Gothtober- The Top 10 Goth Albums of 2025

 

Having already started the End of the Year List season with the Top 10 Post-Punk Albums of 2025, it's time to move in a darker direction with the Top 10 Goth Albums of 2025. 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. 2025. 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 that 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, and you look forward to listening to it again. Perhaps you can find your next favorite on this list, and I 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 2025.

10-Ash Code-"Synthome" 

These guys have returned after 8  years for a very legit stab at darkwave, that carries the creepy elegance other acts lack, along with a backbone of tense driving songs. There are a few different vocal colors in the first two songs along ranging from a higher, more emotive plea to the hushed urgency is a suitable comeback album that the rest of the genre could stand to take notes from.  

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/10/gothtober-ash-code-synthome.html

 

-9-Die Sexual- "Desire" 

This three-song EP comes from this Los Angeles-based duo, who are getting some buzz for their big techno-infused brand of dark wave, though their hyper sexualized branding does not hurt in getting you attention. Rather than trying to recreate a sound from the past. This is also reflected in the production that is modern and larger than life, like it should be pumping in an after-hours club where the latex and cocaine flow in equal proportion. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/07/die-sexual-desire.html

        

8-Bella Eterna -"Fire" 

The project brings Spanish producer JG Outsider together with vocalist Gerd Van Geel of the Belgian band the Arch, to create an interesting take on dark wave that incorporates elements of post punk with the more traditional club beats of the genre. The most shadowy aspect I have encountered in the genre is its less dramatic expression of melancholy. Geel's vocals are not croaking out a vampiric baritone, but his voice carries a vulnerable tremble in his introspective upper register. I like that it is true to the genre without defaulting to the expected tropes.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/10/gothtober-bella-eterna-fire.html

7-Corlyx -"Purple Pain" 

Boldly delivering a double album, they have more than enough songs to showcase their strength of embracing both the past of traditional dark wave and still not shying away from paying tribute to this era, with new sounds, like vibrant synth-wave keyboard lines, and pop-inflected hooks. Overall, her growth as a singer is evident in these songs. She is certainly now in the upper tiers of female vocalists in modern goth. This is an ambitious outpouring of songs that shows their melding of all the varied sub-genres of goth into something familiar without becoming a tribute band, as their own unique vision is the lifeblood of these odes to darkness, in all of its shades and seasons

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/02/corlyx-purple-pain.html

6-IN COVERT- "Bleak Machinery" 

Right from the start, this album is draped in reverb to create a thick atmosphere , blending the rough edges of industrial pulses with death-rock's elegant romance with depression turned outward. It's not the first time we have heard this kind of thing from Los Angeles, but they are good at what they are doing and bringing a more metal-minded aggression to it. The vocals go into an emotive scream rather than the harshness of a hardcore band, and find their way into pulsing beats that could be danced to, though the dense sonics might perplex your average 'goth nite' patron. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/08/in-covert-bleak-machinery.html

5-Peter Murphy - "Silver Shade" 

At 67, Murphy looks older than he sounds.  Some of these songs would not have been out of place on his 89 classic "Deep". It carries the new wave bounce, though not as dark as Bauhaus; it is true to the era. Perhaps he is paying a great deal of service to his fan base, which is wise. His pipes stay fluid even when going up into the wavering vibrato of his upper register. It's impressive that he found his way back to this place and delivered in this manner, way more impressive than Billy Idol's new one. 

 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/05/peter-murphy-silver-shade.html

4-Bootblacks -"Paradise" 

 Brooklyn-based band BOOTBLACKS is dancing in a more dark wave direction with their new album "Paradise", with songs driven by synth pulses. The reverb-slathered guitar sits back in the mix, content haunting the backdrop. Which works for me. This is one of the best albums this year to delve into this intersection of dark-wave and more 80s-aligned dark pop sounds. Their brand of brooding is backlit with neon to showcase another facet of dark music.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/05/bootblacks-paradise.html

3-Altar De Fey- "Under a Waxing Moon" 

. A great deal of credit goes to the passionate lamentations of Jake Hout are the trembling heart of the album, as the guitar weaves the sonic cobwebs for Hout's stellar croon to crawl upon. "They balance the hypnotic elegance that gives death rock its creepy grace with a more post-punk tension.Poseurs who just want to play dress up and dance at the club might not catch onto what is going on here, as there are actual instruments, plugged into drawing from a canvas that celebrates actual darkness and not just the pagentry of it. Their knack for compelling songwriting continues to not only endure but aging like wine with each release, perfecting what they do a little more,

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/09/altar-de-fey-under-waxing-moon.html

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 2-Street Sex - "Full Color Eclipse"

The biggest difference between what they are doing here and as Street Sects, lies in the new wave approach to synths, and there is none of the harsh screaming vocals. I would not say they sound like Depeche Mode, but sonically it's more in the direction of "Music For the Masses" than it is "Too Dark Park". I do like some of the experimentation with how the vocals are produced, and this is heavier than New Wave, due to the emotional intensity that has more in common with "Pretty Hate Machine".

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/08/street-sex-full-color-eclipse.html

1-Heartworms - "Glutton For Punishment"

Why is this album taking the top spot, you ask?  There are organic qualities blended with a chamber-pop sound that brings Dresden Dolls to mind in equal doses as Rasputina .. Helmed by Jojo Orme, this project is mroe organic and capable of rocking out than your average darkwave band, with songs like "Jacked' falling on the more post-punk side of the equation. The guitars are capable of delivering the needed jagged tension. The album spends a great deal of time juggling the more electronic elements against a jangle of guitar that leans left of center into a moodier indie rock. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/10/gothtober-heartworms-glutton-for.html

 

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Gothtober - Ash Code : "Synthome"

 These guys have returned after 8 years for a very legit stab at darkwave, that carries the creepy elegance other acts lack, along with a backbone of tense driving songs. There are a few different vocal colors in the first two songs along ranging from a higher, more emotive plea to the hushed urgency that carries the second song. "Scar" dances around your typical, more synth-centric dark wave middle ground. The vocal trade-off is what helps differentiate them. The song after this one, "Fire," also circles this sound. 

It is not until they step on the gas to get your blood pumping with the faster "Run in the Dark" that the album really finds its pace. This gives their sound more aggression. Dark wave is not as aggressive as industrial, but that does not mean it just has to wander in its own hazy smoke machine. This is the point they prove here and maintain the momentum for " Far Away," which also employs a more intentional vocal, which is a keystone of good songwriting to be able to maneuver the genre tropes to create hooky songs. "Which is one of the pitfalls of the genre avoided by not settling on the vocals jsut being a texture.

There is a dance floor grinding pulse for "Nostalgia," though the synth reliance finds them basking in a more expected atmosphere, but they are saved by the more impassioned vocals that are more Robert Smith in their pout. Post-punk and dark wave bands take note: use different vocal colors over the course of your album, or it gets boring. These kinds of beats tend to drone, but the vocal dynamics kept my attention. The vocals shift to a more declarative narrative for " Dancing to the Noise". I am not asking bands to have a Jaz Coleman, just to keep switching it up and keep it interesting, whcih these guys are doing. The guitar that is present tends to do similar things, so this is another area where they could employ more dynamics. They also have never sounded like they are from Italy to me, but here we are. 

"Living For the Sound" finds them drifting back into more familiar territory. There is a more noirish reverb to the guitar runs through " Angel Oscuro."The whispered vocals get the job done, but don't add a great deal of personality. There is a darker creep to "Choke" that makes it one of the album's better, more brooding songs while not holding back its sense of motion. Despite being darker, "Stars" falls into the more run-of-the-mill brand of dark wave. The vocal on the chorus is the only thing breaking it up. The last song works for what it is, but it is not as exciting or dynamic as what we have already heard from these guys. I will give this album a 9. It is a suitable comeback album that the rest of the genre could stand to take notes from.  

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Gothtober- Kill Shelter : "Asylum"

 

Wow this album came out back in July, not sure how I missed it. While a newcomer, even a jaded gatekeeper is proud to swing open the doors to the haunted halls a announce this guy is legit. One important element in place is richly nuanced vocals. This can be heard on the second song where they step away from the tension of the opening track to give things room for the Autumn breeze blow.  Is this like a spookier minded Depeche Mode? Yes, which works for me.

 Valentina Veil contributes vocals to "Queen of Hearts".  This keeps things varied and covers yet another angle of the dark wave sound. "Buried Deep" has a darker almost industrial grit to its cyber grind on the dance floor. There is more organically diving tempo to "the Necklace". The momentum is carried further in the collaboration with Ash Code, as the vocals get more despondent and the guitar rings about in a more tearful tension.   

Thought it continues to grow on me I am surprised it is the collaboration with Clan of Xymox's Ronny Mooring would be the one that feels the most like just dialed in color by numbers dark wave. It is very well produced and effective so hard for me to fault it for that. Perhaps working with someone as legendary as Ronny, made him play it safe. Anyways I will give this album a 10 and see how it grows on me. It belongs on Metropolis as this feels like a fitting passing of the torch to leave it in the hands of Pete Burns who should change his name to Peter Shelter in under to uphold his responsibility. 

Gothtober-Ash Code : " Oblivion"

Having already reviewed "Perspektive" earlier this year we shall see if this album does much more for me. Production value was the main hindrance to their previous album. It's marginally better going into the first song here. "Dry Your Eyes" finds more attention to details when it comes to the vocals. The drum programming on this song is not as powerful as the opener. There is a more robotic tone to the vocals that works better and with the production problems. I can hear some similarities between these guys and She Wants Revenge. These guys are more hipster than She Wants Revenge. The motion to Crucified makes up for a lot . The song locks into a drone in a much more detached fashion.

"Empty Room" has a tense post punk bass line set against the more cavernous reverb of the song and its more machine like chant. The bass line to drama is clearly a synth pattern. There may or may not be guitar it gets hard tell what is what at this point, but I think when it comes to this project it is safe to assume most things are not organic. Female vocals help switch things up though they stick to the more spoken than sung Ian Curtis like narrative. There is a marginally more frantic under current to the darker "Want",

I am not going to include the remixes for the sake of this review, while I am all for taking another look at songs in this manner I feel here we are just looking at the original interpretation of these songs and they are bonus tracks. The last song is gloomy, it is also kinda boring as the vocals continue to be more spoken than not. I'll round this down to a 7.5 , which seems to be consistent with their previous album, though it was the redundant vocals that bored me and not the production this time around.

Ash Code : 'Perspektive

Stark Euro brand of dark wave, has the needed amount of melodic layers to hold my interest and come across as something more than just 80s sounding dark synths dressed up for Halloween.
The vocals are somewhat Love & Rockets on "Icy Cold", there is not a wild variation from the first song in terms of their dynamic range. Their sound is still working, but I am hoping they switch things up enough on the third song to prove to me they are not just a one trick pony. The tense guitar line does make "Betrayed" come across more like post-punk than dark wave. The vocals are more spoken on "Flesh and Words". The song follows a  more typical German goth path. There is a little more of  dynamic range on this song. "Disease" has a darker touch to it that breaks things up slightly. They continue to lean into darker territory on the title track."If You Were Here" keeps things in the shadows as well, but with more of a poppy bounce.

Female vocals take over on "Rivers". It's not their fault that the song falls flat , the electronic drums are stiff and the bass is nowhere to be heard. "Black Gloves" has the synths working for them rather than against and they create more of a driving sound. The bass finally steps up and into the picture making this mix what the rest of the album needed. The female vocals create a more detached narrative, but it works for the song, though not making this the most memorable moment. The album closes on a more cinematic note which doesnt blow me away , but is not half bad either.

This album's main problem is the production. It doesn't do the drum programming any favors. While being stiff is part of the cold appeal to projects like this I think it could be done in a many that does the songs more favors since at the end of the day that is what matters. I'll give this album a 7.5. It's decent if you are into this sort of thing, and if you are a fan it's certainly a must, but not something I I feel the need to own, though it entertained me when I listened to it. So there if you  ever wondering what a 7.5 means in my book there you go.