Dance With the Dead : "Molombra:

 

2022's Drive to  Madness scored a 9, which found this project holding fast in the upper tier of the synthwave genre, evne though they do not have the more mainstream aspirations as acts like Gunship. They are paying attention to the kind of aggression Perturbator channels into their synths, as it has a very riff-oriented feel. The variations of this sort of thing are becoming a formula, and it feels like this form of instrumental music is going to have a hard time refreshing album after album without expanding the songwriting approach. Here they are changing the shade by a few degrees here and there with synth melodies nad accents, but not a huge dynamic shift. 

This is why by the time it rolls around to 'Chao Theory," only three songs in everything are beginning to sound the same. They do take a shift from them by going in a heavier rock direction for the syncopated groove of "The Burial".They seem to alternate between bouncier upbeat songs that sound like they could be on the soundtrack to a modern anime vs the more aggressive riff-oriented songs where the synths are emulating what a guitar would be doing.  'Ghost Party" is more melodic and feels like an 80s anthem. 

The last three songs kind of run together, sometimes taking on more drive, but largely working within the framw work that we are now familiar with, not just when it comes to these guys but the genre as a whole. When you leave this album just playing in the background, it runs together. While some songs are more defined. It certainly maintains the sound that you might be into if you are already a fan of this projet as it delivers what they do, but in a manner that maintains that rather than allows it to grow. For that reason, I will round this down to an 8.5, meaning it is well done and better than most, just nothing new

9.4

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Mortiis : "Ghosts of Europa"

 Havard has been taking notes from Ulver in regards to the more synth wave direction he is heading in. Not what you expect from someone dressed up like a goblin. Its not like anyone is still bitter about the fact he is no longer making black metal as that ship sailed decades ago. The transition to this makes sense even with the vocoder autotuning the vocals. It was not that long ago he was making darkwave, and doing a pretty decent job of it, I felt like the goth scene was a good fit for him. So the electronic thing is not the problem , what is a marginal issue is it's not that dark, though thick on the atmosphere.

Maybe he wants to start making soundtracks for A24 movies , as that is the vibe we are getting from "Return to the Old Fields" The song takes more form in the final minutes but drifts more often than not. "The Faith That Fades Away"  has a sparse ritualistic beat , and the layers of vocals are pretty cool, it does finds things moving in a somewhat more brooding direction which I approve of but could use more of a bass line to give it a backbone. If it was not for the vocal arrangements it would fall on the side of being more focused on a sound than songwriting. 

There is more of a solid groove to "Violent Silence". The vocals are more androgynous than what you expect from this project, making me think of the Pet Shop Boys. I like the future pop leanings that flow through the song. "Transcending Morpheus" is atmospheric in almost a more Dead Can Dance direction. There is a little dynamic ebb and flow but not enough to hook you in .Not even the robotic vocals can make it more potent. Four and a half minutes in there is more of a groove, but it can't gain momentum by then    

It's odd that a song called "Tundra Heart of Hell" would sound like old Depeche Mode.  There is more of a 90s new age feel to "Tribes of Dystopia" but the vocals anchors it. The last song works well enough , it's a little darker vocally. He puts more guts into his delivery to create more dynamics. I will give this album a 9, once I warmed up to and got use to the change it grew on me. It comes out June 26th thanks to Prophecy Productions. 

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Lights : "A6EXTENDED"

 Canadian pop songwriter Lights released an extended version of her "A6" album with 8 new songs, which is a whole ass album, so those are the songs I am going to cover for this review. It opens with the vibrant bounce of "Education". Her lilting vocals soar over the choruses, where she sings the verses more in her alto register. It works well for what it is, putting her on the tier of songwriters like Halsey and Billie Eilish who are not on Taylor Swift's level. Lead single "Come Get Your Girl" does show she is capable of punching above her weight class as it's a banger that rivals even that top tier I jsut spoke of. 

There is a weird element in play that feels like a weird element of the industry's Lolita fixation, where we have a 38 year old woman sounding like a teenager. She has some effects on her voice, but the singsong qualities possess a sexualized innocence, for better or worse, but the song works. "The City is Falling" has some Cure influence in the single-note guitar melodies as it cruises along an 80s synth-wave groove. There is a more introspective emotion on" This Time TMRW". Similar sounds are employed as in the previous song.

"Learning to Let Go" carries some of the album's msot perfected grooves with an airtight vocal line gliding between the cracks. "Final Round" relaxes into a smoother 80s chill vibe that sounds like Miami after midnight. "Angelina" is a dramatic breakup ballad. I'll round this up to a 10 as there is only one song that needs to grow, and some songs that go above and beyond enough to tip the balance into top-tier pop excellence. She takes what artists like Halsey do and does it better. 

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Mega Drive : "Gray Town"

 

This is the "Silent Hill" themed album from this project that carries things into a darker ambient place that is often more melodic than the places you were taken on the more neon-lit album "Machines." The feel is less embedded in the retro 80s synth sounds, though those are a mild undercurrent to the album's opening track. I think what plays into this album's favor is the fact that the lo-fi nature of what is being painted here does not force them to try an emulate a production style that is out of their grasp, budget-wise, and plays to their strengths in capturing moods. Though some of these, like the second track, are more like ambient interludes. This carries over into the two tracks that follow. 

It is not until the title track that things become more song-centric and less like a soundtrack. Here, the wonky drum sounds that plagued the album are given a filter of effects and work better. It begins to seem the previous album was more song-focused, as the layered piano melodies offer a flowing ambiance as a texture; there is little in the way of dynamics, leaving things to ride more of a drone. "Seeping Thru" has more of a trip-hop feel, but does not really go anywhere. "Tender Hearts Club" takes this vibe to a more ethereal place. 

This begins to run together as I start to listen to moments that stand out and aren ot just ambient interludes. Delicate synth melodies are floating over things, but nothing that has the backbone of a song like the album before this one. "Lisa Promise" sounds like if there was smooth jazz in the Blade Runner soundtrack. For the tracks under two minutes, a grindcore band could have certainly squeezed a song in that time frame. Lots of ideas, not much in terms of songs. "Home Movies' is certainly a cool sound that could have been elaborated on. "InGrave" seems to have more intentions of being a song, though a very ambient one, yet the beat is more solid and sounds better than the last album. I will give this one a 7.5 as I like the moods.

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Mega Drive : "Machine"

 

This is a newer project in the synth wave corner of the musical universe, which is still flourishing, though more underground now. Perhaps this does not have the pristine production of Gunship or Carpenter Brut, but those acts have had more time to hone their craft, and this guy is cranking out a couple of albums a year that are all very thematic with video game and dystopian sci-fi themes. His other album, "Gray Town," was released a few weeks ago, and I'll review it later. felt like it was darker, but this one certainly holds more of the neon-drenched '80s feel you are looking for when it comes to this sort of thing. 

My only complaints two songs in are production-based, as some of the bass sounds and synths are not as dense as I like them, so not sure if it is a creative choice or just how this sort of thing came out. If you told me this album was AI-conceived, I might also believe you. Though for electronic music, that sounds like where things would likely head. They demonstrate their ability to produce bigger sounds on "Destroyer." It's about as dynamic as you can ask this sort of instrumental venture to be while keeping the groove. "LK Avalon Unit" is not as focused, and the more subdued beat is not as strong, though I appreciate the atmosphere they are going for. 

"Returner x" finds the pace picking up, but some of the drums sound like bubble wrap being popped. "Camouflage Tears" is more of an '80s pop homage, but it captures those sounds well. After this, the compositions begin to take on a more uniform feel and start running together. "Apones' Intention" does stand out by merit of the layers of sound that increase its intensity. The production on the drum sounds is consistent, with the tone one being even more distracting, though this project is impressive when it comes to their ambitions. When you stack it against more seasoned acts, there is a learning curve. so for this reason, I am giving this album an 8.5, which is still very impressive, and shows songwriting wins out over sound alone.

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Gothtober - DESIRE : "Games People Play"

 

This Canadian duo is getting a bit of a buzz as being goth, and I am not hearing it in the first few songs, though they are implementing goth adjacent genres like synth wave into what they do. There is a lo-fi vibe that does not match the budget of their videos. Vocally, the detached vocals are kind of boring, making it sound like a French pop version of Lana Del Rey. The title track was the first song I heard from these guys, and I waited the entire song for it to go somewhere. Which seems to be their thing, as "Darkside" which opens the album, does not really go anywhere either. 

"Dangerous Drug" has more of a groove. There is a little more effort in the singing. The problem with this being called dark wave is that it is jsut not dark. Maybe darker than Chappell Roan, but that is not saying much. They lean into more of the disco side, and then there is a little girl narrating the song. "Human Nature: finds elements of witchhouse like pop music being set against the more synth wave influence pop. Vocally, it shows the most promise, but there is nothing dark wave about it. 

I think a great deal lies in the rep of Johnny Jewel from Chromatics and Glass Candy, who is the obvious creative force behind this project. "Dream Girl" is like 80s house music. Synths are the heartbeat of "Sometimes". Retro hipster disco wave would be a more fitting sub-genre. "Vampire" is put together better, though not her best vocal performance; in fact, it's quite boring. To be about vampires, it is not dark enough.  "The Judge" feels like it was written by AI. The '80s bootyshaking feel is the best thing about it."Drama Queen" finds the mood heading in the right direction, because she is pretty hot so they need to really pour the sex on if they are going to sell this. 

"Love Races On" bounces along the more upbeat side of synth wave with her typical detached indie pop vocal approach. "Cold as Ice" is a little less focused and wanders in its own ambiance, lacking a clear groove. The French sung "Reflexion" meanders in its ambiance and never locks in. They cover Taylor Dane's "Tell It To My Heart" and dial back the intensity. The video for I Know might have swayed me in favor of the song, making me think it was one of the album's breast pieces. "Love Theme" is almsot an interlude as it floats in its ambiance with no clear direction. 

They get a little darker for "Demons in the Rain," though it could use a beat to give it more motion, as it also hovers over its own shadow. "Othello" proves how important a good beat is when it comes to the songs having more of a backbone, even if it was just an interlude.  "Love On the Air" makes a little more effort in this regard. I will give this album an 8, it works for what it is, and I think if it got sex'ed up rather than the depressed indifference, the vibes would click, definitely not a dark wave album.

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Arcadea : "the Exodus of Gravity'

 2017  was the last Arcadea album; the lineup still finds Brann Dailor at the core, handling the drums and vocals, along with Core Atoms on the synths and Mastodon's current touring keyboardist adding even more synths. There is less of a synth wave feel this time around. His drumming is more aggressive. He piles on layers of vocal overdubs to try things he does not normally explore with his day job. The title track would feel more like current-day Mastodon if the synths were replaced by guitars. "Fuzzy Planet' is the lead single and the best of the first three songs, as it takes things in a more new wave Gary Numan direction, while applying some funky grooves. This sets the project apart as a more distinct entity. 

"Lake of Rust" has more drive in its stomping without wanting to look back in the direction of his other band, Brann's vocals have a little more of a rock feel to them. "Gilded Eye" gets a little too weird for its own good, and while this works out in the end as the jam they wander off into captures the prog feel they are going for on this album, the hooks at not as laser-focused. Dailor's drumming is what you want from yet, while showing more restraint than the bombastic performances he is known for. "2 Shells" has more of a groove while toying with space-age sounds. His vocals ride the beat. So far, the heavier groovin' "Galactic Lighthouse" is my favorite song. Though it's clear his day job has influenced the way he hears melodies in his head. 

"Starry Messenger" finds the lamb finally lying down on Broadway and Dailor getting to indulge in the kind of full-on prog that he listens to in his spare time. The main focus becomes the drums racing alongside the synths as the vocals provide an accompanying, coasting ambiance. I do like the magnitude of weirdness that unfolds on this one. What is more prog than keyboard solos? They hit a better stride as songwriters on 'Silent Spores' to find that place prog bands hit in the 80s when they collided with new wave. They do go on the weird side, but it is well-balanced here. 

They indulge their prog side in a more energetic yet grandiose fashion, his drumming speed off to chase the comet at the core of this song."Sparks" is another weird one, so much., They shift the way they mixed this one to fuck with your ears. It finds them in the tug of war I often lament over where bands have to decide between making cool sounds are writing cool songs, and they find a decent compromise more often than not.  The last song, "Planet Pounder,"  goes off into a neon hyperspace. His voice locks into a contemplative croon. It is marginally darker, though, as a general rule this album is more like the sonic equivalent of an Adult Swim cartoon, and not brooding. I will give this one a 9 and see how it grows on me, but I think they made the album they set out to make. If you want something weirder and more grooving than the Masto Dudes this is for you. 

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PALINDRONES : "'Chapter 2: The Slender Blade"

This morning I perused the line-ups of this year's " goth festivals," and while I can understand the old school headliners like Frontline Assembly, what I do not get is the younger artists they book who do not have current albums they are touring in support of. It seems like a waste when other artists could use the exposure and are working harder to grind away at their songwriting craft. One of these would be that this  British duo is crafting some emotive electro pop with call and response vocal lines that recall some of the more moody moments in 80s pop. The first song is a banger, so that sets expectations high for the remainder of the album. 

Where the first song flirted more with new wave. The songs that follow are more like atmospheric techno. The female vocals become more of the dominant narrative of the songs.  She shifts through a range of emotions in her presentation, so this works. "The Dark Forest" is more of a synth interlude that blankets you in immersive ambiance. It's counterpoint "the Light Forest". It is more of a grooving synth wave pop hybrid.  It grooves in a manner that brings Underworld to mind with more of a pulse than a black rocking beat. 

"Suli Nan Diathan" is a swathe of synth ambiance that is ghostly and minimal.   It materializes into an actual song around the two-minute mark. There is some dynamic ebb and flow, but it feels more like an interlude to me. "Animus" uses more of a vocal interplay that offers a similar dynamic to what they did on the opening track. The beat is possessed by a little more drive here. "Resonance Factor" closes the album. It goes back into more of an atmospheric techno mode of songwriting with the vocals taking on a brighter tone. I will give this album a 9.5, as I enjoyed it , would not call this darkwave, but it recalls the electronic acts of the 90s who are adjacent enough to keep my interest.Much more song focused than the festival brand of EDM.  

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SAINT VENGEUR : "Sex and Repression in Higher Society"

 This Polish project is churning out some interesting sounds. This album opens with a darker industrial menace before things shift into a more neon-washed synth wave sound. The piano melodies keep things from being heavy. The sparse vocals are mixed back into the churning wall of synths. The second song "Farewell at Dawn" is the middle-of-the-road synth that relies more upon ambiance. While there are still dynamics in play they do not hook you in and it feels more like background music. After a second listen I discern vocals that are buried in the mix

 "Menarche" has more groove and songwriting invested in it to make it a more effective sonic investment. "Poor Homme" simmers in its 80s-soaked luster. Right now the sound is winning in the sound vs songs debate, but it's being done in a way that works for my ears. It is not until "Immaculata" that this finds songs beginning to sound the same even with the vocals becoming more pronounced. "Symphony of the Night" does not find the synths doing anything that is much more symphonic than what they have already been doing. 

"Affection Paradigm" has a beat that pushes it over the edge into greatness to make it one of the album's more memorable songs. The last song however just sounds like a recap of what the rest of the album has already delivered. This feels a little more gothy than Perturbator, but it does not hit as hard, as the synth lines are less riff and more about the atmosphere, however, if you are into synth-wave it's worth your time. I'll give it an 8.5, it drops on I, Voidhanger Records February 28th. 

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Soft Vein : "Through Blinds"

 

The first entry in the goth revival for the year comes from this synth-heavy project that grooves out with some atmospheric cold wave. It respects the 80s while falling somewhere in the Sonic zip code between TR/ST and Boy Harsher. The vocals are slightly more refined than those acts, with a smoother croon sliding out from a murky mix as if the vocals are being uttered from the depths of the smoke machine. It's hooky and melodic, pointing to the fact that Justin Chamberlin cares about writing songs and not just making sounds hungry for nostalgia. 

Sometimes the vocals are more of a texture. This leads to a song like "God Whispers" being more of a synth wave backdrop to a cinematic pulse invoking sci-fi soundtracks from the 80s. The drum machines used on this album lend more weight to this. You can hear something like this moving the dance floors late in the evening at your local goth night. "Gray Space" is not as dark, but finds the groove gaining more momentum. The vocals are a more detached narrative and just ride the beat. This is far from the most original take on the genre but works well for what he is doing. 

"Soft Devotion" is more of a ballad though coming from a Clan of Xymox place, than a Depeche Mode-like yearning you might expect.  "Falling" is a little darker, but works of a similar 80's 80-minded groove as what we heard on the first few songs. The vocals are breathed through the murky filter of effects to give them more brooding. This dials back their melodic emphasis. "Oblivion" finds the mix more opaque, to create a stylistic haze over the song. If the vocals provided more melody to latch onto her it might work better. "Black Bag" has more of a synth wave throb, and the vocals are a steamy mutter from the shadows. The way the vocals are used as a texture is more effective on "Wasting Days", though the arrangement of the song works on a vague neon drone. Dynamically it's one-dimensional, but the sound vs song formula plays in their favor here,. 

"Dreaming" closes the album in a similar manner of atmosphere that they first introduced with "Soft Devotion" It's close to being a ballad, but surreal instead of poppy. I'll give this album an 8.5, putting it ahead of your average dark wave band, though it would be more accurate to call them a dark synth wave project. If you like synth wave but are trying to get into goth this serves as a decent entry point before moving onto Depeche Mode and Clan of Xymox. 

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pst5

Gothtober- HARSH R : "I Won't Wait"

 

When it comes to industrial music, this year has been slim pickings, so I am taking whatever I can get as long as they still are about to fit in the definition of the genre, This project combines interesting elements. There is a synth wave ambiance, against angry vocals shooting in a more grooving cadence that has more in common with industrial music.  It works for the first song if every song on this EP is more of the same then I would be disappointed, but let's give it a shot.

 I can tell going into the second song that the vocals might be the most limiting element of what is going down here. They are mixed further back but the same shout is being employed. The synths are not grooving the same way as they did in the first song either. "Enough" works more off the ambiance with the vocals as a textured afterthought as his chant sits even further back in the mix this time. 

"Bury ME" works off a darker pulse. I like that the vocals are finally a little different. This guy is not the best singer, but at least he is making some effort to use his voice more like an instrument on this one. The instrumentation takes on a more neon-coated 80s feel. He self-identifies this project as synth doom, and I am not hearing anything doom, so that is wishful thinking on his part. This works for what it is and I think he is onto something here, I will give this album an 8. If you want an aggressive synth wave al um this is for you. 

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TR/ST : "Performance"

 

Now 14 years into the inception of this project, TR/ST is releasing its 5th full length on Dias Records. The second song grooves more than the first, which given the opaque nature of Alfron's vocal approach, it's crucial to hook you into the song. He has managed to become a staple in the rotation of most "goth" DJs who are open to playing music outside the tired Front 242 fixtures. Though I am not sure I would; consider this particular album goth. It moves under the hazy neon of 80s-infused synths. At times there is more in common with the Pet Shop Boys or Bronski Beat than the Sisters of Mercy.  To his credit songwriting is more finely tuned than some of the previous efforts which can be heard in the melodic nuance of "All at Once"

He falls back into some of his more murky musings on "The Shore", which might still work as the background throb for a dance floor, but it's more about capturing a sound than being a song you return to. Though not a deal breaker in this regard. There is a lighter ambiance to contrast with some of the similar moods delved into in "Boys of LA".  His vocals retain the same unique murmur that helps define his brand. Without this, it would place him more solidly alongside the Pet Shop Boys. This brings up an interesting point regarding how all things 80s New Wave get lumped in with goth, how many artists creep into goth music sets because they came out in the same era. So these sounds are thus embraced by younger artists, and woven into the fabric of what Tiktok goth thinks is acceptable. Screams of gatekeeping which amount to nothing more than spoiled brats wanting things to be however they want ensue and here we are with the goth scene in the state it is, but we will get to that next month. These just happen to be the thoughts this album inspires. 

"Clowned" is just lost in its own ambiance and does not really go anywhere, but "Dark Day" works well and benefits from an effective vocal hook. It's hard not to bob your head to it. The title track meanders around the same sonic themes this project has begun to recycle, which the direction the album was heading in is for all the songs to sound the same thanks to the limited dynamic range, forcing Alfrons to make the most of his beats and emerge from his reverbed mumbles to form more cohesive thoughts. He opts to dive deeper into the dense atmosphere and hide within sounds as the album closes on "Warp". So if you like what he does this album does not stray from that or bring any unexpected surprises into the production has polished those, so I will give this an 8.5.

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Kontravoid : "Detachment"

 To be a clique for non-conformists, it takes a great deal of conformity to break big as an artist in the goth scene.  This is coming from someone who has been called one of the gatekeepers of the scene. I don't see such a label as negative. Though I think this artist already had all the elements in play that were needed to be admitted, this album feels like it is an almost overcompensating step forward, and too mindful of what DJs at Goth clubs would want to play. I do not think the point of goth should be what is good to dance so, just a "goth nite" can be little more than a fashion show where the music adheres too slavishly to the same two dozen bands and the bands who want to sound like them. 

This conclusion comes after weighing the direction of this album against what this project has previously done. This finds some of the industrial elements sacrificed to make things more dancey. Nuovo Testemento singer Chelsey Crowley lends her voice to the song "Losing Game" and it works really well, even if they worship the 80s heavily here, with a more new wave feel. The songs are pretty good so in some respects it is hard to complain, but it makes me wonder why have things not always sounded like this and listen for the more familiar elements. It is driving and bound to cause booty shaking which are the lowest common denominator elements firing off most effectively. 

Synth wave, EBM, and dark wave are all genre labels depending on what song you are hearing, and what part of the said song you are hearing. "Death Shot" highlights the fact his vocals are the weak spot for this project. By the time we get to "Sin Walker" the songs are beginning to follow more of a formula that begins to make them sound the same. "How It Ends" might be propelled by a more rapid-fire bpm, but sonically is not too far removed from the previous songs. This is a trend that does not change. So with that in mind, I will give this album an 8, if you are looking for something synth-driven and dancey for your weekend cocaine excursions then this is the album for you. Out on Artoffact Records.

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Gunship : "Unicorn"

The 80's worshiping synth wave band continues to grow as songwriters on their third album. Once again there are plenty of guests helping out. Not all of these contributions are highlighted, though rather than writing to play to the strengths of the guest spots the electro trio is just focused on writing hooky songs which works just as well. The opening track "Monster in Paradise" took multiple listens in order to hear what Dave Lombardo was doing on it. Wargasm's Milkie Way is easier to hear as her vocals take a more prominent role. Tim Cappello of Lost Boys fame gets his solo, but Dave's drumming is harder to make out amid the programmed drums and might be limited to accents here and there. 

Lights joining them for "Empress of the Damned" pretty much conforms to the standards of today's pop music while draping it in more 80's sounds. "Tech Noir 2" which features John Carpenter, is pretty typical of what these guys do. The vocal lines are more refined than the project's previous albums. Gavin Rossdale and Carpenter Brut make an appearance on "DooM Dance". Rossdale's vocals take the refrain of the chorus. It works off a pretty steamy groove that might have more of an overt thump to it than what they have done on previous albums. The distinctly androgynous croons of Jake Duzsik from HEALTH coast gracefully over the verse to "Blood For the Blood God".  

"Weaponized Love" also finds the vocals dialed into sharper hooks. "Ghost" which finds them collaborating with Powerglove, does not find the video game-inspired sounds Powerglove normally uses in play but things go in a little darker direction . "Darkness For Dreams" finds them flirting with dark wave, though leaning more heavily in the sound they cultivated on the first two albums. Britta Philips who was the voice for the  Jem & the Holograms lends her pipes to the aptly named "    Holographic Heart". It's relevant enough to appeal to the TikTok pop kids, while still paying homage to the era that inspires these guys. 

"Nuclear Date Night" leans into a more dance floor-heavy groove. The vocals take on a more breathy tension. "Run Like Hell" is the first song that does not really feel as inspired as the others. While the vocals are produced just as effectively as those found on the rest of the album, there is a slightly dialed-in feeling to it. "Lost Shadow" also feels like the air is seeping from the ties of inspiration, the guitar line being the best thing about the song. Not to say everything else is flawed, it just does not have the neon fire that sparked earlier in the album. They take their collection of all the right sounds and dig from it to paste together than last song which is more of a ballad.  Does it hold up to the kind of ballads Peter Gabriel made that inspired this 80s bandwagon, no, but it works well enough for what they are doing. I will give this one a 9.5, as see how it grows on me, I think they have perfected what they do in a manner that now has it ready for a larger audience

Gothtober : Ayria : 'This is My Battle Cry"

 The opener thump is pretty on point for what this artist does. She fuses future pop with dark wave, it has been a minute since I have given any of her work a listen as despite the goth trappings, she is pretty sugary sweet. "Stranger Danger" owes more to Madonna than other dark wave artists. There is a marginally darker pulse to "Why Aren't You Dead Yet" where she ponders what things might be like if she could get away with murder. The 89s runs deep in the synth riffs. The darker steaminess simmers to maximum effectiveness for her, on "Irreplaceable". The melody works much better to slither around the synth grooves. 

"Erase Me from You" is the first song that feels like filler. More formula than feeling, despite the personal lyrics.  "We Can't Love Here Anymore" works where the previous song did not. Alot of the weight falls on Jennifer Pankin and what she decides to do with her voice. I am fine with this sounding more like Lords of Acid on " No One Asked You" . It's got some pretty dope strip club booty bass in it. The Tik Tok kids should be twerking to this in no time. It's stupid fun, but well done and might be the album's best song. The vocals are more refined on "the Next Time" but the synths backing her are less inspired. 

There is a more of a new wave feel to "Too Much Noise". The sounds are better than previous song, but the vocals do not fit as airtight with the hooks. The verses are almost rapped.  The retro 89s beat to the last song works really well, though it becomes another sound vs song battle, the hook does not feel as sharp as what she has shown us she is capable of earlier on this album. I will give this one a 9, despite owing a huge debt to the 80s I think it works better than most of what is on the radio these days,   

Master Boot Record : "Personal Computer"

 The album starts as expected things do not go into a more aggressive and experimental direction for Victor Love until the second song. When it come to the frequencies being manipulated in order to create this sort of thing who is to tell how much manipulation is and how much is shredding. The second song does work int a more glitched out sound at times. "80286" is more punishing in the sounds it hits you with a kind of finds the balance between the retro synth thing and a thrashing attack. I would not call this metal, but it is synth wave for metal heads without a doubt and pretty progressive in the arrangements. The song that comes after it has more ebb and flow though the more synth wave sounds that begin to blur everything together at this point and make me feel like I am listening to one long song. It is not until the lower more blown out sounding synths that this is broken up with heavy. 

There are some moments where he falls into a trap not unlike a band such a Dragonforce falls into to where the shredding speed sounds almost too happy, like Europe that is being played twice as fast. This is not heavy. There is a heavier riff that is evolves into but the rule here is " cool riffs alone does not a good song make". "80486" falls back into the more foot on the monitor rocking at you guns blazing that we have herd this album fall into already. The heavy moments begin to all fall at the end of the song making it feel a little formulaic. I do like the more head banging attack of the song that follows it. It might be the best song on the album. Their is more weight and less notes.  It took seven songs for me to get lost and wonder where in the album I was which is better than most projects doing this sort of thing,

Things get bright and epic, and I begin to check out. The formula shifts and the more interesting darker side begins coming out in the middle of the song though all the shredding is high on the treble end which plays into the brighter sound. The dynamics shift up a little ass the sounds change to a more harpsicord like piece. I will give this album an 8, it's a good at what it does, if you like what it does , very effective, more sound than song when the shredding comes. It drops May 13th on Metal Blade.         

Carpenter Brut : "Leather Terror"

 The French synth wave project comes perhaps their closest yet to making a rock album with the more aggressive percussion leading into the album. One thing that makes this album stand out are the guest vocal appearances. The first is from Gunship an artist not far removed from what this project already does so it sounds like an extension of their natural direction though the vocal melody gives this a more accessible feel, connecting modern songwriting with retro sounds. Fromer Dillinger Escape Plan singer Greg Puciato,  handles the vocals for "Imaginary Firer". It might seem like an odd pairing if you are unfamiliar with his solo work, which does fall along the lines of a surreal retrofitted new wave sound similar to this. His voice flows very well with what they are doing here.    

Ulver is my favorite guest artist when it comes to their work apart from this. But here the ballad kind of falls little flat and I was hoping for more. I was not expecting anything from their black metal past, but more along the lines of their last album. Where "Day Stalker" sounds like this band is just clocking in for business as usual, "Night Prowler" is a more driven song that reminds me a little of Lords of Acid's first album. French singer Persha helps them to create a very authentic 80s feel that works well for what they7 are going for here. This could be the theme song to an 80s sci-fi movie.  Granted a very cheesy one, "Color Me Blood" kinda of feels like they are going to the well too many times as this worked on "Night Prowler " but more of the same falls flat.  

Sylvaine's voice works well with what they are doing on "Stabat Mate". When more electronic elements begin to pervade it works well as it brings her into their world and out of her comfort zone. This carries over into the following song. This finds them with a groove that plays more to the project's strengths without being redundant. Jonka from Tribulation joins them on the last song and adda a snarl to the proceedings. I think they should have produced his voice a little differently to blend it better, as this should be my favorite song but is not. I will give this album a 9 overall it is a great deal of fun, not perfect, but the strongest moments blanked those that did not connect with me as much. It could have been darker but I think it shines in regard to what they set out to do. 

Boy Harsher : "the Runner"

 This is the soundtrack to a movie the dark wave duo made during the pandemic. They did meet while studying film in Savannah, GA so it makes sense that they would turn to another art form when touring in the plague new world was taken out of the equation. Just because this is a soundtrack does not mean it is just an atmospheric back drop for the movies as these are fully formed songs that stand on their own. This does not mean it is just business as usual for them and they are picking up where they left off. The production is less murky, making the overall sound not as dark. There is more of an 80's analog synth sound. Her vocals are also more refined, with more noticeable polish on the first song. "Give Me a Reason" is closer in the way the vocal melody works to their older material. The changes at hand will still appease older fans .

For "Autonomy" features Cooper B Handy of Lucy handling the vocals. It works well for a more upbeat dancey take on new wave. Then things get darker and more atmospheric for "the Ride Home" which is one of the few instances where it feels more like a soundtrack and less like a song on a stand-alone album. Most of this is due to the vocals not really being a focal point.  "Escape " finds them splitting the difference between atmosphere and conventional song writing, with something more lo fi and introspective in it's throb, it works much better than the previous piece. It even sounds like there are some single guitar notes played in a few places. Mariana Saldana of BOAN .adds a guest vocal to "Machina". This one finds them leaning more heavily into the direction of 80s new wave. Robotic synth vocals accent the chorus, to create what science fiction sounded like to pop producers in the 80s. 

There is an untitled piece that is more of an instrumental interlude before the last actual song. "I Understand" is more heavily atmospheric with the vocals at more of a whisper against creeping dream like synths.  So the album starts strong then the more mood pieces begin to overshadow song writing, which scoring a film and writing songs for goth night are two different things. Not that I would call this dark wave album but can see where it crosses over into their fans from that genre. I will give this album a 9 as it shows growth in their songwriting even when the clouds of ambience obscure things later on.   

  

5.7

Dance With the Dead ; " Driven to Madness"

The music I review in January certainly sets the tone for where the year is headed. There were a few albums last year who made it into top 10 lists for the year. This is different as it is a synth wave project that leans heavily onto analog synth sounds to create a version of metal in some form thanks to the more aggressive guitars. Their 6th album finds them with an abundance of 80s sounds. It is more dancey than head banging. They did use some organic instruments on these songs, but I would say this a more electronic effort than not. There is a more party 80s metal tone to "Sledge". By 80s metal I am thinking the more progressive bands from that time. 

There is supposed to be a horror them to this album, but nothing feels all that dark and spooky when the major chords to the chorus of "Sledge" feel more triumphant than not. John Carpenter and his song Cody guest on this album but it is nothing that stands out or add all that eerie of a tone to things.  We are back to a neon sounding sonic glaze to the more video game like " Kiss of the Creature" which sound more like a pizza party at the rolling rink than anything to do with monsters.  There are even disco and funk elements to it.  "Wyrm of Doom"  is not doom but packs a little more of a bunch before going off into a more dramatic symphonic syncopation that sounds like something from an anime soundtrack. By "Start the Thaw" the synth grooves begin to sound the same to me. To their credit this has held my attention longer than most instrumental albums would. 

The guitar melody to "I'm You Passenger" could have just as well come from a Depeche Mode song. The edm like groove to this makes it more memorable than the other songs that close out the album as there is more of a sonic blur in terms of the range of color in the sounds brough to the table. If not for the strong retro current of the synth the last song could have been a prog metal number. I will round this down to a 9 as it works off a formula that creates a uniform feel, but it is impressive a instrumental album got this many listens out of me.

the Lion's Daughter : " Skin Show"

 I am not sure what is going on here and I am not sure how this album passed me by when it came out back in April. There is angry sludge vocals and other metal aggression coming in a stomping over some retro synth wave. This works for me in many ways. 'Curtains" at first listen felt more rooted in the metal tropes ,but a second listen lets you hear some of the atmospheric layers. Perhaps the bellowing of the vocals do not lend for enough of a melodic touch despite the interesting layers of them shouting at you from different directions. There is more melody on "Neon Teeth" as he makes more of an attempt to  sing.  His voice is raspy and retains it's edge. It works for what they are trying to do here. 

There is an interesting juxtaposition of guitars on "Dead in Dreams" . It opens with a apocalyptic pounding that is more industrial before a thrashier riff kicks in. The bass line pounds along with the drums . The retro synths are still in place along with the bellow of the vocals. The drums get almost blasty in parts of  "Werewolf Hospital" which has a more feral attack to it. The thrashing guitar takes a more traditional metal approach, I do not find this song as interesting as the ones before it. The atmosphere and disco like beat to "Sex Trap" make it one of the more interesting songs thus far. Not sure the best as the vocals feel more obligatory. The hold more form and function with the snarl of "Snakeface".  They stay pretty straight forward on the pounding 'All Hell is Mine" until the synths come in. The vocals have begun to sound the same at this point, though it is still forgivable. 

The title track is more on the industrial side of what this project does, so layers with the organic synth wave sounds. Those same sounds play a much bigger role in the last song until the thrash riff come as the song progresses and takes over. Some of the shouted vocals have a more industrial feel to them as well. I will give this album a 9.  I like where they are going with this, in some ways the sound is just as important as the songs if not more, but they still are able to keep your attention.   

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