deathrock – Sounds and Shadows

UnObscured Volume 4 from Obscura Undead

Featured By soundsandshadows (Ken Magerman)

Two things I love dearly are goth compilations and Florida based review/interview page Obscura Undead. Azy and friends have been such amazing supporters of the scene. They are a huge inspiration for me, and this is the fourth volume of awesome new Darkscene music. I’m so angry at my laziness that I didn’t submit an Amaranth song to be added. Compilations like this are so important to helping fans cut through the tidal wave of new music and find things that inspire. So I am going to take this journey that Obscura Undead laid out and find some great new bands I love.

Obscura Undead is a collective of goth creators passionate about new and obscure goth, darkwave, post-punk, and other dark alternative music. Created by Tampa, FL DJs Maus and Azy and backed by passionate fans turned writers from all over the world.

Draining Kiss – Draining Kiss – Gainesville, Florida artist with a lovely ambient EDM shadowsynth blended with Projekt Records romantism. The five song E.P. was released Oct 2022. The music has a vibrating 90’s techno feel with wonderfully layered vocals of ringing clarity. This appears to be the debut EP, but it gets me excited for things to come.

▶︎ Draining Kiss | Draining Kiss (bandcamp.com)

Chrysanthemum Ballroom – Mirrorball Explodes – Fortunate that the Chapel Hill, North Carolina band had just reached out for review which I can do now. So this track has a lovely ringing organic death rock feel. The vocals stood out in a unique and captivating Brian Eno way. I just don’t hear enough of this cadence and inflection in the modern darkscene. The guitar and basslines twirled and overlapped with cascading echos. I was an instant fan.

Mirrorball Explodes | Chrysanthemum Ballroom (bandcamp.com)

Element 104 – Blue In Heaven – Miami Florida fury tempo synthwave artist with wispy climbing Cocteau Twins ethereal vocals. Blending boot stomping dancetensity with effortless grace. Djs take note, this needs to spin in your clubs.

Blue In Heaven | Element 104 (bandcamp.com)

hororhaus – bloodlust (feat. Tokyo Teens) [Jimmi B. vocal version] – Woodstock, New York artist and frequent S & S contributor Scott Harris with this thrumming heart hammer dance beat. A runaway ghost train on a laser track. One of those tracks that packs a dancefloor.

bloodlust (feat. Tokyo Teens) [Jimmi B. vocal version] | hororhaus (bandcamp.com)

Sequential Zero – The Last One To Fall – Multi country collaboration with Aussie Ant Banister (Sounds Like Winter) , Bruce Nullify (Orcus Nullify) , and Colin Gallagher (Burnt Souls AU) form up for this spiraling darkwave single. Thick resonant vocals with great Mark Burgess flavor and 80s Killing Joke frantic turns. This crew never disappoints.

Fourth Sequence | Sequential Zero (bandcamp.com)

Cyborg Amok – Black Well House (A Ghost Story) – New Jersey father son duo with this bleak and beautiful building ballad. I love the power of the drums while maintaining this slow droning tempo. Understated and haunted vocals, the chorus harmony in particular create an emotive blend. An edgier Psychedelic Furs feel that lives up to the name ghost story.

Etiam | Cyborg Amok (bandcamp.com)

Flores de Tchernobyl – Black Plague – Lots to be excited about here. There is always something when you get a new compilation where you stop and say holy crap how have I never heard this. Plus they are from Mexico and I am always looking to shout from the rooftops that people need to pay attention to Mexican Darkscene music. Also I LOVE the cover art. So this track is electronic brush rolling across the desert. Powerful sultry vocals and a nice cold minimal build. The voice rings with such power and creates bold contrast to the beats behind them. This was an instant buy for me.

▶︎ Flores de Tchernobyl EP | Flores de Tchernobyl (bandcamp.com)

Uncanny Chamber – Escaping The Void Feat: Pedro Code – From Portugal another band I didn’t previously know, one thing I know very well is that Pedro Code (IAMTHESHADOW) makes everything he is involved in amazing. This track is of course no exception. Ethereal still water expanding in every direction while Pedro poles this boat through the darkness. I now have another darkscene band in Portugal to be excited about.

Memento Mori EP | Uncanny Chamber (bandcamp.com)

The Darkstar Calling – Amazing tradgoth from Mexico with a powerful vocal harmony and a Feilds of the Nephelium desert twang. Some very underrated guitar work happening here.

thedarkstarcalling.bandcamp.com

Byronic Sex & Exile – Taking it back to where it all begin in Leeds, I’m not sure how I first found this band but I was blown away. Delicate and engaging like a lace cuff with a hint of mystery. The piano line for this track is captivating and the baritone croon is a magnificent contrast. I dare you not to fall in love with this band.

Nightmare Avenue | Byronic Sex & Exile | Goth City Records (bandcamp.com)

I feel like I could be here all day writing about every band on these compilations. Azy and crews taste is always first rate so everything here is worth trying. I hope you take the journey and support the wonderful community at Ubscura Undead.

Sounds and Shadows February 2022 Darkscene Singles Chart

Featured By soundsandshadows (Ken Magerman)

It is once again time to release the Sounds and Shadows Darkscene singles chart. Ok admittedly I am behind as always and this is the chart from Feb. As always these are singles released in Feb voted on by our members of Bands, Djs, fans, and reviewers. Representing the fan picks for the month in all genres of the darkscene. (goth/Industrial/Synthwave/Darkwave/EBM/EDM/ect) This month featured a few sad stories, because two bands that were chosen are no more 🙁 . I love what this chart has come to represent. Songs chosen by the people who love and support this scene regardless of label, influence, or history.

Dead Cool – Game of Trust
Massive Ego – Fake Star
Sapphiria Vee Feat: Roger Ebner – Not Meant For Me
Dead Lights – Doom Doom Trash
The Palest Grey – Suicide
Lorelei Dreaming – Of Stars (Daddybear Remix)
Secret Shame – Hide
Sidewalks and Skeletons Feat: Goo Monday – Shadows
Moris Blak xx Moaan Exis Feat:Grabyourface – State Rejects
Junksista – Fuck Your Pretty Face

DEAD COOL – Game of Trust – Wilmington, North Carolina stellar splashing synthwave goodness full of mystery and mayhem. Ringing front striking vocals and cascade keys. The husband and wife John and Angela Yeagher create a sinister story that is always driving forward. Awesome cover art to complete the image by Morgan Elizabeth.

https://deadcool.bandcamp.com/track/game-of-trust

Massive Ego – Fake Star – This was a happy/sad story. The London based dark synth act released this single and EP which is a sizzling assault of tongue and cheek satire and blood pumping dance chaos. Sadly the band has decided to call it quits to focus on health and personal concerns. We are left with this buzzing shadow storm electric single.

https://massiveegoofficial.bandcamp.com/

Sapphira Vee Feat : Roger Ebner – I love this bold crackling new energy from Sapphira Vee. As I state often on this page the addition of saxophone adds depth and sex appeal to everything. Roger Ebner (Pigface) give a muted perfect accent to these whispy tendrils of emotion and poetically delivered vocals.

https://sapphiravee.bandcamp.com/track/the-gift-was-not-meant-for-me-ft-roger-ebner

DEAD LIGHTS – Doom Doom Trash – UK Batwing EDM kicked out this absolutely banger from their upcoming March 2022 EP. It’s tight lightsaber fencing lunge and parry to make your dancefloor burn with desire. This album can’t come soon enough. Rain down ask and destruction on the writhing forms in leather and lace.

https://deadlightsband.bandcamp.com/

The Palest Grey – Suicide – Florida based deathrock newcomers comprised of members of Obscura Undead. A lurking and spine tingling promise which sadly will not go forward. The band completed this EP and then went their separate ways to pursue other projects. We are left with this driven and frantic single of old school bat cave croon and danger. We can only hope that the individual member continue on in future projects.

https://thepalestgrey.bandcamp.com/track/suicide

Lorelei Dreaming – Of Stars – daddybear Remix – Chicago EDM Fantasy weaving Queen released this remix album with several wonderful re imaginings from top talent in the scene. This one a burning firework display by Matt Fanale (Daddybear). I love this bracing breathy barrage of bardic inspiration pushed from the battlefield onto the dancefloor by one of the masters of the genre.

https://loreleidreaming.bandcamp.com/track/of-stars-daddybear-remix

Secret Shame – Hide – Asheville, North Carolina driving dark alt band is just disturbingly good and continues to leave me floored with every single release. Rifle crack drums, polycolor slush pedal guitars, and ringing chat vocals with inspire and cast emotional magic. Hit after hit for this band.

https://secretshame.bandcamp.com/track/hide

Sidewalks and Skeletons – SHADOW [ᴡɪᴛʜ ɢᴏᴏ ᴍᴜɴᴅᴀʏ] – I recently had the pleasure of interviewing this UK band as well as upping my witchhaus education. This single is a pulsing shot of pure adrenochrome tempered with the gorgeous chime wave vocals of Australia’s Goo Monday. I started with this single and fell deep in love with this record.

https://sidewalksandskeletons.bandcamp.com/track/shadow

MORIS BLAK, Moaan Exis, grabyourface – State Rejects – Ok, there is so much to unpack here from Boston EBM darling Moris Blak’s new single. For starters it absolutely slaps. It features the most selected singer in the history of this poll Marie Dragontown of Grabyourface. It also features fellow French explosive rage dance band Moaan Exis. Somehow these immense artistic talents come together in creative cause to spew napalm chaos glory into your eardrums. I am staggered, I am spent, holy shit.

https://morisblak.bandcamp.com/album/moris-blak-x-moaan-exis-state-rejects-moments-of-dissent

JUNKSISTA – Fuck Your Pretty Face – German electronic whisper punk from Diana Noir released on COP International is a raindrop blue hue builder full of menace and danger. Throwing a burning brand at the concept of the value of beauty standards. I love the boxer weave drum beat and snarling challenge.

https://junksista.bandcamp.com/album/fuck-your-pretty-face

Remember to cast your votes for March in the Sounds and Shadows group for the singles that are inspiring you. A musical revolution is happening.

Stumble through the brooding miasma with Swansect on their debut album

on June 5, 2020June 5, 2020 By wwithout

https://swansect.bandcamp.com/album/concrete-doves?fbclid=IwAR1TrwEv31tSsZD2tNQUy4rJAtG_8UKPTlsKzwsRl–BB_DLOAZYZmU8mCU

Buy here on bandcamp

Concrete Doves opens with a relentless deathrock bass riff and then militant flash bang drums that trigger my panic response. Feels like getting followed into a dark alleyway and getting the shit kicked out of you by a malevolent spirit. Guitar and undead vocals devoid of any feelings fill out the mix and make for a very disorienting and visceral start to Swansect’s debut.

What follows the musical equivalent of running the gauntlet but the aggressors have razor blades, chunks of concrete, and live power lines. The album utilizes multiple “styles” (industrial, deathrock, sound collage, drone) but is held together by the thematic anxiety of the whole work. There is an overwhelming sense of impending tragedy only buffeted by small bursts of apathy in reference to the destiny of the human race.

The last track to me seems like a meditation on the futility of it all, a sort of peace despite all the destruction and devastation that we’re exposed to everyday, in real life and on the news. Peace stemming from the acknowledgment that some things are just out of our control.

Listen to Concrete Doves here:

https://swansect.bandcamp.com/album/concrete-doves