alone do not a good song make. While it is more often than not just a speed fest, there are a few riffs here and there that are cool. "Serpents Breath" breeze by in a blur without really grabbing my attention. They do a little better in writing something more negaging on "Malformed Regrowth" . Is is me or did they use a death metal song name generator on Facebook to come up with these titles . The synths on "Reincarnation" were needed as they gave them a more melodic texture that helped break things up. This also causes them to sound more like Morbid Angel. 

The last song "In Chasms Abysmal" things continute to improve. The riffs have more groove to them., There is a more melodic section in the end where they include actual singing. I will give this album an8. There is no question that these guys ae good at what they do. What they do can just be too straight forward and speed focused for me sometimes. It doesn't mean there are not some good songs on this album,. for than half of these songs are great , the rest are not my preference which is why I am giving it such a high rating, as instead of telling you to round it up, I did the math for you. Being released on Season of Mist.

Dwaal : "Gospel of the Vile"

 Ok after this no more doom, until our doom month in November. After a death in the family this week, I needed some doom. Not only doom , but doom like this with a beautiful throb to it. This band from Norway succeds. Like the more gorgeous moments of Mournful Congregation's "the Book of Kings" married to Jesu. There is a sweeping sense of cold to the massive sonic expanse of their sound. There is a more overt metal pounding to the seonc song that finds low death metal growling taking the spotlight. You can still understand the lyrics . The title track finds the vocals taking on a more siister rasp. The music lingers with a more threatening tension before they throw you off by going into a clean sound. Yes! surprise me that is what I want. I want to hear things that I did not see coming. Beautifully balance sonic grace with opression on this song. Tryly wonderful sound here. The song gains momentum, and makes you forget they have stolen away with you for almost fourteen minutes. I do not mind long songs if they do it wisely like they do here. 

They have a more sludge like stomp going into " Obsidian Heart Burns" .  The vocals take on a meaner snarl that is more discernable. There is a nice melodic droning section, but they largely sound like more of the status qup sludge bands. The album does take a tunr in a more Neurosis meets death doom direction. The creepy lead in to "the Whispering One" gives a break from the more overt metal attack. This song took me a few listens to really pay attnetion. There is a slight angular twist to the verse riff. The vocals are some what black metal in the way they deliver their mallice. It is yet to be as compelling as the first few songs. 

The clsoe the album with the massive "Descent' this song does a better job of blending the sound I loved when this album started and the more Neurosis like direction is goes in midway into things. It is still really good as the fact it's 16 and a half minutes doesn't bother me. I know Neurosis has many sounds over the years os when I refer to them here I am thinking more "Times of Grace " era,. Not as intense as "Through Silver and Blood" 

5.5

Death Bells : "New Signs of Life"

  I thought about holding off on these guys til Gothtober, but they are much closer to being a newer fresher version of Interpol than anything spooky. They are great song writers and while they have a very focused and intentional sound they still care about the songs. Not as stark and monotone as Ian Curtis. The grim narrative of their singer doesn't add as much melody as the other instruments. The titles track find them relaxing from the tension that drove the first two songs and allowing the singer to croon in a little more of a Killers territory, but without the pop radio aspirations. It is a moody picture they paint which is darker than your average indie rock , band and dark enough to warrant being called post -punk, but darkness is not the main color the draw from as there are traces of hope. 

Things get somewhat upbeat on " Web of Love" .  Not to the extent of say the Drums who make more sunny beach music, it's more of a drizzle at the beach sound. I become a little less engaged for their sound becomes more familar and less unique. The mix is very clean and spacious. This lends a song like " A Different Kind of Happy" which has a brighter mood, similar to solo Morrissey in the sonic place it occupies. Obviously this wins me over. The saw that comes in reminds me a little more of Roxy Music. Though they lack the artful ethereal nature of Roxy Music. They stay on this more melodic path with "Alison". There is a more rock n roll feel to the maringally more distorted guitar of "Sacred" .  

There is a more deliberate chord progression that reminds me more of  the mellower moments of the Velvet Underground on " Shot Down". It is however not with hooks . I this album serves as another example of how sounds are influenced by their geographic enviroment. Both Austrailia and California both have an abundence of sunshine , yet this album cleary has a sound that is more California . I will give this album a 9, it might be a little too happy for my normal listening, but I appreciate what is being done here as the album sounds great and well written so it is certainly a triumph on their end , I thinkfans already along for the ride will still appreciate what is being done even if it is not as glum. Coming out of Dias Records

Coma Regalia : "Marked'

I love my hard core the darker it is.  Much in the vein of bands like Portrayal of Guilt, grind core, power violence and screamo are wrapped up into the equation. That is find I already own all the Agnostic Front albums so do not need any more traditional hard core today at least. I have heard these guys' name , but my first time really giving them a listen. The longest song on this thing is two and a half minutes. The challenge for these guys is how much song can they cram into these bursts. After a keyboard intro they only allow for about 40 secs of their explosions into the first song. They show me more of who they are on the second song and squeeze the whole snap shot into a minute."It's Grip Closes" opens with a melodic riff before throwing themselves into it. The syncopation is really cool in places . These guys do in fact care about songs. It seems they need just over a minute in order to make it dynamic.

There is more punk to "In Submission" . Just under two minutes seems like it's the optimum length for what they do. They never wear out their welcome. The long song is " Vigour Transmit Failure" it is very sonic . I like where they go with it. The emo in screamo can be felt in the guitar. Even more melodic guitar opens "Shelter By the Mountains Tree' which has union vocals shouting out against it. I like the angular nature that still manges to flow gracefully. The 49 second explosion that is " It Stares Back" is more single minded in it's feral attack. The forty second of "Ready the Vessel" still manages to work better than expected in that time. "Neverending Ever Ending" sounds like a continuation or the previous  song. It might have wored better if the two had been combined.

There is a weird almost blues like tone to "Yarneep" . There is a more traditional punk tone to "Adrift Taking Water" . The drumming and the guitar playing are both really well done, and work in tandem. In under two minute they work in enough plot twists to keep me happy here. I am not as impressed with the last song which tends to be alright just upholding the status quo when that has not been the mission statement up to this point. I will give this album a 9, these guys are great at what they do and it's a fun listen. If you like emo- violence these are your guys.

Chrome Waves : "Where We Live"

Did not know what to expect from this second album as the last thing I heard from them was covering Nick Cave. It is black metal. It is not hung up on blast beats either and has some melodic vocals thrown in here and there so I am a fan. It might get called black gaze this time around , but the intent is still pretty mean and hard driving depsite the sonic texturing that leans in that direction. It has a depressive sound , so pretty much everything I might want from Black Metal in 2020. Now can they hold my attention?  The second song is not a huge departure, It is less depressive. There are some lower growls thrown in. But they still care about writing songs and are not just going for a sound that works


On "New Skin" they provide an example that often what separates something from being metal are the vocals, which are really the only big difference from what would make this feel more like Deafheaven.  I have even argued the point that some of Deafheaven's albums are not metal at all. Which I stand by. They do throw in punches that ar heavier than what your average shoe gaze band would do. They continue down this path though perhaps a little darker and more melodic tone to the vocals on 'Spoonfed" , which. I am going to guess is about heroin. I like most songs about Heroin. I can hear a slight Nirvana feel to the song.  When they kick back into metal on this album they still retain the more melodic shoe gaze elements and it's a really good balance.

They end things with the ten-minute title track. It encompasses all the things I love about depressive black metal

This album seems like it is shorter than it is. I get to the last song and am like

"Damn that is all we get ? 6 songs" But they are not 3-minute pop songs so it's still over forty minutes of music. It is just that damn good. It is one of those albums I am going to be wracking my brain over come end of November when I am making the end-of-the-year lists trying to decide if it is black metal or shoe gaze. Regardless this gets a 10.

Les Deuxluxes : "Lighter Fluid"

This Canadian dup is straight up rock n roll, with an AC/DC  like riff driving the song. This is off set by the smoooth vocals of their singer Anna  Frances Meyer.   Étienne Barry handles the bulk of the other instruments though Meyer plays guitar as well. "For I Myself" is the next stand out to me. Sometimes what they do get's more on the garage rock side than what I normally listen to. Though over all this is just rock without the need for other labels. Some of the lyrics are sung in French. Most of the songs stay pretty up beat. The album sounds great though it's an odd mix and supposed not having the bass up in your face leaves more breathing room for the vocals but there is a great deal of midrange,

"Beware of the Dog" is mariginally darker , but it is enough of a shadow for me. Midway into the song there is a more jammy feel. Meyer's voice drips of sex , but not in the overt maner you might expect. It might seem silly to think that the facgt she is physically really hot would factor into this, but I think it does . It brings a diferent kind of charismatic energy to the preformance. To deny this is like saying someone's life experiences are not conveyed in music. Music is vibration and the vibration we carry is projected through it. She somes times takes more of a 60s approach to her melodies. It also gives her room to play around with her voice. They throw in a Stooges cover  of "Down on the Street / Loose". . They play it more like AC/DC. It is also funny hearing the lyrics from a female perspective.  Barry add his voice to this one. He sounds like a younger Iggy at times. We get a more foot on the monitors rock solo out of him as well.I would not call it a ballad but they back off for the song that follows , which is sung in French. "Encender" is more atmosphere in it's mood with the vocals kind of floating around it.

The guitar picks up for a return to rocking on "Everything of Beauty". This is big on the 60s vibes. It also highlights what a great voice Meyer has. The lyrics are more of the hippy side. The last song continues on with the 60s pop, but closer to what say Lana Del Rey at first until the more rock chords come crashing in . I will give this a 9. These guys are onto something that is truly their own and are having fun while doing so. It might be happier than what I normally listen to but I dig it.

Uniform : "Shame"

I get it industrial music is cool again. When the new Napalm Death came out every one started shouting that is sounded like Killing Joke. As someone who actually listens to Killing Joke I did not hear it.  These guys were once thought of as more post-punk, but they felt like a rock between noise rock and punk to me. Those elements are still in play but with more metallic guitar. The vocals also have more effects on them. They have always had a great deal of drive. We get into more sludge like noise going into "the Shadow of God's Hand". No matter where these guys have fallen sonically I can say I like this better than what I have heard from them in the past. They start thrashing out with a harsh filter of abrasive nosie and feed back coating the mix.

They pick up the pace for "Life In Remission" . The add electronic sounds in a more overt fashion on the title track. It's one of the more dynamic and melodic performances I have yet to hear from the band. The effects really make this guy's voice more tolerable. It ome times reminds me of Lard. Heavier chugs and more incessent feed back squeals at you on "All We've Ever Wanted" .  Aside from the feedback this song is pretty decent but that is beyond annoying to endure. "Dispatches From the Gutter" finds them descending into more noisy chaos that is reined in by a very cool riff. There are no real surprises with the beating they give you on "This Won't End Well".  It is in the smae sonic circle they have been in for a few songs now.

However the noise they kick up on the last song reminds me more of Liturgy at first before converging into a ripping metal riff. Then it goes back into the weird balst beat section. I will give these guys the benefit of the doubt since this is the hardest I have heard them try and on every level they have improved. The vocals are still in my opinion the weak link , but they are produced in a way that I can handle. If you like abrasive industrial influenced noise rock with metal tendencies these songs are going to be what you have looked for .

The Top 40 Female Artists of All Time : 10 to 1

It's 2020 we are making a bigger deal out of how wet the nether regions are rather than the quaity of music being made. Granted the people doing this must have never heard of Lil Kim. This also gives me the chance to take  break from the lists of androgynous guys and  makes this one.The top 40 hottest female artists, might come one day  I am bored at some point but right now we are just focusing on the music. After all if you are writing good songs that stick in my head I do not care what you look like. You are not going to see artists here that I feel are covered by those who do what they do better or are such originators in their genre why listen to imitators. Not only does this list give commonly under rated artists their proper place, but I dig into as expected from me both harder and darker artists not mentioned in the same breath as pop artists. Speaking of that is covered by a handful of ladies as more would be redundant. There is one big one here in particular that takes care of everything . Only one rapper, and they are unique , and this is about their impact on music as a whole so iconoclasts not strippers with prodiucers or entertainers alone. Since this the Abysmal Hymns list there will of course be a darker slant and singer's with any gospel leanings that are blasphemous are obviously disqualified. So here we go...







10-Bjork

We have already cover a vast array of artists she has influenced going back to her days in the sugar cubes . One of the most unique creative forces making music.


 




9-Tori Amos

While sh takes a great deal of influence from the artists in our number one spot , so much that when I played the number one artist for my ex wife she could never listen to Tori again. Despite that she is an incredible musician and song writers

 




8-Tracy Chapman


She is more than a fast car. She has incredible depth to her song writing a roch voice. She not only deserves this place on the list , but eliminates the need for many other artists who try to do similar.


 





7-Madonna


If We are going to have any pop singer on this list it has to be here. She has done more than this from her campy performance on the Dick Tracy soundtrack to Evita. At her peak she had a great voice as well




.





6-Sade


The smoothest voice in jazz, she add so many level of other styles to it while being true to what she does. Live it is obvious she hold back in the studio



 




5-Joni Mitchell

I can't have Tracy Chapman or any female singer even influenced by folk with her on this list. Her phrashing is fucking unreal. She weaves her melodies like a jazz player.

 


4-Siouxsie

I would say she is the best goth singer of all time, but the next two artists on this list have been embraced by that community, she is however the best of the more punk influenced artists and almost any female fronted goth band these days tries to replicate what she does.


 





3- Lisa Gerrard Dead Can Dance

The most powerful voice I have ever heard live, she would very well be number , but the two top spots edged her out more for their song wirting ability.


 




2-Cocteau Twins


Um she has her own language and just uses her voice as an instrument...this is how a fairy would if fused with the vocal chords of an angel.


 


1-Kate Bush


 I am not sure what is in question here ? SHe came out in 1978 and the world never had a chance to catch up. She is untouchable.


 

Henrik Palm : "Poverty Metal "

A former member of In Solitude is always going to warrant a listen from me. They are a band I still mourn the loss of. I need to make sure I have hunted down every project that broke off from that band since they disolved. This opens with a trippy peace of dark disonance that still manages to become a song. This is the second abum, so not sure how I missed out on the first. The second song is more grandiose and psychedelic, not as dark or heavy as the opener . The prog inflections continue with "Concrete Antichrist". Female vocals join in. There is more of a creepy 60s feel to this one.

"Given Demon" has more heft to it. It is not metal. The beat kind of bounces in a happier direction that expected/ The vocals sound very British , despite being Swedish. The tumbling bass of "Destroyer" provide more opprotunity for heavy. It is more typical of psyche influence proto-doom, though not as heavy as say Electric Wizard. I appreciate it for being darker . Not that this abum has been all that up beat to this point. There are moments when his voice rminds me of Roger Waters . The break down into an acoustic ballad sound for "Nihil " that is layered with piano. There is a very nice guitar melody added over it. It is not a song that I will really feel compelled to listen to multiple times , but appreciate where they go with it.

This answered by the heavier 'Nihilist" . The verses easse back to allow for the less crazed tone of the vocals . "Last X-mas" which is not the Wham song, creeps out of the previous song and is mpore motivated by doom which I am fine with . This batch of proto doom prog, is a lot of darkly trippy fun I will give it a 9 . Being released on Svart Records.

Pågå : "the Evil Year"

In Solitude was one of my favorite bands. Many of the members have gone onto to work in other projects, but I was still wondering what Pelle the singer was doing. This answers that question. Flying under the banner of post -punk I think that is a misnomer , the closest we get is Current 93 and Psychic TV,  but even those bands I would not describe as post-punk.It is by and large dark and I like that !  Pelle sounds really different. He has backed off alot and singing in a more  Adrian Belew like voice.  There is a weird flow of congas under neath the song, which is not the kind of precussive element you would expect. There is a jammy abstract feel to things. It does havea groove that lures you in.  We are into some zany art funk with King Crimson like guitar on the second song. It is more of a solid rock song than the more ambiant opening track.

The third song is more of an atmospheric interlude, then they return with a more Nick Cave feel to "Wholly Gone" .But it never really goes anywhere. They get progressively darker on "Wet Star" but there is not a solid melody or groove to the song, so it works more like the soundtrack to a dream.  Midway into the song it begins to remind me of the Doors a little which is a good thing. This is also the first song to feature more metal like guitar chords. The song after this one is another instrumental interlude, but I like this one better as it is darker . Hearing Pelle sing over an acoustic guitar is different. He is also singing much differently though closer to what he used to than some of the previous songs. You can hear a little more of his range and how he has matured as a singer. A folk song is not what I expected but it is well done.

There is yet another instrumental interlude that might not be heavy in the metal sense but things to get more brooding using sampled choral vocals . The last song is kind of um...Beatles like. I am glad to hear his expansive voice but it is happier than I signed on for . This album is a sucess as it does what they set out to do. There s nothing in the way actual metal on tis album, which should come as no surprised for if In Solitude has released another album I doubt it would have been metal. This is nothing like I expected but I will give this album a 9. Not as good as In Solitude, but better in it's own ways at what it does.

Jupiterian : "Protosapien"

There is a somewhat blackened tone to the first actual songs, thanks to the tremolo picked guitar. The drumming is slow and doomy. These guys have been called atmospheric doom, but I am hesitant to lead you one with that descreption. It feels more like blackened doom. The vocals are cavernous death metal growls. They are soaked in reverb and sound like they are coming down from the rafters. These guys have a sound , but also care about writing songs which is a relief. "Void Born" still feels more black metal, though there is one sludge riff stuck into the song , but that does't make you a sludge band. It builds into a more overt black metal bashing. There are vocals that are shoted inthe back ground rather than growled , they are buried toward the back of the mix you might miss them if you do not pay attention.

"Capricorn" is more of a death metal beating. The lure you into this with a more sublte riff before pouring it on you ear drums. I like the darker disonance they are bringing to the table, Though the blast beat thrown in doesn't serve much purpose, I won't hold it against them as they have yet to use any. There is a more deliberate riff that opens "Starless". It is more sludge centric. They layer the guitars well going into it. The album has a raw sound , but is well produced as nothing is really obscured that is not meant to be. Perhaps a little more bass in the mix, but if I really listen for it I can hear it. By the end of the song they have slow down and are letting their misery linger.

The last song is not as heavy. Though it is still heavier than most. They are not as dense and oppresive in the sonic attack. This gives them room to breathe and refocus on songwriting. In most cases extremely heavy bands come on strong and stun me so by the second song I am like "Ok I get that you are heavy , but can you write a song?"  These guys were heavy and song focused. Then the denser things go the more that sense of song became obscured. Not what I imagine a band from Brazil would sound like so good on them for that . I will give this album an 8.5. It is one of the better blackened doom album I have heard this year, though admittedly maybe reviewed a dozen if that . But reccomend these guys as it as a naunced heavy , but dense enough to lose you in the crush.

King Buffalo :"Dead Star"

I normally complain about long songs, but this Pink Floyd like drone is how you do it as we are seven and a half minutes in before I care about how long the song is. It is just the opener that is long. I mean 16 minutes is pretty ballsy way to open your album, though Devils Blood has done similar. The bass line gets cool and creepy around the 9 minute mark., It gets kinda of Tool like when it builds up. There is a more sedate introspection to the almost acoustic dream folk of "Echo of a Waning Star" . "Ecliptic" is kraut rock synth driven. Sounds like moon music. There is a little more to it than most of the synth wave kind of thing these days. But it's an instrumental so limited to atmosphere.

The palm muted Tooly grooving returns for " Eta Carinae". The bass playing is not as ambitious as Tool's on this song, and they are not as dark as Tool. With more Thin Lizzy like guitar harmonies on this song. The title track is more of a drug ballad. Almost closer to the Foo Fighters than any of the more groove driven places they have taken us so far here. It is rally well done and sounds great , I no longer do drugs to I am sure that would help the over all experience. Evne with no drugs these guys put even thought and talent into what they do to keep my interest. It is funny that as far a stoner metal goes they draw more influence from Tool than Black Sabbath.

The last song "Red Star pt 2 " is more along the lines of  Queens of the Stoneage. The vocals are less hooky than what Homme might do. The guitar playing on this album is excellent and is what steals the show. The vocals at least try. There is a a heavier build that is the album most meatl moment on this song., I will give this an 8.5 . It was really well done , but did not make me rush to download it .

Nasty : "Menace"

These guys are the kind of metallic hard core that runs so closely to the metal core that came from the days of Myspace that I rarely review it. But what the hell, I need to get caught up on the harcore that came out this yeat or in this case is coming out as this album drops Sept 25th. The guitar is the most metal thing baout this. The vocals are kind of growl tough guy shit with almost rapped gang vocal cadence. 3 songs in and the guitar is beginning to sound the same to me. The singer actually sings on "Be Careful" . This guy is good, he makes the songs interesting and switches it with varied approaches which I like. The song writing itself could use some work as "666am" just sound likea mush of riffs and yelling. The name of their game is how many break downs can be squeeze into three minutes or less.

The more metallic "Betrayer" is pretty good. It's darker and have varied vocals, so all the boxes are checked off. The vocals actually have some hook to them. They are hit or miss as the song after this is just back to riffs and barking. They do put more thought into 'Inhale / Exhale" . Gnerally speaking the lyrics are lost in the delivery. Not a deal breaker as I prefer singers to use their voice more like an instrument rather than verse chorus radio stuff, unless it's pop music and even then I am flexible. He sounds more like a demon chicken in the vocal pattern to blood crop. 'Addicted" is more of a song,  but runs along the lines of what you might more typically expect from this.

They tread on the smae gorund as by the end it all begins to run togehter. It is not until the last song that we here some more thrashing tempos. Even then it sounds like they are coming to this place by way of Killswitch Engage.  As far as hardcore goes these guys do not play very fast so more metal influence than punk. Perhaps that is my normal complaint when it comes to that sort of thing. There are moments and these guys have potential. This particular album while it is well produced and i Like when the vocalist puts more effort into it, it is not my thing I will give it a 6.5 .I am surprised this is going to be a Century Media release . They must really have their ear to the pulse of where music is going that I am unaware of if they invested in this kind of hardcore.

Oceans of Slumber : 's/t"

Not sure why I waited four albums in to check this band out. Right from the first song I like what is going on. When the male death metal growls come in they sound more along the lines of every progressive death metal band, so it's Cammie Gilber's voice that gives it a more distinct sound. "Pray For Fire" wanders more . Yes, her voice is soulful, but they do not lock into melodies that have hooks in them. The vocals are way to far up in the mix by the time we get to what would be the chorus. The guitars need to be louder in the mix and have more punch. The death metal part to this song is more predictable. " A Return to the Earth Below" is more interesting, but the vocal layering still feels like karaoke. Her lyrics and melodies on this song are more upbeat and positive than what I feel makes metal.

They kick into " the Adorned Fathomless Creation" as a death metal band. Her vocals kind of drift in. Not a dramatic change in the formula that seems to be in place. She sings really well on " To the Sea" but is more likea gospel song than any definition of metal . Mick from Antimatter lends his voice to " Colors of Grace" which is well done from every angle with very tasteful guitar playing dancing around their melancholy melodies/. Things eventually get heavier on " I Mourn These Yellowed Leave" . At this point in time I am wondering where the doom comparisons of these guys ever came from . The piano interlude doesn't do much for me. The symphonic death metal kicks in on " Total Failure Apparatus ". Her soulful vocals do break it up a bit , but the rapid double bass flourishes make things feel like atypical dark metal. At that point it does not feel as heavy as death metal. The vocals might be a little to dramatic and Mariah Carey in its acrobatics, that is without the shrill head register. But not focused on a solid melody.

I am always going to be conflicted about Type O Negative covers, as they are one of my favorite bands so its like they are sacred. They do a good job with this. Obviously, she is a totally differ style singer than Peter she can't come close to getting down to him most of his notes . I will give this album a 8.5 , enjoyed the listens I gave it not sure if it is something I will return to much , but if you are into very melodic metal like say Daylight Dies with female vocals then this might be what you are looking for.

The Top 40 Female Artists of All Time : 20 - 11

It's 2020 we are making a bigger deal out of how wet the nether regions are rather than the quaity of music being made. Granted the people doing this must have never heard of Lil Kim. This also gives me the chance to take  break from the lists of androgynous guys and  makes this one.The top 40 hottest female artists, might come one day  I am bored at some point but right now we are just focusing on the music. After all if you are writing good songs that stick in my head I do not care what you look like. You are not going to see artists here that I feel are covered by those who do what they do better or are such originators in their genre why listen to imitators. Not only does this list give commonly under rated artists their proper place, but I dig into as expected from me both harder and darker artists not mentioned in the same breath as pop artists. Speaking of that is covered by a handful of ladies as more would be redundant. There is one big one here in particular that takes care of everything . Only one rapper, and they are unique , and this is about their impact on music as a whole so iconoclasts not strippers with prodiucers or entertainers alone. Since this the Abysmal Hymns list there will of course be a darker slant and singer's with any gospel leanings that are blasphemous are obviously disqualified. So here we go...




20- Beth Gibbons - Portishead




This is a case of where an artists greatness is truly revealed in the number of artists they went on to influeced. While I love Beth's haunting passion, it is the impact she has that earns her place here.






19-Miny- Parsonz-Royal Thunder

Parsonz does what Lizzy Hae does better. With has more of a Joplin like grit and one of the best female rock voices going today .


 




18-Zola Jesus


She stands alone when it comes to modern dark pop. AHer sound has evolved yet her music remains distinct. I only wish she would put out a new album sooner than later.


 



17-Anneke van Giersbergen- the Gathering


Before female sirens adding a romantic touch to things became more common place in metal Anneke was waeaving a spell without even trying to be a witch like many of today's singers do. Having her on this list elimantes the need to include singers who followed in her steps such as Nightwish or Delain


.


16-Emma Ruth Rundle


This singer songwriter fronted the prog band Marriages before embarking on her darker solo venture. There is a great deal of depth to her voice, but it's her knack as a song writer that solidifies her place here





15 -Sinead O Connor



This singer become known for controversy and ecentric nature , in truth she has an amazing versitile voice and while I like the Cranberries , if Sinead is on the list then I have that base covered already and she does it better.



 



14- Chelsea Wolfe



If this was a list of todays female rock singers then she would top the list , this is more encompassing and the top ten has women who influenced her.


 

13- Taylor Swift 


She has grown past pop country and past pop stardom with her newst album really cementing her as not only some one to be taken seriously , but worthy of her place on this list.



 


12-Pj Harvey


Not punk enough to fall into the whole riot grrrl trend, too angry to fit neatly into the singer song writer thing. She has enough grunge to her sound and a dynamic enough voice to fil the gap where other people might gravitate to Patti Smith.



 

11-Jarboe - Swans


Yes she has done solo stuf, she has worked with Neurosis and other bands however her work with the Swans alone is enough to put her here. Granted the Swans are one of my top 10 bands of all times, so I might be dias but she provided the light to Gira's darkness , even Chelsea Wolfe counts her as an infuence so that why she is here and Chelsea is down where she is.