The Top 10 Goth Albums of 2024

Having already started the End of the Year List season of with the Top 10 Post-Punk Albums of 2024, it's time to move in a darker direction with the Top 10 Goth Albums of 2024. If this seems premature,  record labels have already sent me most of what this year has to offer. After I sort through sorting through the top 10 albums of all the respective genres, I use those lists to compile the top 10 albums of the year. 2024. Perhaps it was marginally better than the previous year, though given the current climate of the world, we are progressing on a downward spiral, making dark music more important as a soundtrack for this.  The very fact these bands made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. After all, we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, you look forward to listening to it again. Perhaps you can find your next favorite on this list; and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out the audio on these guys. Anyway here are the top 10 Goth albums of 2024.

10- Meldamor - "My Ode to You" 

Synths collide with militant chanted vocals, not aggressive enough to be industrial, however there are plenty of creepy sounds conjured here.  The smoky female vocals hold more in common with Boy Harsher when they are in the lower depths of her alto range. This dark wave is done in a manner that resonates with 2024

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/10/gothtober-meldamor-my-ode-to-you.html

 

9-Lila Ehja -"Clivota"

The darkness this delves into is a darkwave most fans of goth should find appeal. If inbut if you want a darkwave project not just trying to go for booty shaking but doing something with sonic depth this is it. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/10/gothtober-lila-ehja-clivota.html

  8-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. The songs coast 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

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/10/gothtober-cold-cave-passion-depression.html

 

7-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 thump to their sound and are equally parts driving and catchy, so songwriting for the win on this one. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/10/aesthetic-perfection-bad-vibes.html

6- Gvllow - "Twin Flames" 

He might be more well known for his work with sad boi hip-hop, but Gvllow is doing a pretty convincing job of working pop sensibilities in with post-punk. The first two songs owe as much to the Cure and Drab Majesty as it does to pop punk. It's catchy, with morose vocals that are more pop-inflected than say AFI's turn to similar moodiness. This is not as guitar-driven, though there are guitars present

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/02/gvllow-twin-flames.html

5- Cold In Berlin -"The Body is the Wound" 

These are tales of urban misgivings. What goes on in dark alleys behind dive bars. The band's sense of songwriting has become more refined on this EP. They are clearly the masters of their gloomy sonic domain here, and I can only hope they get more of the recognition they deserve.

     https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/01/cold-in-berlin-body-is-wound.html

 

4- Missiles - "Weaponize Tomorrow" 

This band from Sweden creates an alluring darkness with an almost punk drive. Guitars lurch into reverbed-out surf rock guitar tones, to sit over the bass player's dominant thump. These dystopian grooves are smoothed out by synth ambiance to set the apart from the pack.

 

ttps://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/03/missiles-weaponize-tomorrow.html

 

 

3- Astari Nite - "Resolution of Happiness" 

These guys were bound to evolve. I am glad they are. They have expanded their sonic palette, now drawing from dark emotive genres aside from death rock. The album at times touches on an almost Gary Numan-like take on New Wave If this is your introduction to the band it serves as a fine welcome into their majestic melancholy that is given more freedom here.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/05/astari-nite-resolution-of-happiness.html

 

2- Swan Wash- "Shadow Shadow" 

 This album packs a sonic punch, the band used to be members of a Siouxsie and the Banshees tribute, so this explains a great deal when it comes to the guitar tone. There are hints of death rock-flavored punk with an angular creepiness to it, This album feels  more urgent than Astari Nite's new one which gave these guys the edge for the number 2 spot.       

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/06/swan-wash-shadow-shadow.html

1-The Cure - "Songs Of a Lost World" 

If it was not for the Cure none of the other bands, on this list would be here. Though with that said, this album sounds like they picked up where they left off on "Wish". It is amazing they are still inspired to create something so perfect 14 albums later. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/10/the-cure-songs-of-lost-world.html

pst539

The Cure : "Songs of a Lost World "

 The first album from Robert and the boys in 16 years. If you have seen them live since the "Wild-Mood Swings" tour this has been the band with Jason Cooper playing drums, the only real difference is former Bowie guitars Reeves Gabrels as aside from his appearance on "Sorry Wrong Number" this is the first actual Cure album he has appeared on despite having toured with them since roughly 2012. The opening track "Alone" was also the lead single, it took a couple of listens for it to click with me, but feels like it falls somewhere between "Disintegration" and "Wild Mood Swings". Like many of these songs they have been road-testing them on recent tours so "Nothing is Forever" might sound familiar, if you saw the band on our within the past year. It has a slow shoe-gazing drift. Smith's vocals really give the song its heart. Not breaking new ground for the band, but faithful to who they are and what they do best. 

"A Fragile Thing" is another single that was released just ahead of the album. It has more drive to it. It also feels like it could have come from "Bloodflowers". Smith feels a little more urgent, and the song carries more groove than the first two songs. It's my favorite so far and the bar I am holding the rest of the album to. Not too poppy, but not far removed from some of their radio hits from the 89s though a little more melancholy. Reeves' guitar playing begins to shine on this one. "Warsong' churns with darkness we have not heard from them in some time, perhaps even "Disintegration"  .Robert Smith pleas out from the crashing sounds with ageless desperation. 

"Drone - Nodrone" grooves rather than drones.. It is the perfect blend of said groove and what for Smith equates to a more pop sensibility in the vocal hook, though the lyrics seem more stream of consciousness in his eccentric musing. Reeves rips a solo on this one that is what the band needed. 
"I Can Never Say Goodbye"  though the drumming keeps it moving. This feels like it comes have come from "Wish". It's amazing how good his voice sounds, not that he is really reaching for notes at the top of his range, but it sounds no different from what he did in the 90s. The guitar work on this album is stunning  I think Reeves might be to thank for that. .

"All I Ever Am" carries the atmosphere you expect from them while offering a few new tricks in the guitar riffing. It's the most post-punk song on an album that basks in the more melancholy ambiance, and I can hear them jamming this one out live. The ten-minute closing 'Endsong" is a fitting epic to wrap this moody masterpiece up. It's amazing how they are taking familiar sounds but not ripping themselves off, he must have had tapes from the  "Disintegration" sessions locked away for a rainy day or stumbled upon as they picked up where they left off there. They really jam this one out for the first six and a half minutes before the vocals come in. It's amazing that they are this inspired this late in their career it gets a 10 without question.

7

pst538

Better Lovers : "Highly Irresponsible"

 

This band finds ex-members of Every Time I Die teaming up with Greg Puciato.  Their EP "God Made Me an Animal" was more spastic than what is going on here. We gave it a 9, so it was a solid affair even given the temper tantrums. This time they are more deliberate in their songwriting. The opening track is almost anthemic, perhaps from playing the festival circuit they are seeing what fans respond to. Aside from Greg's unhinged performance, it is similar to the bulk of modern metal. "Your Misplaced Self" is more explosive but owes more to Slipknot than the Locust. The first song works better, but it has a reckless rock n roll fun. 

"A White Horse Covered in Blood" is another one that has a more driving rock feel to it. This is almost like back when Nick was in Queens of the Stoneage. Greg's vocal style still owes a great deal to Mike Patton. Future Myopia" but it feels like a Mudvayne song to my ears, though I doubt they are knowing to flirt with nu-metal unless they are feeling the pulse of the rock festival crowds to the point it is making them contrived. The album is darker than the EP, it is also more melodic. Greg is beginning to sing more than scream again. It works well on "Deliver Us From Life". There is an impressive rock star guitar solo.  It is surprising how different this album is, but I am not going to fault them for trying, harder as it's pretty effective. 

The riff going into "Drowning in a Burning World" feels like AC/DC  though the song is a return to the spastic style that marked the ep. "Everything Was Put Here For Me" is another feral rock jam that has a chaotic attitude without being punk.  "Superman Died Paralyzed" rages a little more than the previous song.  "At All Times " finds melody returning again. It is almost a power ballad and would have fit on 90s radio. "Love as an Act of Rebellion" is almost more of a hardcore song which should not be surprising given their backgrounds. I will give this album a 9, as I am not sure how much I am actually going to listen to this as I already have a great deal of stuff like this to some extent so, will see how it grows on me, but I appreciate the effort and look forward to seeing how this translates live. 

pst537

Gothtober - Wil's 10th Annual Halloween Playlist

 Here is my 10th annual Halloween Playlist. The world holds as many distractions and diversions as the previous years, I am just making a more concerted and intentional effort to focus on celebrations of the Halloween season around me since my soundtrack pretty much remains constant year. I believe if we forget the things that brought us joy as children, we will become miserable adults buried in anxiety over bills and the stock market. This makes a proper soundtrack dedicated to darkness even more needed to capture the magical excitement of Halloween. Perhaps these songs might bring some sonic horror to your ears and carry Halloween into the rest of the year for you. This year all but one song is from new releases. I am continuing the tradition of not repeating artists from previous years. Goth and all its various sub-genres are the most obvious tombs to plunder, I am including a few artists that lean in a more rock or metal direction. Lyrically, the songs are at least metaphors for things that go bump in the night or are related to the season. This year’s theme seems to be death. As the veil between the living and the dead thins, may you be happily haunted and continue to play this loudly in dark places! 

Softcult - "Haunt You Still" 

Missiles - "'Deathlike Love" 

Wicca Phase Springs Eternal - 'I Know the Raven"

Glassing - "Ritualist" 

Mothica -"the Reaper"

Umbra Vitae - "Velvet Black" 

 

Cyberaktif- "The Fright" 

Louse- "Human Remains"

  

Svoid - "In Sacred Magic" 

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Crippling Alcoholism - "Satan is the One" 

pst536

The Top 10 Punk Albums of 2024

Punk has been in an interesting place. There is no shortage of people claiming to play it, but to find real punk driven by the desire to not conform is a harder aspiration, given the masses' willingness to conform.   These albums captured the true spirit of punk, by doing their own thing. It was a competitive year for the genre, and tough choices had to be made.   After I sort through the top 10 albums of all the respective genres, I use those lists to compile the top 10 albums of the year. 2024The very fact these bands made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. After all, we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, you look forward to listening to it again. Perhaps you can find your next favorite on this list; and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out the audio on these guys. Anyway here are the top 10 Punk albums of 2024

10 -Modern Life is War -"Tribulation Worksongs" 

This compilation of their three most recent 7"s makes it clear they know what they are doing, making them one of the most solid punk bands going today.  Despite screaming their way through the  Stooges cover,  here they prove themselves, and at least they know who the Stooges are making them real punk. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/01/modern-life-is-war-tribulation-worksongs.html

 9-Seeyouspacecowboy- "Coup de Grace" 

This album finds them in a more kinetic grooving take on hardcore that is not unlike Callous Doaboys sonically, though leaning in a more Myspace-influenced era of sound. There is an equal balance of sass and substance. The breakdowns are not delivered predictably, though the hooks are poppy enough to conform to expectations in this regard. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/07/seeyouspacecowboy-coup-de-grace.html

9-Amyl and the Sniffers- "Cartoon Darkness" 

At times this Australian band indulges in pop-infected bliss thanks to the pla7ful attitude of their frontwoman Amy Taylor. She must have listened to The Spice Girls and the Runaways in equal measure as a kid., and typically carries the album with her charisma. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/10/amyl-and-sniffers-cartoon-darkness.html

                 

7-Chain Cult -"Harm Reduction" 

This band from Greece has a punk energy to them though the guitar tone rings out with a darker nuance. The ocals stay firmly on the punk side, against the creepy bass lines and the guitar's spectral tension. All factoring in to sound that is more interesting than your average punk band. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/10/gothtober-chain-cult-harm-reduction.html

6-Drug Church -"PRUDE" 

 These guys came out blazing in all the right ways on their new album. It has a hard-core drive, but still some hooks and melody, though the vocals are more roared. This is a moodier album that t makes me think of Bob Mould, but pumped up on modern hardcore production values.  Yet this is not as in-your-face as a hard-core album is, but enough to earn its place here. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/10/drug-church-prude.html

5-Rotten UK - "Agent of Chaos" 

Remember when punk was fun? It cared about songs and thrashed with a darker mood lurking under it. Yeah, I am talking about bands like the Exploited and GBH. Bands that obviously influenced this band, take the angry fire and make their own sound with it. Not only did they capture the sound, but they also wrote song catchy songs while not compromising the aggression getting there. They know the finer points of riffs and dynamics. Perfect music for the current state of things.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/04/rotten-uk-age-of-chaos.html

 

4- High Vis -"Guided Tour '

This time around things are not as tense or dark, in fact, the guitar jangles and rings out with a tone that owes more to "Joshua Tree" era U2. I don't need them to be post-punk so the more upbeat songs work for me as they are well written and sound great. The London-based band leans more toward a punk thing for the second song, though it is more nuanced than most punk. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/10/high-vis-guided-tour.html

3-Whores- "WAR" 

 After an 8 year wait, the Atlanta band is back with their biggest most polished album yet. This more refined, could even be thought of as more accessible.  The Spinal Tap-like cycling out of drummers finds them with drummer number five Douglas Barrett behind the kit. A great deal of the punk sound has been shed, for hooky syncopation that feels more anthemic.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/04/whores-war.html

 

2-Alakine Trio-""Blood, Hair and Eyeballs" 

Everything seems dialed in tighter for this album. Their melodic sensibility sometimes reminds me of Bad Religion if they were into the Addams Family instead of politics. It might not be the most rebellious or rowdy punk album you will hear this year, but it is going to be hard to beat the kind of presentation they have dialed in here. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/01/alkaline-trio-blood-hair-and-eyeballs.html

1-Gouge Away -"Deep Sage"

 Been six years since the Flordia punk band released their last album. They return with the kind of angular dissonant hardcore-tinged rock you expect from them.  Christina Michelle is crying out with the same level of abrasive edge she had last time around. The album gains more nuance with each song, and it is more of a sonic tapestry than the raw outpouring of emotion they initially hit you with. They have matured to perfection here. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/03/gouge-away-deep-sage.html

Gothtober : Black Doldrums : "In Limerence"

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These guys have enough gloom in their atmosphere to cross over the threshold of what might be considered goth. It's not just punk with effects on the guitar. The baritone vocals are not just trying to recreate what Ian Curtis started; their resonance reminds me a little of Beast Milk. This opening track is awe-inspiring so that is going to set a high bar for the rest of the album. "Dying For You' sits a reverb-heavy guitar against a synth-laden ambiance. The vocals sit back more offering a more detached ambiance.

"Summer Breeze" is not another cover of the Seals & Croft song, but a more upbeat song, that is like a vocally less emotive take on the Cure. You hear the more plaintive side of his baritone. The fact that they are British I guess makes this Brit pop to some extent, and the Cure comparisons more understandable. It also lends to the argument I make of how music is affected by the egregore of where it is created and how that energy plays into things. Things get darker for "Dwell or Depart". Though the vocals are relegated to becoming a more distant accent in the mix "Painting Smiles" has more drive making it one of the album's more compelling songs. 

"Need" has a more hypnotic drone. The vocals continue to sit further back in the mix. "In Silence" proves once again that they benefit from a more aggressive approach and going into the songs with some momentum. With this in mind, the vocals do not have to play a large role as the groove of the song compensates for them being in the background. "Tarantula" just kind of haunts the background as it's almost to atmospheric for its own good, and has little to grab your ears. The single-note riffs to "Change of a Season" are more memorable. It has a little more dance in its veins. It's the album;s strongest vocal, they are somewhat like Interpol in that regard that the music balances the vocals out. 

The vocals get a little more love in the mix of "New Moon". It has more of an 80s new-wave feel. Think Echo and the Bunnymen or Psychedelic Furs in this regard. Then the last song finds a more Cure-like glom cast over everything like this is a song from a long-lost Crow soundtrack that was unreleased. I will give this a 9, as the album sounds great they not only captured classic tones I love but made and effort to write songs with them as well. If you want dark hearted post-punk this is worth checking out.

 

pst535

The Top 10 Post-Punk Albums of 2024

 It's that time of year again. It might seem a little early to begin sorting through the year's best post-punk albums, but record labels have already sent me most of what this year has to offer. After I sort through sorting through the top 10 albums of all the respective genres, I use those lists to compile the top 10 albums of the year. 2024. Perhaps it was marginally better than the previous year, though given the current climate of the world, we are progressing on a downward spiral, making dark music more important as a soundtrack for this.   As far as 2024 goes for post-punk, there were strong albums, especially those in the top 5, though the influx of new material from the genre is beginning to slow.  The very fact these bands made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. After all, we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, you look forward to listening to it again. Perhaps you can find your next favorite on this list; and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out the audio on these guys. Anyway here are the top 10 post-punk albums of 2024.

10-New Model Army- "Unbroken" 

At 67 Justin Sullivan is keeping New Model Army going. With their 16th album "Unbroken" they are going with great vigor. Powerful anthemic choruses that ring out. It does not take you back to their punk days, though they come close at times. The guitars have more jangle to them here. There is plenty in the world for Sullivan to angrily ponder and these songs express that in full. The key to their success is not the sound they have cultivated, which is distinct to them as much as their songwriting chops.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/01/new-model-army-unbroken.html

 

9-Rosegarden Funeral Party- "From the Ashes" 

This band might have dialed up the Siouxsie influence on this album, but they did it oddly.  Rather than just pay tribute they pondered what if Siouxsie fronted Roxy Music during the Brian Eno years. It's dramatic and glammed out while basking in the indulgences of cocaine-fueled art rock, almost to the point of taking them out of the post-rock revival,

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/07/rosegarden-funeral-party-from-ashes.html

 

8-Fourth Dominion-"Diana's Day" 

This New York-based band's sophomore album feels like a cross between AFI and older REM. This means we are combining organic jangle along a more 90s-influenced goth rock. Lyrically there is a great deal of occult metaphor. The production works for what they are going for here as it gives this more of a rock edge. The bass rumbles harder on their more palm-muted grooves to add a bit of balls. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/06/fourth-dominion-dianas-day.html

7-Negative Gears -Moraliser" 

Dark moody punk from Australia. They are big on the tension and the vocals are more punk, though not yelled in the typical fashion.  One of the things this album is mad about is how Sydney wants to be America which has turned it into a shit hole.  I am fine with not really into political punk unless it's just focused on anarchy. There are some early Cure-sounding guitar melodies in the mix. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/10/negative-gears-moraliser.html

6- the Chameleons- "Tomorrow Remember Yesterday" 

As long as both Mark Burgess and guitarist  Reg Smithies then this is the Chameleons. Having formed in 83, it puts them behind other British bands like the Cure or Joy Division as the forerunners of post-punk. This album puts melody before punk tension. Burgess's voice sounds great, and it captures who they were and who they are now in a genuine manner. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/10/gothtober-chameleons-tomorrow-remember.html

     

5-Vision Video - "Modern Horror" 

 2022's "Haunted Hours" took the top spot in our end-of-the-year post-punk top 10, so the bar is set high for this one. The 3rd album from this Athens, Ga, based band finds, them opening things up with the moodier organic sound that earned them their place here. All of this comes together thanks to the smooth melodies and great vocal performances of  Dusty Gannon. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/10/gothtober-vision-video-modern-horror.html

4-Louse -"Passions Like Tar" 

The album is crisp. It pays tribute to the era this music evolved from without being a straight-up tribute band to it.  There is a hopeful brightness to the shimmer of their sound and the vocals are not totally despondent. They marry the sound of two of my favorite bands, the Smiths and the Cure, so how can I complain about that, is. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/10/gothtober-louse-passions-like-tar.html

3-the Jesus and the Mary Chain -"Glasgow Eyes"

The Reid Brothers are back for the 8th album of their 40-year career. This album does touch on their more depressive side at times but finds them employing a wide range of moods. An upbeat pulse lasks the melancholy,  It is experimental in different ways, as they toy around with synths and effects. Jim's voice sounds ageless, with his hushed dusky muttering. Lyrically things are brilliant. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/03/jesus-and-mary-chain-glasgow-eyes.html

  2-Metz - "Up On Gravity Hill" 

 The band once again shifts the sonics of their attack, and amid its weirdness, the album proves to be accessible to a wider audience. Woozy guitar counterpoints punk-inflected vocals smoothed out by overdubbed harmonies. The normally rough edges of noise-rock, are less abrasive thanks to the refined nuances of their songwriting to create a more 90s style atl-rock not unlike the bar-room brooding of the Afghan Whigs.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/04/metz-up-on-gravity-hill.html

 

1- Crippling Alcoholism - "With Love From a Padded Room" 

This band beautifully captures a darkly honest misery, that has not been done this well since  Planesmistakenforstars was a band. The singer's raspy voice makes you imagine what it might sound like if Tom Waits fronted Interpol. It took the top spot because not only are the song uniquely engaging, but this album can be played countless times without getting tired of it. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/06/crippling-alcoholism-with-love-from.html

pst534

the Top 10 Industrial Albums of 2024

In an Election yeat, nothing is a more fitting soundtrack to watching the world unravel into a dystopian nightmare than Industrial? You would think fans of the genre would be celebrating this but from what I have seen online they are crying under the covers like the rest of the sheeple. If you are someone who believes that leaning into the end should be celebrated since it is a natural destination in the cycle then you might appreciate the mood these albums created as much as I did.  After I sort through the top 10 albums of all the respective genres, I use those lists to compile the top 10 albums of the year. 2024. The very fact these bands made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. After all, we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, you look forward to listening to it again. Perhaps you can find your next favorite on this list; and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out the audio on these guys. Anyway here are the top 10 Industrial albums of 2024.

10--Black Asteroid - "Infinite'

 This project's evolution makes sense as Bryan Black was a keyboard tech for Prince at Paisley Park Studios, which is a great place to learn your craft and network in the industry. He teams up with everyone from Ian Astbury to ACTRS on this album. It tends to lean in the direction of electronic rather than the stricter definition of industrial. . 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/10/gothtober-black-asteroid-infinite.html

9-Combichrist-"CMBCRST"

Andy is back for the project's 10th album. He has kept this industrial entity going for the past 21 years, so we know he at least has that experience under his belt. The best I have heard from these guys yet, thanks to he more focused and melodic nature of the songwriting this time around. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/05/combichrist-cmbcrst.html

8-Livernois -  ":ablation:"

There is a great deal to like when it comes to this project from New Orleans. It also raises the question of why more goth and industrial bands are not coming out of that city? They are very dark and gritty and do not give a fuck about the dance floor. If we think about some of the best industrial that came out of the 90s it also did not care about the dance floor. There is noise, and plenty of rough edges to the opening track that slithers through the gutters

 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/05/livernois-ablation.html

7-Persher - "Sleep Well" 

This German duo is making electronic oddities with enough drive, to be considered industrial if we consider the more experimental bounds of the genre. A unique experience, that feels like  nothing I have heard before with distorted vocals over what sounds to be real drums playing again a barrage of synth farting in an angular groove that gathers forward momentum

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/10/persher-sleep-well.html

6-KMFDM -"LET GO" 

 KMFDM is doing it again. This treat for the freaks is less of a truth or dare, and more of a neon-dripping funk explosion that does coke in the same dirty bathrooms as My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult. There is more guitar in "Push!" but it is executed less aggressively than what might be thought of as their classic sound. This gradual change over the past few albums has come to a more noticeable head here,

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/01/kmfdm-let-go.html

5-Bad Omens  -  "Concrete Jungle" 

Yeah this band seems ike they would just be Gen-z's take on Myspace metal, they have pretty decent taste in music when it comes to the artists they are pairing up on the collaborative album, as the guest list includes Poppy, HEALTH, Bob Vylan, and WARGASM. This album churns out some slappers by taking the nu-skool of industrial and applying it to what Bad Omens does.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/06/bad-omens-concrete-jungle-ost.html

 

4-Fange -"Perdition" 

This French band delivers the post-apocalyptic goods again. The overall sound they bring is an equal dose of industrial crunch given its sludged-out weight. The vocals are harder than what your average industrial band coughs up. It's pretty crushing

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/09/fange-perdition.html

 

3-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.  

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/10/gothtober-cyberaktif-endgame.html

 

2-Louvado Abismo- "S/ T" 

This band from Portugal gets it They pack a punch rather than just being loud EDM. This album stomps with a dark aggression making it more sonically intense, The plead of the vocals feels real rather than someone trying to recreate what has already been done, but true to the legacy of the genre

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/04/louvado-abismo-st.html

 

1-Death Killer -"Total Destruction of the Entire Universe" 

Here is the kind of industrial album I was waiting for. It is both pissed and heavy as hell with a fair dose of chaos in its veins. There is a great balance of instrumentation and programming/ electronic elements. It is not industrial music to dance to it is industrial music that is going to kick your face. Not unlike Ministry's "Filth Pig" album in that regard though this is heavier. It blasts at you like a jackhammer, as it sonically fucks your brains out right from the first song

 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/10/gothtober-death-killer.html

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Persher : "Sleep Well"

 

This German duo is making electronic oddities that have enough drive, to be considered industrial if we consider the more experimental bounds of the genre. The album came out back in February so I am glad to catch up on it now, as it is a unique experience. The opening track feels like nothing I have heard before with distorted vocals over what sounds to be real drums playing again a barrage of synth farting in an angular groove that gathers forward momentum. "Elemental Stoppage" does not have as much form and function despite the punkish drums. The vocals are less distorted and more rasped.

 I think industrial music needs more experimentation like this though it's not in the goth spectrum of the genre. Unless you think of some of Pigface's more bizarre moments. "Medieval Soup From the Milk Bar" works with a more solid rock groove as the vocals go crazy and the synths get almost proggy with the Zappa-like accents. This should tell you something if you can reference Frank Zappa when talking about industrial music. "Sycamore" trades groove for a more abrasive weirdness that has hints of Marilyn Manson in the vocals. Though the vocals utter growls more than Manson. "Portable Aquarium' finds them dabbling in a more angular form of post-punk. The anger in this album is muted by some of the zany sonic tricks they employ.

The title track of sorts, has a more punk energy to it. This has driven many of the songs but is most pronounced here. I mean punk is in the DNA of industrial, it is what happens when punks try to play techno. The guitar if it is a guitar sounds more like a distorted bass which might be more accurate. There is a weird dancey vibe to "Celtic Froth", despite the name I did not expect it was going to sound like Celtic Frost, but get the joke. At over five minutes it is the album's longest song. It slows into a heavier section with the synths taking on more of a crunch. It drones on for a bit, but they are once again entering less charted territory. In the last song, they just grind the synths on a groove and chant over a 90s beat. I will give this a 9, they could have kept the weird to the point of even being abrasive but given a little more hook, but it was fun regardless. So little original music this goes down its own path.

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Chelsea Wolfe : "Unbound"

 If She said the versions of these songs found on this EP were how they were originally written, before being re-mixed into what was presented on "She Reaches Out to, She Reaches Out to..." it would make perfect sense as this sounds more like who she is. Not to say the more trip-hop feel of the album she released earlier this year is not also another shade of what she does as an artist, this resonates more to her emotional core. I prefer this version of "Whispers in the Echo Chamber" over what was on the album. I only have to get a few measures into the verse of 'Dusk" and you hear how it bears much more in common with the stuff from an album like "Apokalypsis" regarding how the vocal melody flows.

Her voice sounds even better on "The Liminal". The lyrics hold more weight like this. She is up on the mix belting it out but not forsaking the ghostly quality. Perfect production of the vocals, just the right amount of reverb. In all fairness, I will have to sit down and a/b these versions again the album version, just as the study of an obsessive music freak, but this hits you with all the emotions where the album version is draped in electronic trappings that create a different illusion. It's not a bad one, just different. 

The same can be said of " Place in the Sun" though it is set to a simple piano melody, thus giving it a more Tori Amos, in how she uses her voice more like an instrument. The vocal embellishments are stunning and I would say she is one of the best female vocalists out there today. Similar to some of the veils she has worn in performance, her career and artistic vision are breaking through a shroud she dons herself to create a world where she is not overwhelmed by the bright lights of the stage which are her own internal criticisms, how she sees her self versus how we see her as the audience. She often can not see her own beauty but hopefully, she hears it when listening back to something like this. 

A cover of a Spiritbox song is not what I would expect, but she makes her own. It makes sense after being on the festival circuit that she would cross paths with the band. Like Elvis, Bowie, or Tori Amos, when she covers a song she makes her own., not the first cover I have heard from her but the most complete vision of a song she has reconstructed in this manner.I will give this a 10, it's what it seems like it should have been. Drops November 15th on Lorna Vista . 

3

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Amyl and the Sniffers : "Cartoon Darkness"

 

This is my first time really listening to this Australian punk band. The first song surprises me as they have ample amounts of pop-infected bliss in their songwriting thanks to the attitude of their frontwoman Amy Taylor. The first song rules in the balance of was as she shames someone for jerking off to her. Then two songs later sings about her tiny bikini. "Big Dreams" is more of a grunge-sprinkled ballad. Which helps keep the album from just being a hyperactive overdrive. It shows more color to Taylor's voice. There is also more nuanced rock guitar playing that shows they are decent musicians and not just sloppy punks. 

Then things get explosive like giving sugar to a child on "It's Mine" is another high-energy rocker, but not as clever as the first song which is the bar this album is being measured against. Though they do introduce more guitar tones and jam out a little bit, 'Motorbike Song" is back to a more frantic explosion Though it does have some dynamics to it. "Doing in Me Head" has a more rock n roll feel to it. It almost feels like a '70s Kiss riff.  'Bailing On Me' finds her putting more effort into singing. It feels like a mix between indie rock and 70s garage rock. More guitar solos begin to crop up and while they are nothing to write home about, I appreciate the effort. 

"U Should Not Be Doing That' is the first song that captures where the opening track was going, but it is given more of a rock vibe to work off of. "Do It Do It" blends indie rock with a more AC/DC-like guitar swagger. Not as hooky as the previous song but works for what it is. 'Going Somewhere' also heads in a more rock direction. "Me and the Girls' closes the album in a playfully anthemic fashion. There is a little of the pop thing in it that is what I want to hear more from them, but they like to rock out as well. I will give this a 9 and see how it grows on me. She must have listened to The Spice Girls and the Runaways in equal measure as a kid. 

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Gothtober - DEATH KILLER : "Total Destruction of the Entire Universe"

 Wow, how did this one slip under my radio? Here is the kind of industrial album I was waiting for. It is both pissed and heavy as hell with a fair dose of chaos in its veins. There is a great balance of instrumentation and programming/ electronic elements. It is not industrial music to dance to it is industrial music that is going to kick your face. Not unlike Ministry's "Filth Pig" album in that regard though this is heavier. It blasts at you like a jackhammer, as it sonically fucks your brains out right from the first song. Even then they can create what might be the heaviest industrial album I have ever heard without having to sacrifice songwriting. 

"Good By Wilhelm' is more of an atmospheric electronic-based instrumental. Samples form the main narrative to make it feel more like a song. It shifts through bleak beats.   If AI were to revolt and take over the battle hymn would be "I Hate People". It is the kind of misanthropic energy we need from industrial this year. 'Dentist" does not find anything changing into a ray of sunshine. It is gritty even amid the electronic pattering of drum programming. A fair amount of noise is injected to keep an abrasive ambiance to things. 

"The Witch" features the rasped cackle and croak of female vocals. Not the album's catchiest song, but it grinds its way into a satisfying shadow. ''SNAKES" has a more militant step in its robotic stomp. The vocals are a low mutter that is not unlike something Corey Taylor might do in one of his more brooding moments. The project has self-identified as being influenced by nu-metal and this is the only song I really hear that in play. "Nobody Survives" is more black metal in its attack which works well. "Retro = Shit" might be the most nuanced song, with weird breaks into booty bass beats. The last track is pretty much just an outro of noise. I will round this up to a 10 even with the noise moments as it is an easy album to just leave on and let play. 

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Gothtober -The Importance of Gatekeeping Goth

 The first posting I kick off Gothtober with addresses what "goth" is. In this, we discuss how it is not fashion, but what you are celebrating as fashion is a reflection of the music. Most genres of music have subcultures that reflect this metal, punk, and Hip-hop being two of the most notable,  though the modern EDM scene took rave culture and made it more Tiktok. Social media plays a huge influence in how we express ourselves, creating the illusion you can be whatever you want to be and just try on other cultures like cosplay outfits, why be bound to definitions? 

I am a huge proponent of not being boxed in, as growing up I was too goth for the metal kids and too metal for the goth kids, but I sold drugs so found a place to have a foot in both worlds, as they were expressions of who I was as a person, and aside from being more dedicated to fitness, and not dealing drugs, not much has changed in my embrace of darkness which takes on a natural outward expression and is reflected in what I listen to which has also not changed much since I was 13 as my favorite artist be they goth metal or falling somewhere in between create music with a dark minor key frequency that is the vibration I resonate with. Regular readers could name off bands like the Cure, Type 0 Negative, David Bowie, King Diamond, Ozzy, Watain,. Christian Death, Swans, Kate Bush, Chelsea Wolfe, Converge...al different genres or subgenres that touch on similar themes. 

This is why what "goth' is remains relevant as it is something that can be defined by measurable data, musical keys, chord progression, and sonic signatures., the artists have plenty of wiggle room, the Cure, Bauhaus, Cocteau Twins, Nine Inch Nails, Death In June, Zola Jesus, the Damned, and Nick Cave, all explore various sounds and emotions, not just depression, or a sense romanticized loss, and are all very different from each other but can be categorized by things like elegance, atmosphere, longing, otherworldly, eerie, surreal, tense, to the outright adoration of the macabre and creepy,  but even those things can be captured in different manners  for example let us use film, since it has inspired goth culture

Tim Butron and David Lynch are two directors who create art that resonates with a similar shadow that goth music casts over its dark heart., they do not make horror movies, which I would once we get into the 70s would be more due to the violence of them, but they do capture creepy. In different ways. "Lost Highway' does it in a different manner than "Ed Wood" but at the same party just wearing a different costume. What they are not is twerking while doing shots of Ciroc to Cardi B, that is a different club altogether and you can't get into it with the same wristband band you have to get back to the line and pay that club its own cover. Music has roots and traditions, Americans like to take the looks they can but online to feel cool without having any of the soul to it. 

It also bears saying just because it is from the 80s does not mean it's "goth". I am not saying things have to be only "old guard" and if it is not Siouxsie or Sisters of Mercy it's not goth, I think there needs to be new music from younger artists, and I embrace it,  I will be posting a top 10 Goth Albums of 2024 soon, which has maybe half or more new acts on it. But clube culture diluted the goth scene as the same crowd who went to "goth nite' went to the 80s dance party because they might get to hear 5 songs from goth artists for the night who had hits in the 80s, I am looking at your direction Siouxsie, Peter Murphy, and Mr. Gahan. But Cyndi Lauper does not belong at "Goth Nite" however Oingo Boingo does, even with their almost ska-like sound at times, as Elfman had Halloween running through his veins when he wrote the lyrics. 

 Of course, there are going to be those who want to argue this point to feel relevant in the eyes of younger people and to feel they are keeping up with the narratives of the day.  Few are stupid enough to ask what I know about goth, but some might say something like "Why does your opinion matter" to which I will refer them to you, as you are one of the 1,060,978 readers of this blog not to mention the those who have thought my opinion on the subject mattered to read my work on it n Cvlt Nation,  Treblezine, No Clean Singing or Ghost Cult Magazine, then there is the other outlets I have appeared in like ReGen, Gothic and Amazing, NPR, and more. It's at least paying to keep the lights on and me well supplied in Diet Coke. This is more than anyone can say of these idiots who want to call music whatever they feel at the moment as they have no idea about the bounds of culture and even less how music theory defines them. As Rozz Williams used to say goth is punk for kids who like Halloween, No Halloween, No Punk, No Goth, think we are in agreement then. It's all about the music keep it spooky, thanks for reading, I love you guys \

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