If there is any justice in the world, the 6th album from this Scottish band will find them getting the recognition they deserve. They have toured with the Cure multiple times, but also had some hardships in their daily lives, which led to their bass player and drummer being replaced with Arab Strap's drummer and Mogwai's bass player. Vocalist James Graham's distinct voice is centerstage, with guitarist Andy MacFarlane providing the needed backdrop. Graham's voice is as emotive and fluid as ever as he swings up into his falsetto on "Designed to Lose."
This record has a more rock n roll mix, with a rawer guitar tone and not as much space for the vocals to fill. It is much clsoer to their live sound. The vocal lines are as catchy as any of their work, which makes for an engaging listen. Their dynamics are always emotionally powerful; this album is no exception. No wonder Robert Smith loves they are always consistent. Robert Smith adds guitars to "Waiting for the Phone Call". There is more of an electronic pulse to this. It rocks out pretty hard for post-punk coming out of the chorus. I had to listen to "Ceiling Underground' three times to wrap my head around it for some reason. The vocals kind of fade, and it works off a similar formula as what they normally do, so not sure why there was a disconnect before it clicked, but it did. Think I just needed something more solid in mind before I commited an opinion to review. It's actually darker after closer listening.
Robert Smith plays synths on "Dead Flowers" which finds them heading into the Cure-like sounds. Since Smith plays on it, they can have all the similarities to the Cure they want, but James ' voice sets them apart as their own identity. He's singing something about 'water off a duck's back, ' and it works as he always puts his voice in the best places. There is a more 80s feel to the guitar tone of "Inhosptiable/ Hospital." It's a pretty catchy song depsite it's bleak nature. In fact, it's one of the album's best songs. Oddly upbeat considering the subject matter.
There are some cool guitar tones on "Chestwound to the Chest". The verses are more strummed, with James singing out with his urgent plea that marks their earlier work. It has a little more rock drive to it. Robert Smith plays a 6-string bass on " Back to Fourteen." Here, some of the lyrics become more entwined in mystery rather than the more introspective outbursts. James has said many of the lyrics deal with mental health struggles, so I can only guess this song is included in that. The last song finds the vocals opening the song at the back of the mix, and things slowly come more into focus. It's more experimental, but still possesses the urgency they are so adept at conveying. I will give this album a 10. In some ways, it is more experimental and raw, but it holds up well against their legacy. Drops March 26th.
The Electronic albums list covers music that is less organic than what is on other lists, without being pop music. There is a little more button-pushing this year, but balanced out by songwriting rather than just cool sounds thrown together. Also, we have a little mix of synth wave, TRIP-HOP, and new wave projects leaning albums. These are not the coolest electronic albums, but the best, fuck what other blogs say.
After I sort through the top 10 albums of all the respective genres, I use those lists to compile the top 20 albums of 2025 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, 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 Electronic albums of 2025.
10-SINthetik Messiah- "Beneath the Surface."
This project is based in Louisiana and is the work of Bug Gigabyte. The first track is a dystopian soundscape that transcends his swampy roots. With electronic music, the challenge for artists can be to not get carried away by cool beats and sound but to tell a story. This is typically forsaken by dance music altogether. This project is geared to the dance floor, though it would take a great deal of Absinthe to get moving to the narcotic throb invoked here.
Lighter androgynous vocals offset a noise-friendly battery of electronic sounds that still manage to stay song-focused, at times giving them a HEALTH-like sound without the industrial muscle.
ust catching up with this album that came out in August from No Joy, the Canadian indie rock project helmed by Jasamine Gluz. She continues down a more experimental path that focuses tightly on songwriting, as things head in an electronic direction that reminds me of 90s dream pop. Her voice sounds great and is used almost more like an instrument in how she layers it.
Their new album, "Octagra,m" finds the German electro groovers dabbling in a dark landscape that is more atmospheric than Skippy Puppy's harsher, stark apocalypse of sound, but fans of Skinny Puppy should find this band easy to embrace. Goth Nite DJs should also pay heed, as these songs are sure to put motion on the dance floor with their seductive lure.
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. They dabble in both new wave and atmospheric techno. The female vocals become more of the dominant narrative of the songs. She shifts through a range of emotions in her presentation, to make this work .
I normally don't rank remix albums into these lists, but this double album gave a very comprehensive look at the British electronic scene, and they were remixing Cure songs so here it lands.
The 10th album from New York's best rapper finds the rhymes flowing like malt liquor. Ten albums into your career, you are going to know how to write a song. He is quick to spit a collage of clever metaphors. The bar for hip-hop is held very high due to rappers like this. So, why accept inferior products being rolled off the assembly line of record labels looking to sedate people whose musical tastes reflect their low vibrational state?
The new album from these French masters of dark synth wave features some interesting guest vocalists, with Kristoffer Rygg from Ulver being the first to step up to the mic .It sounds like an 80s-themed space roller coaster you expect from these guys. The grooves on their instrumentals always help carry the songs. The dynamic shift it takes into heavier intentions also helps keep my attention; the arrangements this time around have really been fine-tuned.
If you aren't aware that Reza Mills from Clean Sheets and Sleeping Shaman has been breaking down the decades with me to uncover our top 5 songs in pivotal anniversaries for these years, then you uare missing out. You should check out our insights here...
Here I am taking my top 5 choices and expanding them into the top 10 albums of 1985, and also ranking them in order of their impact and staying power, so here are my top 10 albums of 1985. Be sure to check out the episode above for a more in-depth look at the top 5 here.
10-Megadeth- "Killing is my Business and Business is Good."
The debut of Mustaine's post-Metallica project feels like he picked up where "Kill'em All " left off.
9-Anthrax -' Spreading the Disease"
They were beginning to hit their stride when it came to blending thrash with hooky classic metal songwriting
8-Ratt- "Invasion of Your Privacy."
One of the most endearing albums from the hair metal era, which stands the test of time.
7-Sting -" Dream of the Blue Turtles."
His solo debut is wonderfully bleak in its lyrical outlet and jazz overlay.
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6-Slayer - "Hell Awaits"
Their most underrated album, considering that it opened the doors for a darker, heavier style of music to be born.
5-Dio-"Sacred Heart."
He peaked in the 80s with this magical album, setting himself apart from metal trends.
4-the Cure "Head On the Door."
Not their darkest album, but Smith's songwriting continued t o explore new colors of sound.
3-Tom Waits - "Rain Dogs."
Not sure he even knew the 80s were even going on a this album sounds like it came from a dive bar at the edge of time.
2-Kate Bush-"Hounds of Love"
She did new wave on her terms and retained all the ethereal magic that she was known for.
1-The Smiths -"Meat is Murder."
Lyrically brilliant and perfectly written, this iconic album still stands alone.
Thanks for reading. Please "like" and share on social media to give music a voice
As the Doomsday Clock races, time speeds up, as 2025 is at its midpoint. With the impending end of times comes a celebration of darkness, and these bands are making substantial soundtracks for that. These lists serve as a decent snapshot of where the year is heading in terms of music. I have already received promos for albums dropping as far out as August in my inbox, so they will need to bring it to compete with the top five albums on this list. For the mid-year report card list, I'm combining goth with its close cousin, industrial. I have included links to full reviews if you want to check these out, and with all that said, here are the top 10 Goth / Industrial albums of 2025 so far.
10-Palindrones-Chapter 2 the Slender Blade"
This British dark wave duo moves in interesting directions. We caught up with them on our podcast. Check that interview out here...
Neo-folk has always been a sub-genre of goth more than folk; this Nordic project balances the more primal nature with a grandiose atmosphere that captures a darker mood than most, and earns them their spot on this list.
I am glad to hear Gaahl continuing to explore his singing voice. The vocals are well layered, with more of his upper register present while the baritone croon holds center stage, which is on brand for him. It is not surprising that Gaahl and I are of a similar musical mindset, for here he proves that the emotive value of darkness is just as heavy as metal.
This Brooklyn-based band, BOOTBLACKS, is dancing in a more dark wave direction with their new album, with songs driven by synth pulses. The reverb-slathered guitar sits back in the mix, content haunting the backdrop.
This album showcases 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.
In case you forgot this was coming out, Robert Smith is not the control freak he once was, as he is allowing 24 artists to remix the band's 2024 masterpiece.It shows how much reach the Cure's influence has on music as a whole.
The joke about back when Ministry sounded like Depeche Mode wore thin on Uncle Al, after polishing off the early songs for live sets, even before releasing their last album, he re-recorded the songs from the "Twitch" and "With Sympathy" era. The vocals are more in line with how Al sings now. Sometimes the guitars are providing more heft, with the more new wave leaning dance beats driving the hot rod that Jesus built. In some cases, this works just well enough.
At 67, Murphy looks older than he sounds. The new wave bounce on these songs would not have been out of place on his 89 classic "Deep". Not as dark as Bauhaus, it is true to the era. He keeps the '80s pulse going 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.
On previous releases, they felt more like a militant version of Skinny Puppy, so this might be more neon lit, and not as dark as, say, 'A Place to Stand'. They employ more dynamics at times as Sara retains her signature scowling. It does not sound dated and moves industrial music forward, rather than solely focusing on the past eras.
This project from Finland marks another entry to the hallowed halls of ethereal hot girl music. It's almost like ASMR set to brooding post-rock. The vocals are hypnotically layered, and the songs have a subtle slither to them, but despite the somewhat hopeful cadence of the vocals, this album is dark like a brooding thunderstorm, and less dressed up for Halloween, though still dark enough to earn it's place at the top here.
In case you forgot this was coming out, Robert Smith is not the control freak he once was, as he is allowing 24 artists to remix the band's 2024 masterpiece. I am going to review this by breaking it down by song, and then just going over the different versions of each song.
"I Can Never Say Goodbye"
Paul Oakenfold's cinematic version is a fair description of what he does here, as the piano melody and Smith's vocal remain the heartbeat of this dramatic symphonic take.
Mental Overdrive is the moniker used by a long-running Norwegian techno DJ. The euro-techno beat keeps the song moving in a manner that is much more dancey than what Oakenfold did. Like most old-school techno, it takes on a bit of a drone.
Craven Faults, as expected from this British producer, there is a more ambient Krautrock feel to this take on the song. The melody is submerged in a wave of sound. The drone of this one is more lethargic than the previous take on the song. You gotta hand it to Smith, he makes sure almost every adjacent sub-genre of what the band does is represented here, this is a very slow burn at nine minutes. The vocals were eliminated, and instead we get subtle layers of synths and piano flushed against a deep pulse. You might need some weed for this one.
"Endsong"
I mean, is it really a remix album without Orbital on it? The song is given the kind of treatment you might expect from the Sevenoaks duo. After some build-up up it settles into a more electronic groove to give Smith's vocals the room they need. The guitar melody is given a trippier sound. The Cure is, to some extent, drug music, but this requires a higher dose.
Gregor Thresher, the German EDM DJ uses Smith's vocal as his guidepost, and strips things down so he can apply his own dance beat to the song, which is a much different approach than the previous version.
Another jarring contrast is where post-rockers Mogwai take the track. They take it to a darker, more obtuse place. They prefer the sound of their own guitars, and the original guitar melodies are memories that haunt the song, but it still feels like what the Cure would do. Robert Smith has called these guys his favorite band before, so this is not surprising. Another time to break out the bong. I am surprised they included Smith's vocals since vocals are not an element they normally put great weight in.
"Drone Nodrone"
Daniel Avery's remix finds the Bournemouth-based DJ not getting as sonic as expected and laying a more laid-back but still dance-minded beat under it. It allows the vocals to work with the same grooving cadence as the original while owing little to the original arrangement. It's still dark enough for goth fans. He does bring in the bass line as well, midway into the song.
German DJ Anja Schneider breaks from the post-punk DNA of the song to do her own thing, in more of a deconstruction. The vocal is the only thing that anchors it to the original version. The chorus is a great deal faster. It feels like this could have come from the late 90s.
JoyCut brings a more post-industrial dynamic to their version. While it is next to what Mogwait does as the second most experimental take so far, it feels true to the overall feel of what the Cure does. Less bassline-supported backbone and more atmosphere.
"All I Ever Am"
Norway's Meera takes the song in a dance-oriented direction that resembles the original so little that if it were not on this album, you would not have a clue there was anything to do with the Cure.
Pop producer Mura Masa gives Smith's vocals the room they need and turns them into something that could find a place on European radio. It almost feels like the Killers.
Post-rockers 65daysofstatic play it pretty safe and just give things a bigger dynamic sound.
"A Fragile Thing"
German duo Ame leaves Smith's vocals the centerpiece as they deconstruct the song down to a dance groove.
Iris-born DJ Sally C treats it more like it is a 90s Madonna song. But what plays in its favor is how she keeps the guitar in some of the layers to remind you they are a rock band.
You know tour mates the Twilight Sad are going to get it right when it comes to capturing what makes the song work, but still getting sonic with it.
"Nothing is Forever"
Danny Briotett and Rico Conning's remix feels like what DJs were doing in the late 90s in gay bars.
Collen Murphy also allows for the guitars to have the space they need, while the vocals are given a trippier treatment.
Trentmoller has a greater understanding of dark music, as the Danish musician reworks the mood into something that flirts with vvitch house and industrial, while staying true to the song. One of the best reworkings on this album, as it touches on so many aspects.
"Warsong"
Daybreakers' re-mix keeps things to a dance floor throb that does not capture the feel of the song as well as some of the other interpretations, but works off energy alone well enough
Tech-house DJ Omid 16b chills out a little more than the previous version and does not keep the tension boiling. The vocals are relegated to more of a color.
Deftones vocalist Chino kept his mouth shut when it came to approaching the song and just mixed Smith's vocals in a similar manner that he would approach his own.
"Alone"
Four Tet brings what you expect from their work to this song.
Chilean DJ Shanti Celeste brings some of her homeland vibes to the grooves of this one.
Ex- Easter Island does well enough wtih the song, not taking many chances
Overall I will give this one a 9.5, shows how much reach the Cure's influence has on music as a whole.
This year I expanded what was once the Top 10 Albums of the Year to the Top 20. The Top 10 was limiting considering there are now 20 best-of-genre lists. a Top 10 often left off ten albums that captured the top spot for their respective genres. So we are continuing the countdown here in this second part to the top 10 albums These are the albums I listened to most. When you take into consideration the fact I listened to over 900 albums this year, it's impressive for these albums to have endured the influx of new music that hit My inbox every morning and made me want to hear them again and again. Yes, this is the culmination of all the other lists done up to this point for other blogs and was refined down to this master list of all genres.; So here ya go...
10- Weston Super Maim- "See You Tomorrow Baby"
This band is out to crush you with their industrial-strength metal, possessed by chaotic outbursts of jarring mathematics like a grind-core version of Meshuggah. This album proves you can go to the extremes of heaviness while still having a huge sound. At times electronic sounds enter the fray. Impressive guitar work does not hinder the sheer weight this album hits you with while writing memorable songs.
On the darker side of 90s grunge reviving, these guys kept the anthemic slant minimal, and instead cut themselves and allowed the songs to bleed from it. It is heavy with mood rather than hammering at you. This album took me by surprise and exceeded any hopes I had for it, It grew on me more than any other album becoming a staple of my weekly listening due to the honest melancholy that seeps from its pores. If you like grunge, but not the kind for jocks then this will be up your alley. Really can not sing its praises enough.
. Less than a year after the previous release, the guys have worked hard to perfect their craft, as this is more nuanced and dynamic songwriting. My only complaint about the first album was that it was so straightforward that there was little to separate it from veterans like Cannibal Corpses. Now they are really bringing it hard this time around. They give the oppressive pounding. Plenty of syncopated punches and little nuances make it clear that this operation is meticulous. Perfect blend of creepy melodic parts, and aggressive hooky riffs.
Over the years this band continued to grow on me until with this album everything clicked into pace. Their finely tuned garage pop is hookier than most pop on the radio. Some of the songs feel like long-lost classics from the early days of California garage rock, despite this band not being from California. At times this finds Beach Boys sounds colliding with the Velvet Underground. The hooks kept me listening which secured them at the top spot.
Producer Graham Perez, and singer Tatiana Schwaninger. have totally killed it here, sonically it's almost like a cross between Charli XCX and Grimes, but on old-school techno drugs. This glitched-out more experimental take on electronica finds the emphasis is on the beats and soundscapes being woven here. Tatiana is not the greatest singer, but the secret to this album lies in how her voice is presented. She has her own charisma in her persona. An infectious listen that got as much playtime as faves like the Cure and Taylor Swift.
5-Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - "Of the Last Human Being"
When I place one of my favorite bands on the pedestal of what other bands should aspire to, said band must then meet these exalted expectations. If they are one of the best bands I have ever seen live then expectations are even higher. If they are coming back 17 years later, after you lived thinking their last album was the final chapter, then you can only hope for the best album ever. Sleepytime Gorilla Museum reopened in an attempt to make their best album yet. 2007's "In Glorious Times" is a perfect album, so they were wise not to take it head on but in a more mature step forward, emphasizing more of the chamber music side, while employing all the creepy dissonance they are known for.
4- Crippling Alcoholism - "With Love From a Padded Room"
This band beautifully captures a darkly honest misery. The singer's raspy voice makes you imagine what it might sound like if Tom Waits fronted Interpol. It took the top spot because the songs are uniquely engaging and this album can be played countless times without getting tired of it.
She managed to beat Crippling Alcoholism, based on this album just being marginally more dynamic and a little hookier, as lyrically the two albums were neck and neck. There is a reason she has a fantastical cult of fans. If we weigh her other albums again this one there might be more debate, but that is where she is as an artist, Swift only has her own work to measure things against. I think this is at least as strong as her more recent work.
This band has a history of ruling, and it's not stopping. This album was darker and more melodic, giving me more of what I wanted from them. At times, the screamed vocals offset what might otherwise be creepy bass-driven shoegaze. They get feral and deface your eardrums with their tangible sense of anguish. Though none of this is contrived or thought out from a marketing perspective by a record label this is just where they are, perhaps even angrier than the previous album though there is a wide range of emotional colors being used here making them the best metal album of the year with the inner apocalypse they project outwardly.
It's no secret these guys are one of my favorite bands, but that means my expectations were higher. While Smith and friends claiming the top spot will not be a surprise to regular readers or people who know me, they earned this one. This album sounds like they picked up where they left off on "Wish". Amazingly, they are still inspired to create something so perfect 14 albums later.
It's time for November's top 10 albums. Staying abreast of the month's highlights might help casual readers see what they missed and check these artists out. I am not writing little blurbs on them and just linking the reviews. I am using this to organize my lists for the end of the year, by listing the genre of music the album falls under. Inclusion here does not mean that these albums have been released this month, but it is a list of new or upcoming albums I have enjoyed the most, I have albums in my in-box that are not coming out til next year so I am normally way ahead of the curve in this regard. They are ranked in order of what I have listened to the most. This month there is a wide variety from Synth wave to Doom metal so you may find your new favorite among them. Here are the Top 10 albums for November 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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 \
I am surprised that I have not gone back to review this album since it's one of my favorite Cure albums. It's their darkest also making it their heaviest. If you have read other reviews by me, you know I often bring up the fact that it's hard to be heavy without capturing darkness. This album finds Smith reaching deep into himself to pull out the most depressed parts of his tortured soul to set it to music. The opening track might be their best song. It is powerful and sonically dense. Perhaps the most goth song ever.
"Short Term Effect' is upbeat compared to "One Hundred Years". It's still bleak but not as overwhelmingly desolate as the previous song. There are some wonderful guitar tones here/ I skipped over "Faith" as I have already reviewed it, I think the depth of growth when comparing the two albums is this one finds a more surreal expansion of guitar tones. "The Hanging Garden" is an underrated classic that displays the intensity the band is capable of and Smith offers wonderful lyrics. The video was shot in an ornate cemetery which makes me wonder if that is what this song is about, finding solace in the stone statues.
"Siamese Twins" works off a droning riff that showcases Smith at his dismal best. The vocals of this song are more abstract as it wanders into the midnight fog. Not as hooky or driving as the other songs so far. The bass line to "Figuredhead " is heavy enough to belong in a doom metal song. Smith's voice carries a pained desperation. "A Strange Day" has a throb that moves like a storm cloud with a softer melody hanging like a memory from it. "Cold" is even darker and heavier with the drums taking on a tribal pound, It's the most classic goth sound ever. The poetry of his lyrics is especially haunting on this one. "Your name like ice/ into my heart" is a great line. The use of manipulated samples on the title track that closes the album was an influence on industrial music. The way the drums come in Trent Reznor took notes on when making 'The Downward Spiral". Smith's vocals are more of an abstract narrative, as he is not guiding a melody into this chaos. This of course gets a 10 as it is one of the best albums ever recorded.
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