Gothtober - Wil's 10th Annual Halloween Playlist

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

Softcult - "Haunt You Still" 

Missiles - "'Deathlike Love" 

Wicca Phase Springs Eternal - 'I Know the Raven"

Glassing - "Ritualist" 

Mothica -"the Reaper"

Umbra Vitae - "Velvet Black" 

 

Cyberaktif- "The Fright" 

Louse- "Human Remains"

  

Svoid - "In Sacred Magic" 

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Crippling Alcoholism - "Satan is the One" 

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Gothtober - Wicca Phase Springs Eternal :"Midnight as the Castle Moorlands"

Here is an interesting projectug that is not as dark as what we think of dark wave being. However, some moments make me think if Cold Cave had more of a lo-fi indie pop feel, they might sound like this project. The opening track was catchy enough to real me in, so let's see how the rest of this album holds up. The second song is not as dark. It's moody in a more detached austic manner. It's more hopeful where the first song had an unsettled quality lurking in the shadows.  He is still singing about medieval themes with pseudo-mystical leanings. This does have its own charm. 

"Pure Fields" does have a more mute emotional feel, that leans in a more depressed direction. If Ian Curtis had gone on to form New Order they might have sounded more like this. The beat change get on this song was unexpected. There are moments of experimental ambiance that are a nice touch. The guitar is strummed to the forefront of " I Know the Raven".  This folk turn is not as stark as say Death in June, but works well enough. "I Choose You" is a piano ballad of sorts that works well enough 

The next slapper as the kids call them is "My Name is the Endless Night". It has more groove to it. It is also darker, but this album is dark in the same way John Vanderslice touched on more sullen feelings. But where Vanderslice was cutting with his honesty it feels like this guy uses the whole mystical moors as a vehicle to process feelings in a detached proxy. The last song "Venti Iced Americano" brings things up to 2024, though it's more introspective like he forgot to take his meds.  I will give this album a 9. 

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