Gothtober- Exhuming Tunes with Christian Death's "Ashes"

This 1985 classic is an all-too-forgotten album with some real deep-cut bangers, including one of my all-time favorite songs by the band. It's the second and final studio album that was a collaboration between Williams and Valor. It's also very experimental.  It opens with the title track that lingers, with piano setting the mood for Rozz's poetic musings. Gitane's vocals chime in to add an almsot gospel flair; this song rocks out pretty hard, taking rock n roll and twisting it into their image. After this is a more experimental sound excursion. 

"When I Was Bed" is one of my all-time favorites from the band, which I discussed on the podcast that you can have a listen to here... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUDqbCl-E6w&t=159s

So the first two actual songs raised the bar pretty high for this album already. Gitane plays a larger role on this album. This can be heard on "Lament". The song turns into an odd polka ballad. Not surprising they would be fans of the musical "Cabaret," as there has always been a bit of Joel Gray in the shadows of goth. "Face' kicks in to remind you they have not forgotten their old aggressive punk roots. Rozz spits out his vocals with renewed attitude that I appreciate."The Luxury of  Tears" is more atmospheric, with an abundance of the elegance that defines goth. This is when they took the turn from a death rock band to a goth band. The last song ends things in the more surreal collage of sound and poetry, with babies crying and all manner of moaning, witch cackles along with other assorted dissonance. Not really a song, but I get why he goes off into this excursion and why they are important in the presentation. With this in mind, I will give this album a 10. 

pst469

Gothtober- Normal Weirds : " Frown Time"

This East Bay Death-punk band leans more into the punk side of the equation, but are dark enough for me to put them under the umbrella of Gothtober. Angrier than they are drugged out and sleazy like most death-rock, some creepy undertones ride in on "Capsized". The vocals are what anchor them most into punk; the songs are driving and upbeat but not like Minor Threat. Harsher vocals chime in from the periphery. There is a layer of crust caked on what they do that I enjoy since crust punk tends to be one of my favorite flavors of the genre. 

They pick up the tempo with a burlier bass line, giving them weight on "Bury Me" and maintain this vibe though, with more classic punk hooks on "Lost Desires. They maintain this momentum until "Druidess," which is the first song that doesn't connect with me as strongly it's closer to straight-up punk than I am normally into with the vocals pushing it further in that direction. I had to listen to it twice to confirm this feeling. They stick to their bullet belts with "Don't Fear Death" which is more straightforward punk, but all the moving parts click better for me than the previous song, and I like the lyrics. 

"Headstone Engraving" finds female vocals taking over the mic to help ease them into a darker, more death rock place. Given the song title, it would be more of a surprise if they didn't, but this works for me. "Swan Dive" meets in the middle of the band's contrasting dynamics. They are more dependable at making memorable choruses than your average punk band., The title track is an angry outburst of punk, but even then it's pretty deliberate. I will give this album a 9.5, and see how it grows on me it's well done punk that keeps the songwriting first andd forement. 

pst468

Gothtober-Night Gaunt : " Rupture"

 

Most goth bands don't think they are goth. Here is a prime example: this Italian band thinks they are doom. Their lack of self-awareness in this regard does not bother me since I am into what they are doing. Sure, there is some metal in the mix, but it is closer to what In Solitude once did than Solitude Aeturnus, making them heavy goth rock. The vocals have a dramatic baritone croon that works well over the ringing chords. There is less intent in following the path of Mercyful Fate than In Solitude, and I suppose Candlemass might be their point of reference when it comes to doom, but that does not explain the haunting reverb-coated guitar they introduce in "Struck by thee Fever."  Not complaining about this, just observing. Lyrically, it feels more like a murder ballad.

The first in-your-face overt metal moment is going into the gallop of "Ordeal".  It is dark but not mournful, more aggressive than that. At times possessed by a more power metal-like bombast, they are not far removed from what the Night Eternal is doing on their new album. These guys are more atmospheric. "The Revenant" finds them back in the more murder-folk balladry. This song has more in common with Amigo the Devil than Pallbearer. "The Deer and the Hunter" is more metallic and dynamic, but in tone, a murder ballad.  "September Song" is more of a folk ballad.

 "The Antagonist" unwinds with a more brooding mood. Vocally, he begins to go into his upper regiter; it's not quite power metal but dramatic and belting in that direction.  They balance this out with a smoky tension. I have a friend who thinks this is really old-school doom, so I am guessing she means pre-90s, and I suppose I can have a little Trouble here andd there.'Blooming " feels like it bleeds out of this one. It lingers in the show with a lingering deliberation. It's an instrumental bridge to the last song, and might be the only song that I'll concede to being doom. The last song finds the strum of acoustic guitars leading in before a more mournful guitar melody comes in. It's a dynamic and, yes, more doomy moment but I like it; it eventually gives way to build into something more metallic. I will give this album a 9.5 and see how it grows on me.  

pst467

Gothtober - Exhuming Tunes- Christian Death's "Catastrophe Ballet"

Totally different lineup for the second album, but it's where Valor Kand steps in. It is a better-sounding album than "Onlyt Theater of Pain," production-wise, and Rozz settles into his vocal delivery with more assurance."Awake at the Wall" is more of an intro to me than a free-standing song, which is best understood when "Sleepwalk" kicks in. "Sleepwalk" is a more energetic display of how this lineup keeps the identity of the band.  "The Drowning" abandons the punk energy to find a tense groove that opens the door to display that this is something different than where they started, though the homoeroticism is on parade, with different contemplation behind it.

"The Blue Hour" is something different than what the bandd who played on the first album would have done, which was important to Rozz, who was not going to be limited to just playing punk rock songs for Halloween. A Doors-like is pondering is set against chords David Bowie would have used. The album gains momentum on "As Evening Falls," which carries over into the infectious 'Electra Descending". Rozz really kills it on the chorus on this album; they are memorable without trying to be anthemic in a radio-ready manner.  "Cervix Couch" is the first song that switches gears into something more droning. While there is that element in "the Blue Hour," it is also more brooding thanks to the drums. 

Then things get weird with "the Feeling Somnambulist". It's a bath of odd ambient, about as LSD driven as "Revolution # 9". If you are on drugs, this one might not be the best track to focus on, as it can take you down a heloish introspective rabbit hole, written from experience. The drugs have n worn off going into "the Somnolent Pursuit" it takes the theme established in the previous trakc and continues into the abyss with them. "Between Youth" finds a bit of sanity returning. It meets halfway between what they were ddoing and the new experimental twist their warped minds have turned towards. "After the Rain' is  brings back the death rock after this excursion. I will give this album a 10 as even with all the experimentation it is blanced out with growth and great songwriting. 

pst466

Gothtober - Whirling in Rags : "Venture"

 Scowering the inner webs to find new goth music and I came across this intersting band from Norway who blends neo-folk with darkwave in a different manner.It is only a three-song EP, but it gives you a goodd glmipe at what they do. It almsot sounds like sea shanties on one hand, as the vocals dance with a more upbeat cadance than the more haunting music layered behind her singing. Normally, neo-folk uses more acoustic instrumentation, so It's novel to hear it performed in this manner. More lo-fi than, say, Heartworms, there is a similar whimsy but with a darker ambiance. 

They are c redited as being a trio, with drumming not listed, so the percussion must be programmed. "Cocoon" finds the bass line less plodding, as everything falls in line with more of a goth slither. The vocals are trying to find where they fall in on this one. There is some ambiance, but it is not as balanced as what happened on the first track. It begins to find its footing past the half way point, but does not sync as well as how they got started. 

The last song "Human Animal"  has more of a creep as the guitar provides a clearer riff for them to follow. The vocals drop lower, but work better with the music supporting them here.I appreciate the effort they put into this and where they are going with better production andd more focus on building around the vocals, they could perfect this. Still, I will give this an 8 for the vision. 

 

pst465

Gothtober- the Keening :"Devotion"

Rebecca from Subrosa returns with her second album from this dark folk project. The opening track has a more organic, almost dreamy Cowboy Junkies feel, with her vocals smoothly floating over the instrumentation. "Fitful Sleep" has a stormier dynamic, with the drums crashing in. Some darker chords rein in the emotional center. The first heavier distorted chords don't surface until "The King"; this gives it a doomier feel. This is the first song that finds the project moving more in this direction. 

Things are stripped down to a piano on "O Mother."  The strings come in to build a more longing atmosphere. The more fragile vocal lines dance around the emoting instrumentation. "Little Bit of Blood" has a warmer hint of country in the melody. This brings back the comparisons to Cowboy Junkies, though they are more atmospheric even here, as the strings are layered. The most accessible radio-ready song on the album without being a compromise to what this project is. If it were edited down as it does, it goes off into a Swans-like strummed section that builds up. 

"Time Travel" has one of the stronger vocal lines when it builds up instead of the simmer the verses hold. When the songs are sprawled out to the seven-minute mark, at times the third act seems like a separate piece. AT over seven and a half minutes, "The Murder of Anna Brown" is the longest song. It's the album closer, so this is forgivable, as they take their time with the first verse. There is almost a 60s rock proto-doom feel to this. Overall, this is more ambitious and dynamic, more folk rock, but if you liked the first album, then this is perfecting what they did there. I will give it a 9.5 and see how it grows on me.

pst464

Gothtober - the Autumn Aurora :"False Idols"

 

The Italian band will be out one Siouxsie-influenced band for the month. Not the worst offender I have heard in this regard, but a very obvious influence in a genre where she has played such a huge role. This does not mean I am giving a pass to male singers who are trying to sound like Ian Curtis; nope, that is just as bad  to me. "Keep Our Love in the Dark" has potential considering the cool gloom it is cast in. They're using a nice room for the melody to breathe here, finding her reverting to this a little less. Sure, they have all the sounds of this era more dialed in , but these days that is more of a matter of production choices.

"Wasteland" is the most original moment so far, making it the best song on the album thus far, and that is what we are really listening for here: to listen past the influences to who they really are as songwriters. The next song, "But if Not' has a more Sisters of Mercy-like bass line that creates an all-too-familiar feeling. The title track is more atmospheric. It has a more Cure-like guitar riff. They find their groove and ride it with enough conviction for me.  There is a more deliberate pulse to "Be My..." which might be the most Siouxsie moment, but it also sounds pretty cool, and Siouxsie is not busting out any new music any time soon, or ever, so the void must be filled

On every goth album these days, there has to be one track where they speed things up a bit, as if to let you know they are informed of the genre's more punk beginning, and this obligatory acknowledgement comes in the form of "Surrender"; I'd rather they get it out in one than do this sort of thing for half the album. Even though their indulgence is not going full-on Liberty Spikes with it.  The last song is much slower and more atmospheric, to the point of creating an ambient drone, before the beat comes in at the final minute. I will give thi album a 9 it works for me.  

pst463