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- Clan of Xymox : "Limbo"

These guys are busting out lots of new music while their fires are still burning.  Last year's "Spider on the Wall" made it onto the top 10 Goth albums of the year list, so lets see how they hold, after having been consistent since their 2017 album. "Brave New World " is more organic and guitar focused, then the second song shifts the mood in a way that makes you feel like you just went from listening to the first song as you parked your car , "Lockdown' is stepping into the club. More darkwave less post punk would be the quick and easy way to call it. With "Big Brother" they have the balls to come out and lyrically write the kind of dystopian songs we have needed.  The lyrical tone remains constant here on the "Great Reset"  but musically goes back to what they were doing on the first song . 

There is almost an industrial beat to "Forgotten" . These guys without a doubt keep their fan base in mind when writing and I can appreciate that.  In terms of vocal melodies this might be the best song so far. They keep the grooves creepy on the title track. The vocals are more of a texture than a focal point. They just kind of follow the drive of the synths. The vocals are more crucial and pretty hooky on "No Way Out". The guitars return as well to kind of form a middle ground between the club throb of some songs and the more post punk tension of the others. 

While I think "In Control" is a good song, it is the first time I have said ...wait this sounds like Gary Numan. Who just crushed it with his new album. These guys are the elders of the goth scene so you do not expect to here such an influence on a artists who has had their own identity for decades. Maybe it was always there, will have to go back and listen to "Medusa". Electronic elements continue to color the album with "the Great Depression" .  It is almost more like a darker Depeche Mode, without Gahan's more controlled croon. This album feels even darker and bleaker than the last which was a more noted step in a goth direction so I am a fan of that. Though it at times focuses more on a sound than the song, which can be the pit fall of the atmosphere many dark wave artists might fall for. 

:the One Percent" finds the band wrapping all the elements I like about this record and putting it into a song.  Rather than running out of steam it seems like they sand bagged the best for the end of the album . "Dystopia" winks at 70s rock with it's beat and then the dance floor driven last song is hard not to move your head to. I will give this album a 9.5 , putting it above , last year's effort. So impressive these guys much like Numan are pumping out some of the best stuff this late in their career and being prolific at it.  

Gothtober - the Top 10 Goth Albums of 2020

It's that time of year again . It might seem early to start this in November , but record labels have pretty much send me most of what this year has to offer already , by the time I am done sorting through the top 10 albums of all the respective genres, I will then compile the top 10 albums of the year. I know many of you are ready for 2020 to be over with. Hate to break it to you but nothing is getting better next year.; As far as 2020 goes for goth there are only two new bands on this years list .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. Sure you can bitch and complain about your favorite band not being on the list. However  I listen to five new albums a day so yes I heard your favorite album and was not impressed. No, I do not care what you think about it. I do hope you can find your next favorite on this list ; and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out audio on these guys. Anyways here are the top 10 goth albums of 2020

10  - Black Needle Noise -"These Mortal Covers" 

 John Fryer one half of This Mortal Coil, released this covers album. Much like with This Mortal Coil, different singers lent their voices . It ranged from an industrial take of Nancy Sinatra's "Bang Bang" to a darker more introspective vision of "What a Wonderful World" .  

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/10/gothtober-black-needle-noise-these.html

 

9-Kanga-" Eternal Daughter"

 At the top of the heap for future pop / dark wave. Her voice exudes sex appeal even when just talking her way through a song. Sure there is lots of stuff that came out this year in this vein , she just did it better . 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/10/gothtober-kanga-eternal-daughter.html

 

8-Cripple Black Phoenix - " "Ellengæst"

 They lost their singer and went in a darker direction. Bringing in singers from bands ranging from Tribulation to Fotocrime. It is progressive only if you mean becoming progressively more depressing , which is a beautiful thing.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/10/gothtober-crippled-black-phoenix.html  

7-Clan of Xymox This darker turn from their 2017 album is much needed. They are now among the top tier with their peers from this era, if there was any doubt.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/10/gothtober-clan-of-xymox-spider-on-wall.html

 

 

 6-Alter de Fey- " And May Love Conquer All" 

 Lots of bands claimed to be death rock and are really just punk with some make up on at best, this band is a legit as it gets. Proof that if you stick to your guns the wheel of trends will spin back around to you. In the same vein of death rock as Christian Death. This is text book death rock. What sets them apart is they did not have to worry about capturing a sound as that came naturally.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/10/gothtober-altar-de-fey-and-may-love.html

5-Rosegarden Funeral Party- "At the Stake"

 Yes, there is a Siouxsie influence, but that is not what defines their sound, nor are they a tribute act pretending to write originals . They have a sound but they also have songs and are not afraid to beef it up a little bit on the rock side.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/06/rosegarden-funeral-party-at-stake.html

 

4-Bestial Mouths- "RESURRECTEDINBLACK" 

 It makes me think of what might happen if Diamanda Galas jammed with Switchblade Symphony. I like that it opens new doors of sound and takes the darkness of this album in another direction, not painting in the same shade of black. A more driving industrial pulse pushes the last song ahead. This works as it is great to hear the dynamic range of this album.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/10/gothtober-bestial-mouths.html

3- Marilyn Manson - We Are Chaos 

This and the two releases that follow could have all taken the number one spot, but how much air time they got factored into edging each other into the respective places these albums fell. This one finds Manson picking up where he left off with "Mechanical Animals" . Glam at time but a less gaudy version than "Dope Show".  This album shine the most when he is out of his comfort zone and following in the steps of March Bolan rather than Trent Reznor. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/09/mariyn-manson-we-are-chaos.html

2-Corlyx< 'Together Apart"

 The duo's first album for Negative Grain finds them making a conscious shift from the more electro industrial stylings of their last album to making a goth album. By goth it leans more toward the post -punk side of the equation on the first song rather than darkwave or death rock. What I like about this is how they are not emulating any one band.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/07/corlyx-together-apart.html 

 

1-Sound VVitch- "Becoming" 

 This project based out of New York blends dark wave and industrial, though not neatly falling into either sub genre. It is too heavy for dark wave and works of slow slithering pounds rather than a neat dance floor ready groove. This album is in the number one spot , because the song have just demanded that I listen to them more than other albums. Not just other goth albums, it competes for air time against all of my favorite artists. When you consider the amount of music ingest this is an even more impressive feat and speaks to the quality of these songs. If you are reading this article you like dark music, so you need to give this a listen . 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/05/sound-vvitch-becoming.html 

Gothtober - Clan of Xymox : "Spider on the Wall"

 I am not sure how I missed this one when it came out back in July, but here we are. The vocals are dreamier than normally. The band blends modern sounds with their more classic sound. The synths are very 90s techno. By the second song what I like about thius album is already appaerent . It is darker than their 2017 album "All I Ever Know" . If you told me the song " Into the Unknown ' was a deep cut from an 80s album, I would believe. This certainly should please the elder goth fan base. I mean do the new crop of goth kids who are not in bands like Bootblacks know who Clan of Xymox is. 59 year old Ronny Moorings is the sole orginal song writer and he is leaning more into the dancey new wave side that would give birth to dark wave. For his age his voice has held up well. I do not think even at their peak these guys were the caliber of musicians the Cure are. Smith was a more powerful and emotive singer than Moorings. But these guys always worked well with what skills they did have. 

The self depricating " I Don't Like Myself" works of a hypnotic drone that drifts away with you by creating a narcotic sonic quality. It is simple in design but one of the album's most effective songs. The title track is darker and wallows in it's misery more, but is also less focused of a song. This sound vs song comes into play even with these veterans. I prefer the darker groove of "When We Were Yong" which is text book goth without imitating anyone. The beat is pretty simple , but everything sits just where it should while sounding just as it should. "Black Mirror" is more relaxed , but true to it's title a litle more futuristic, though not as bleak. The vocals are lowered and more urgent.

"My New Lows" find them digging in the darkness to almost reach a Sisters of Mercy level. Some of this is in part to the lower vocals. Ronny is a good enough singer to be forced to stay down there and offer more than just one vocal color. There is more of a new wave dancey thing going on for the otherwise droning closing song. I will give this album a 9. I really enjoyed it, is it perfect ? No. It is a suitable addition to their discography. If you are a fan you were already on this train back in July and still riding. 

Clan of Xymox : "Days of Black"

Of all the old school dark wave acts Clan of Xymox continues to prove they still have it. The title track that opens the album is just a intro. When they actually kick into things they do so with a smart bass line and  s a pop skip to "Loneliness" that doesn't sound all dark at first. The vocal melody is well thought out and adds just enough darkness to the rest of the song. The synths sound like they could have come from "Disintegration". "Vixen in Disguise" works but is not their best work and would get filed under alright filler. There is more drive to "Leave Me Be" which melts into more of a introspective slink. At 55 Ronny's voice sounds great. In the lower register it still holds rich resonance and slides up into his more emotive whine. He is really what brings life to these songs , though "Leave Me Be" is dark enough to satisfy my goth cravings. "Rain Will Wash Away" is more electronic based, to the point that it feels more like an interlude.

They go into more a traditional dark wave for  "Set You Free". Not dialed in, but nothing new. There is a very emotional and Cure like vibe to "I Couldn't Save You". Reminding me the guitar tones on this album when they crop are are very nice. "What Goes Around" should get the dance floor of any good goth club writhing. The beat is not overbearing, but slinks in just the right way.  There is a more aggressive drive to "I Need to Be Alone".  Not the album's strongest song , but not bad either. The guitar continues to get amped up, this time in a darker more Sisters of Mercy like direction for "Loud and Clear". There is a soft more electronic touch to "Your Kiss" which has drive , but not of the rock variety more synth wave.

I'll round this up to a 8.5 and see how it grows on me. The second half of the album feels a little like they are playing too close to expectations , but what we do expect from them is delivered. They do it better than most of their peers so I am not sure why some songs just connected with me more on the first half and more of the songs later in the album were just kinda "Ok, this works fade into the background" sort of things. Anyway if you are a hard core fan of the band round it up.

Clan of Xymox : "Matters of Mind Body & Soul"

This is the 15th album by the dutch band, who were once pioneers of goth in 1981. Sure plenty of other bands we commonly think of as goth, were already around by that point..the Cure, Siouxsie...but it could be argued their sound has not only stood the test of time , but most goth albums that have carried  strong electronic overtones since the 90's certainly  are following the boot prints Clan of Xymox left behind. On their new album they prove by staying the same the cyclical nature of music will catch up to them.

I can do without the opening intro number that sounds like the Dr. Who theme song remixed for a Halloween special. "She's Falling in Love" is a strong song, the crisp modern production vs the 80's synth feel provide a perfect canvas for Ronny Mooring's vocals. His voice hasn't aged a day, not that he throws it around with the gusto of Peter Murphy, but it works perfectly for what he does. His lower register is explored on " Climate Changed" which is a cold brooding dark wave number, that I warmed up to like the polar caps eluded to in the title.

The album is littered with instrumental interludes, but when they get down to actually writing songs it's clear the majick is still there. Mooring's voice excels at every turn, the more morose "I Close My Eyes' shows how he has influenced every stereotype of goth singing.His voice at times touches on notes up top that remind me a little of the Pet Shop Boys. The guitar sounds on this album play second fiddle in the mix to the synths, but are excellently crafted as well, this album continues to surprise me the more it progresses.

"Hand in Glove" is not the Smiths song, it is instead a very Gary Numan like piece of angular dark-wave.Cold, robotic and futuristic in the way A Clock Work Orange is.Upon initial listens it doesn't strike me the same way the first three songs did. It is not a bad song by any means these guys just raised the bar high for themselves early on so that's what I want maintained. The synths take on a more edm like resonance on "Go Your Own Way" which find them on more of a Pet Shop Boys path, so reporting directly to the dance floor not collecting 200 dollars.

The opening synth melody to "Loves on Diet" reminds me of Tears For Fears, but the song darkens considerably once it kicks in. Mooring balances out the use of his lower register with his more mournful mid range. Despite the strum of acoustic guitar spattered about they move into a more pop inflected side of dark wave on"I'll Let You Go". Nothing is wrong with it, its just a little more upbeat than what I think makes for the albums best vibes, but that's me not Mooring.

The elegance of drama that marks goth flows freely on "Months Ago" whihc still always the band to lean into the more synth pop side that shows through on the second half of this album. The collision of tender ether to the guitars and the increased desperation in Mooring's yearning, creates a a sonic collision not unlike if  My Dying  Bride  mixed with the Cure. Despite the album's in your face synth heavy mix, the guitar tone of "Kiss and Tell' provides a more rock like pulse. This was needed to darken things up.

They fake us out once again as "Chinese Whispers " is not a cover of the Cure song, but an ambient outro pieces, that's mainly sound effects and samples. I'll go ahead and give this album a 9 for now, some of the poppier synth heavy moments won't get as much play from me but they have exceeded my expectations and make me want to delve back into their earlier work again.