Jean-Marc Lederman – Sounds and Shadows

My Favorite 30 Darkscene Albums of 2025

on January 30, 2026February 2, 2026 By soundsandshadows (Ken Magerman)

I have been admittedly awful at putting out new reviews the last few months. I just haven’t been able to muster the spoons to share the level of excitement I hold myself to when writing music reviews. In 2026 I am trying to find that energy again. So here are my favorite 30 Albums/EPs in the loosely defined Darkscene Genre for 2025. Was this everything I enjoyed, of course not. Did I forget something important? Probably. However even though I haven’t been putting out regular reviews like normal, it doesn’t mean I haven’t been listening. 2025 in spite of being an absolutely dumpster fire of a year, has produced some incredible musical releases. In no particular order because every album listed SLAPS 🙂

Curse Mackey – Imaginary Enemies

Bootblacks – Paradise

Mari Kattman – Year of the Katt

Jean Marc Lederman – Electronic Slipper Music

Mark E Moon – Pop Noir

Black Rose Burning – The Fear Machine

Corpus Delecti – Liminal

VNV Nation – Construct

Pixel Grip – Percepticide: The Death of Reality

Assemblage 23 – Null

Plague Garden – Under The Sanguine Moon

Sapphiria Vee – The Haunting of Us

ESA (Electronic Substance Abuse) – Sounds for your Happiness

Stoneburner – Post . Industrial . Occult

Caustic – FIEND I/FIEND II

HEALTH – CONFLICT DLC

Panic Priest – Once Wild

AL1CE – As Above, So Below

NITE – NITE

Korine – A Flame In The Dark

Patriarchy – Manual For Dying

Kill Shelter – Slow Burn Sorrow

Blood Dance – Walk the Night

Red Lorry Yellow Lorry – Strange Kind Of Paradise

Bellhead – Threats

The Funeral March – It All Falls Apart

Roger Ebner – EBNR

Grabyourface – Sad Girl Mixtape

Kali Dreamer – Imperfect Dark

WitchHands – Vox Nihili

I hope you give a listen and a share to every album here. They are all amazing and worth your time. These are all real underground artist, so please give this post a share to increase the bandwidth for awesome music in our scene. Remember you found all these bands first, so the more folks you tell about them, the cooler you are 😉 I’ll give a few words and a link about each record 🙂

Curse Mackey – Imaginary Enemies – Luckily I already have a review done of this record. A brand new solo album from Texas front man extraordinaire Curse Mackey (Evol Mothers/Pigface/My Life with The Thrill Kill Kult) and it’s the most vicious offering to date. Curse brings a vocal talent capable of standing in for Peter Murphy and a poetic spirit of William Burroughs splashed against the canvas of early 90s Wax Trax. Following 2022 Immoral Emporium this fresh construction tackles the modern trauma of self-reflection and paranoia composed in the post capitalist world. Dripping with religious pageantry and gothic ideals Curse weaves and electronic tapestry to challenge a world of degrading empathy.

Produced by Curse Mackey + Chase Dobson
Lyrics by Curse Mackey
Performed by Curse Mackey + Chase Dobson
Mixed by Chase Dobson

Curse Mackey “Imaginary Enemies” – Sounds and Shadows

Bootblacks – Paradise – One of my favorite bands of the modern darkscene. I feel like I have been on this journey through style changes, line up changes, one things stays consistent. It’s always something fresh, always something real, and always at the top quality of any genre they dive into. Post Punk, Slick Indie, Italian Dark Disco, I never know where Panther, Barrett, and company will go next. I could not have predicted this. A complex deep cut British synth. Flavors of the criminally underrated OMD album “Crush”. Another gorgeous presence is the muted Saxaphone in a modern sound, something sure to always win my heart. with every track I am staggered by the crisp tone and razor edges. Bootblacks for me conjures images of a smokey underground club with flickering gasoline lights. Paradise is a rise to main stage neon crystal waves of Simon Le Bon.

Bootblacks “Paradise” – Sounds and Shadows

Mari Kattman –Year Of The Katt – I got to see the uber talented producer/singer Mari play live this year. This album is one badass affirmation of being a positive wicked warrior in a world that keeps falling apart. Whenever I needed a little energy to keep my head up this was an album I turned to. The production levels are exquisite, and Mari’s smokey silk voice is captivating and dangerous. Favorite Track: Little Bullet Girl wicked Shirley Manson energy

Year Of The Katt | Mari Kattman

Jean-Marc Lederman – Electronic Slipper Music – Jean-Marc is one of the most creative conceptual composers of the modern era. As well as a legend in the scene. His albums often feature guest vocalist but for this record he took on the duty himself to wonderful effect. A whispered tongue and cheek spoken word beat poetry. The music weaves the electronic chaos like jazz. The humor, the muted horns, the breaking of the 4th wall. In a world of regurgitated uninspired ideas, Jean-Marc is an artist in a world of products. Favorite Track: I Fell In Love With A Russian Spy

Lyrics by Jacques Duvall (Lio, Sparks, The Runaways, etc…).
Lyrics by Emileigh Rohn (Chiasm, Rohn-Lederman).
Lyrics by Jean-Marc Lederman

All music composed, played, arranged and produced by Jean-Marc Lederman
All vocals by Jean-Marc Lederman. Sorry about that 😉

Electronic Slipper Music | Jean-Marc Lederman

Mark E Moon – Pop Noir – Total 10 track banger album from the Isle of Man off Cold Transmission. This record is such an evolution of the modern goth ideal. It’s furious, it’s dark, it incorporates the soul of the past with the precision and technology of the future. Mark has a generational baritone voice. I can’t help but be reminded of Ultravox Vienna for creating something primal and dark. I’m a huge fan of Mark E Moon, but this record hits different. A transcendent beauty that the larger world scene needs to take notice of. Favorite Track: Ten Thousand Years

Pop Noir | Mark E Moon

Black Rose Burning – The Fear Machine – One of the most underrated bands in the scene from NYC George and Black Rose Burning with a new record of fantastical beauty and intelligent stories. George Grants voice and playing style is unique and captivating. The tone transports you to a blend of science fiction and ancient civilizations. BRB is really raising the standard of quality as well as the level of conversation in modern goth. Favorite Track: Into the Black

George Grant – Vocals, Bass, Synth and Guitars
Luis Infantas – Drums, Percussion and Synth Triggering
Produced, Mixed and Mastered by George Grant @ Putnam Valley Recording Company and The Wolf’s Den – Manhattan
Cover Artwork: Antonella Di Mattei / Eshmoon DM

The Fear Machine | Black Rose Burning

Corpus Delicti –Liminal – Goth legends from Nice France with this blistering Raw Power gothic offering with a cold wilderness energy. Alien sounds, hurky jerky rhythms, surround sinister snarling vocals. Really nice trad goth guitar work. Everything on this record works in perfect harmony. The attention paid to dynamics really take you on a journey. Favorite Track: Chaos

Sébastien Pietrapiana (vocals), Franck Amendola (guitar), Christophe Baudrion (Bass), Fabrice Gouré (Drums)

Additional Musicians : Laurent Tamagno (drums on « Crash » and « Chaos »), Frédéric Allavena (Piano and backing vocals on « Under His Eye »), Max Abrieu (trombone on « Under His Eye »)

All music and lyrics by Corpus Delicti
Drums recorded at Mounta Cala Studio, St Cézaire, FR by Valery Lacroix.
All others instruments recorded at FATS Studio, Nice, FR by Franck Amendola.
Produced by Franck Amendola and Corpus Delicti
Mastered at The Exchange, London, UK

Artwork by Elliot Pietrapiana and Sébastien Pietrapiana
Drawing : Génération X, 2024 by Jean-Luc Verna
Photo : Christian Perez
Private collection
Courtesy of the artist and Ceysson & Bénétière
©ADAGP, Paris, 2025

Liminal | Corpus Delicti

VNV Nation – Construct – Ronan Harris was one of my first introductions into futurepop. A distinct powerful voice with a gift for tapping into and conveying emotional snapshots that are so relatable. The themes are often on self-discovery and Construct seems to lean into that harder than ever. The music is bouncy and upbeat for the most part but contains such a depth. Favorite Track: Nothing More , this one ripped my guts out and left them steaming in beauty on the floor.

Music and lyrics by Ronan Harris
Produced by Ronan Harris
Recorded at Anachron Studios, Hamburg, Germany
Mixed by Benjamin Lawrenz and Ronan Harris
Mastered by Chris Gehringer at Sterling Sound
Published by Schubert Music Publishing
Released on Anachron Sounds

Construct | VNV Nation

Pixel Grip –Percepticide: The Death of Reality – No one is writing such a fire hose blast of pure bangers as Chicago’s Pixel Grip. Every track is an instant dance party. Rita Lukea belts out Siouxsie like brash punk beauty. It’s one of those records that makes you feel cooler than you are while you walk down the street listening to it. Absolute masters of sonic transition. Favorite Track: Split

All songs written by Rita Lukea, Jonathon Freund & Tyler Ommen
Produced by: Rita Lukea, Jonathon Freund, Tyler Ommen, & Joojoo Ashworth
Vocal Production & Mixing: Andrew Lappin
Mastering: Ruairi O’Flaherty / Nomograph Mastering

Percepticide: The Death of Reality | Pixel Grip

Assemblage 23 – Null – Another FuturePop lord with a new emotive dancefloor gem. I love the romantic tone Tom Shear infused into this record. The world is a frightening place lately and hearing this hopeful message of love really did my spirit good at some dark moments. Tom has such a rich and earnest voice. It’s hard to put to words its ability to make you feel calm and secure in the moment. This is my feel good record of the year. Favorite Track: Believe , Always open with a banger.

Null | Assemblage 23

Plague Garden – Under The Sanguine Moon – From Colorado comes this Vampire themed death rock record leaning in from a lost time. Sometimes I think modern goth music is afraid to embrace the over-the-top theater of its roots. Plague Garden jumps in head first to the murky pool. Every member of this band is an expert on their instrument from the Carl McCoy school of goth knocks. The songs also have some amazing guest spots from Azy Bats, Dan Milligan, and Brian Gillette. As if I didn’t love the style and sound enough, they also keep true to the political punk ethos of goth. The lyrics all tell a beautiful tale of anguish and horror in English and Spanish. Favorite Track: The Dirty Dead

Under The Sanguine Moon | Plague Garden

Sapphira Vee – Unfolding – I understand this one is riding the line between album and EP, but even with 6 tracks it is undeniable that it shreds. Sapphira is an artist I have gotten to watch the growth of in the last 6 years and she is hitting an unmistakable stride with Distortion productions. The guitar lines are rolling walls of flame which find a perfect mix with her smokey gospel vocals. I love the clever synth instrument choices to add a 90’s Susan Vega world beat vibe. Every track here cooks without a wasted moment. The concept of short stories mixed into songs is brave and inspiring. To Forgive or Not is absolutely heart wrenching. What a raw moment she shared. Favorite Track: I would go with To Forgive or Not but it might be a little too real for my comfort. Instead I’ll pick Evil In Numbers with a guest vocal from Jim Semonik, total banger.

Unfolding | Sapphira Vee

ESA – Sounds for your Happiness – Uk Artist Jamie Blacker does the hardest freaking industrial I can handle. Maybe not the hardest there is, but it is my maximum spice level for enjoyment. Complete vision of concept, intelligent lyrics, and hot wet charisma rising from the floor. Always the right sound to convey the moment. I dare anyone to listen to this record and not feel your body moving. This record is my apocalypse soundtrack and the way things are going I will need it sooner rather than later. Favorite Track: Something For the Horsemen

Mastered by Stephan Sutor

Sounds for your Happiness | ESA

Stoneburner – Post . Industrial . Occult – Baltimore Cyber Wizard Steven Archer‘s latest offering full of tight turns like a Tron light cycle. “Oh Ken, picking another of your friends?” Guess what, my friends make the sickest music. Every new release of Stoneburner Steve steps further in front of the mic to embrace the frontman inside him. Mark Alan Miller (Out Out) joins in the production to add a funky 90s industrial flavor to the glistening bionic teeth. I kept picturing that day 1992 at Pine Knob when Ministry took the stage and the sod blotted out the sky. Favorite Track: C4 Amour

Post . Industrial . Occult | Stoneburner

Caustic – FIEND I / FIEND II – Why do we love Madison Wisconsin Industropunk Caustic? The punk rock ethos? The intelligent political vinegar? Is it the fact that Matt loves bad ass beats as much as you do and dedicates his life and time to making sure your fuking bones quake when his bassline drops? Pick an answer. One truth remains, for 1.5 decades now Caustic has been giving you both barrels of fearless phosphorus dragon round industrial music and the Fiend dual albums leave it all on the floor. Fiend I is a Tesla arc of manic blue energy. Both have a wonderful Underworld umami with just as much diversity to the flavors. Fiend II is slushy soul bearing concrete stomps. Both humble, self-aware, and real as a heart attack. I wish all dance music had the courage to be this honest. Favorite Tracks: Ritual Self Destruction and Survive Myself Despite Myself. Fuk these hit hard.

No AI went into the making of this. Don’t be a hack.

FIEND II | Caustic

Caustic – “FIEND I” – Sounds and Shadows

HEALTH – CONFLICT DLC – In 2024 HEALTH had an album on my top records list, and here they are back again. The LA trio is simply changing the game. I rarely see something as debated as rather they fall under the “goth” umbrella. One thing that is decidedly true is they fall under the umbrella of things that consistently slap. It’s jet black ear candy in a latex wrapper. It’ sexy, soulful, and follows a beat of it’s own. I could just set this record on repeat and not get board of it for 4 days. Favorite Track: You Died

CONFLICT DLC | HEALTH

Panic Priest – Once Wild – Chicago shadow crooner Jack Armondo was one of the first artist I discovered in my goth renaissance back in 2018. A dreamy rich baritone voice who fires out wicked guitar licks and fills a stage all on his own. In those years he has evolved and refined leading up to Once Wild. It’s so sleazy and retro in tone and presentation. Like plush purple velvet wrapped around Depeche Mode Violator. I love the even ratio blend of synthpop and glam rock. Jack has a sensual unforgettable voice that makes the hairs on the back of your arm stand up. Every new Panic Priest record makes me say “This is the best Panic Priest album yet” but… “This is the best Panic Priest album yet” Favorite Track: My Lonely Ghost

Produced, Mixed and Recorded by Brian Fox and Jack Armondo at Altered States and The Panic Pad
Additional Production and Recording by Daniel Belasco at The Belasco House Studio (Tracks 3,7)
Mastered by Jeppe Hasseriis at The Constellation

Cover Design and Layout by Eric Adrian Lee
Concept and Front Cover Photo by Jack Armondo
Model: Lindsey Nelmar
Back Cover Photo by David Joseph Gall
Panic Priest “Splatter Logo” by John of Clubdrugs

Once Wild | Panic Priest

AL1CE – So Below – Progressive psychedelic dark rock with blistering laser vocals and true artistry for every instrument on a packed stage. Basically Goth Jefferson Airplane led by the charismatic Tash out front. This album is emotive and deliberate. An emotive rollercoaster behind the curtain. So below hits on the heavier rock driven side of Al1ce. The record features a lot of wicked guitar licks and heavenly vocal blends but otherwise hits a wide variety of styles within the loose dark rock concept. Tash also does an awesome interview podcast called The Unwritten Rules of the Road. Their live show is a must see of the modern scene, never miss a chance when they come through your town. Favorite Track: See Me

All AL1CE songs written by Tash Cox, Scott Landes, Gordon Bash, and Steve Kefalas

So Below | AL1CE

Nite – NITE – Twin brothers from Dallas Texas with this self-titled release. These lads just have something captivating and special. The harmony of shadowy Duran Duran sounds blended with romantic gothic Cure vocals. if you aren’t on the NITE bandwagon yet, do it now, because in a few years you will need to buy a ticket to a festival to see these shooting stars. Favorite Track: Easy – this has such an awesome 90’s electronic sound that transports me back.

“NITE” Your new favorite goth twins… – Sounds and Shadows

Kyle Mendes – Vocals, Bass, Synths, Programing
Myles Mendes – Vocals, Guitar, Synths, Programing
Phil Helms – Drums, Percussion

NITE | Nite

Korine – A Flame In The Dark – The gorgeous darkgaze sound of Korine from Philly is criminally underrated. One of those bright warm glow sounds with lyrics so raw and crushing like Pet Shop Boys “Rent”. As they have done more releases they keep everything that makes them great and add layers of depth and maturity. Favorite Track: it’s hard to pick but I’ll say “Screaming in the Night” because the lyrics made me cry.

All songs written, recorded, and produced by Korine
Mixed and mastered collaboratively by Trey Frye and Noah Lemen
Korine font designed by Liz McLean
Insert Photo by Caro Ramirez
Artwork layout and design by Korine
Released by Born Losers Records 2025

A Flame In The Dark | Korine

Patriarchy – Manual For Dying – LA razorpop artist Patriarchy had one of the best cross over records this year. Something that transcends genre by pulling the best parts of so many sounds together. The vocals are haunting and ethereal. The music is a swirling vortex that flows in clean patterns that follow the instinct of the bodies movement. Every song here is a dance floor banger. Favorite Track: Pain Is Power

Manual For Dying | Patriarchy

Kill Shelter – Slow Burn Sorrow – Pete Burn’s is one of the best producers/song writers of the modern goth era. 2019 album “Damage” is a 4th wave classic. With Slow Burn Sorrow Pete stripped everything to the ground a minimalist Swans like swaying delivery of tortured melody. I love when an artist proves they can hit you emotionally using any tool in the box. Using 58 overlayed sounds or 4 simple tracks Kill Shelter has a grasp of how to connect with a human story. Something of a lost art in the singles and over produced beats in the current deluge. Favorite Track: A Gift of Ashes

Slow Burn Sorrow | Kill Shelter

Blood Dance –Walk the Night – Akatoxkatl Martinez in Mexico City has blended trad goth sensibility with protest punk heart, and wicked dance beats to create one of my favorite modern interpretations of what captured my soul in early goth. Produced by goth legend Franck Amendola (Corpus Delicti) who understood how to perfectly blend the emotive rise and falls of Akatoxkatl‘s vocal delivery. This record just drips with soul, it’s a living evolving energy from track 1 – 7. Mexico City has a goth scene that needs a lot more attention and Blood Dance is leading the charge into the future. Favorite Track: Compromise

Produced by Franck Amendola & Blood Dance | Mixed by Franck Amendola at FATS Studio in Nice, France | Mastered by Jerome Schmitt at theairlab.com in London, UK.

Walk the Night – Album | Blood Dance

Red Lorry Yellow Lorry – Strange Kind Of Paradise – I 1st heard English goth legends Red Lorry Yellow Lorry in the 90’s in college with the album “Talk About the Weather”. I was struck by the chaos and dynamics, by Chris Reed’s corroded dark delivery and blistering cadence. In 2025 they have released a new album on COP with the chaotic blistering post punk guitars, layered in more digital swirls and psychedelic fantasy. Fans have been waiting for this record for two decades and it does not disappoint. Favorite Track: Walking On Air…that bassline…perfection.

Chris Reed – Vocals & Guitar
David Wolfenden – Guitar
Simon ‘Ding’ Archer – Bass, Synths
Martin Henderson – Drums

Strange Kind Of Paradise | Red Lorry Yellow Lorry

BELLHEAD – Threats – From Chicago my favorite duel bass dark alt murder ballad stars Bellhead put out this absolute banger record. It’s tight, it’s fierce, and it has a vibe all of it’s own. This is story telling explosion somewhere between Nick Cave and Filter. It’s even better when you see it live. it also contains a couple of wicked Remixes by Club Drugs and Stabbing Freaking Westward. The Bass growls, the guitars howl, Ivan does both. Karen makes all the edges smooth and sparkling. Threats are all my favorite things from the 90’s alt scene with the benefits of modern production. Favorite Track: Heart Shaped Hole

BELLHEAD
Karen Righeimer ~ Low Bass / Vocals
Ivan Russia ~ High Bass / Vocals / Drum Programming

All Songs Written, Performed and Produced by BELLHEAD
Management Consulting David Schock

Recorded & Mixed by Neil Strauch
Mastered by Carl Saff

Photography by Fleurette Estes
Design by Igloo Vacuum

Threats | BELLHEAD

The Funeral March of the Marionettes – It All Falls Apart – From Rockford Illinois this one is a tearjerker just to talk about. The mind child of beloved scene figure Joe Whiteaker who was taken from us too soon by cancer. His bandmate Darius McCaskey engaged some friends to make sure this record found its way into the world even after Joe’s passing. It ended up being his most profound work. A heart wrenching work of beauty and mortality. Razor sharp instrumentation, haunting vocals, and masterful production by goth legend William Faith. I just love playing this album and try not to cry picturing Joe belting his heart out. Favorite Track: Shadow Games

The Funeral March of the Marionettes is:
J. Whiteaker – Vocals, Bass, Keyboards, Programming
D. McCaskey – Bass, Programming, Backing Vocals
W. Thiele – Guitar, Backing Vocals

Additional performances by:
Ria Aursjoen (of Octavian Winters and AURSJOEN) – Vocals on “Stars at Night” and “Save Us”
Rob Hyman (of [melter]) – Drums on “Save Us” and “It All Falls Apart”
Renard Platine – Bass VI on “Bobblehead”

Remixes by Tweaker, Bellhead, and The Joy Thieves

Recorded at Studio 13
Produced, mixed & mastered by William Faith (williamfaith.studio)

Artwork by Greg Rolfes (eleven12design.com)
Photographs by Xen Photography (thexenaissance.com)

It All Falls Apart | The Funeral March of the Marionettes

Roger Ebner – EBNR – I’m a huge sucker for saxophone in darkscene music. Roger of (Pigface) is a true artist of stretching the instrument beyond it’s intended boundaries with electronic effects. His story is such an inspirational one. Being told he would never play again after a frightening diagnosis. Through perseverance and creativity he birthed this beautiful record with the help of Krstoff Liggio of legendary industrial band BILE. Favorite Track: Break It Up

EBNR | Roger Ebner

grabyourface – Sadgirl Mixtape – From France Marie has been creating their own genre of electronic sadpop that just keeps evolving. Visceral Leonard Cohen lyrical poetry with modern sensibility and gorgeous backing like grey waves rolling into the shore. This record is so raw and full of confrontational wisdom. Favorite Track: The Black of my Hoodie

Sadgirl Mixtape | grabyourface

Kali Dreamer – Imperfect Dark – From Colombus Ohio comes Kali Dreamer, one of the most talented young people in the modern scene. A lot of folks on this list are well known and talked about by other pundits of the scene. If you take away one thing to put yourself out there and try that you have never heard of it should be this CRIMINALLY underrated record. Derek Christopher does a masterful job of production to make these songs glow in the neon that modern goth can achieve. Markise Johnson is a vocal and songwriting talent that draws you in immediately. These songs tell a vivid story and expand the definition of what you thought you knew about goth. The sleazy slushy guitar work is a masterclass in tone and setting. Favorite Track: Dead Boys Don’t Fall In Love.

Markise Johnson: Music, Lyrics, Vocals
Kendall Denton: Bass Guitar
Derek Christopher: Production

Imperfect Dark | Kali Dreamer

WitchHands – Vox Nihili – Colorado band Witchhands is one of the most underrated talents in modern Deathrock. Vox Nihili is a reimagined and re-recorded version of the first WitchHands album A Voice and Nothing More (2018) with the 2025 band lineup.A Voice and Nothing More is what made me fall in love with Ryan and their sound in the first place. here hits another level of production, which the raw grizzly sound of AVANM was part of what i loved. That broken glass in a sleazy ally is still there. what they have done to create atmosphere and transport you to a horror movie landscape is different. I used to play A RPG in the 90s called Vampire the Mascarade, to set the tone for the game I would often play (joy division, Bauhaus, The Sisters,) to put my players in the right headspace. If I ran a campaign today, I would play Vox Nihili. Favorite Track: Still Derelict, it feels like being chased by a Crynos form werewolf through a New York back ally.

Ryan Flint: Vocals, Lyrics, Art
Brian “Sleazy B”: Drums, Production
Dæmien Alexander: Guitar
Danny Vigilante: Bass

Vox Nihili | WitchHands

Sizzling New Electronica Releases

Featured By soundsandshadows (Ken Magerman)

Recently I have found myself seeking out music that caused my mind to wander in fantastical textures and elevated thoughts. To listen beyond slamming club hits and bask in something inspirational. So I have chosen to share some intellectual sonic nourishment outside the mainstream. Most of what I have chosen isn’t the darkness Sounds and Shadows is known for. This is music drenched with vibrant colors to inspire and innovate. I hope you find something you love.

Chiasm – Chasing Butterflies – Amazing new remix EP from Emileigh Rohn of Michigan. An electronic producer with an impressive body of work that has honed her emotional electronic style into flashing blades that whirling dervish poetic musings. Compiling an all-star heist team of Beborn Beton, Stabbing Westward, Black Car Burning, Sapphiria Vee, Jean-Marc Lederman, and Steve Anthony to remix three tracks. Each one captures a different aspect of the chaotic manic wandering from the original. Emileigh has a wispy fae delivery in vocals that transports you to a supernatural realm, each canvas shows different hues. With all the legendary names taking on Chasing Butterflies, I found myself drawn in to Black Car Burning‘s version of “Dead Trees” with it’s greyscale contrasts and spoken word delivery. When I was a child I accidently saw Poltergeist staying up past my bedtime one night. The scene with the tree breaking through the window has always haunted me. Something about this remix struck me in the same way. I love a song that crawls under my skin.

released May 3, 2024

All songs written, programmed, performed and produced by Emileigh Rohn.

Recorded in MausHaus Studio 2020-2023.
Mastered by Jean-Marc Lederman.
Artwork by Christian Petke/DCore.

Chasing Butterflies | Chiasm (bandcamp.com)

G.W. Childs IV – Spectrum – Last year I fell in love with the yee haw synth goth sound of G.W. from his EP “You Don’t Know“. I love a lofty concept and here G.W. addresses his childhood synesthesia by composing a sonic representation of each color in the pallet. Opening with Gold and winding a spiritual sidewinder through emotion and imagery to Silver. This album really stretches the human experience and makes sharp cuts for every track. The vocal delivery embraces a deliberate cadence with almost hip-hop aspects. This can’t cover the twang of Texas that makes the whole journey feel the sway of the saddle. Generally to write a review I listen to an album 3 times minimum. After playing this four times, I feel like I am barely scratching the surface. This record has a Tolkienesque feel of epic technicolor journey. A footstep by footstep quest past every pain or triumph that makes us human.

The whole point of this album is to use only sounds that let you close your eyes and see the essence of a color in your imagination. So choosing a favorite tracks is really tough. I suppose some did impact me the most. Maybe they were the tracks that captured my favorite colors. Maybe they reminded me of my favorite Tolkien characters once I made that connection.

Orange: This was my Tom Bombadil. Burnt synthesis. Sunsets, that moment of reflection right before a transition. An extra burst of energy before things go dark. Orange is a wild card. Orange is possibility.

Violet: This track is dangerous. This is mystery. A mist that doesn’t let you see to the horizon. Something supernatural made of dreams. Duality of bright and dark. Violet is both at once.

I love when an artist takes chances. This record took all the chances.

Written, programmed, performed and produced by G.W. Childs IV
Executive Producer: Christian Petke
Mastering by: (Slam) Stephen Lam

Spectrum | G.W. Childs IV (bandcamp.com)

Rohn – Lederman – Black And Bleu – A brand new release from frequent collaborators Emileigh Rohn (US/ Chiasm) and Jean-Marc Lederman (Belgium/ The Weathermen, Ghost & Writer) on Jean-Marc’s new label Les Disques de la Pantoufle. A two disc CD with a clear tonal division. As composers Emileigh and Jean-Marc have always impressed me by forging raw emotions into a complex blended human experience. Black and Bleu takes that complete being, deconstructs it into laser thin aspects to categorize by the duality of contrasting colors. I highly recommend a physical copy with the stark contrasting artwork of Erica Hinyot.

The Black CD was more tortured and introspective. Emileigh’s voice went to a more passionate poetic place than their previous collaborations. It had me recalling another favorite electronic poet Susanne Vega and her 99.9 degrees F album. It’s such a powerful combination, the way no sound is wasted. Everything here has a purpose in the swirling black abyss. Each bass note, every synth pad, electronic brushes on electric drums. You never hear a crescendo unless you have to, because when the impact comes it needs to strike hard.

Black Favorite Track – Eggshells – I LOVE when a CD closes with the most powerful and revealing track. This simple piano and reverberating strings paint such a tapestry for a soul shaking poem. I’ve tried to walk forward in life, on what I knew was dangerous ground. I could feel every tentative step and my heart went out. when music is something you don’t just listen to, but feel.

The Bleu CD let’s you see the color, a more hopeful twilight. Overlapping harmonies caught on the wind. Thee tracks make full use of Emiliegh’s styles. Cadenced whispered spoken word, rattling off piercing uplifting choirs. Bleu uses surreal background effects to give the world a sense of whimsy. These tracks all feel like dreams. A movie you watch with your eyes closed.

Bleu Favorite Track – Sliding In Socks – I love the way this song captures a private moment we all have done, but never in front of anyone. There is something beautiful of that idea both secret, and universally relatable. The keyboards have the feel of an 8 bit virtuality game you might get lost in forever. I’ve listened to this 4 times, and each one the words tell me a different story.

Black And Bleu | Rohn – Lederman (bandcamp.com)

Trick Casket – BITCHCRAFT – I remember saying this about the band Haex, this is as much metal in my Industrial as i can handle and still love it. The Toronto band of Connor Grant, Brett Carruthers, Ryan Parker, and Nicolo Cassidy are a heavy breath of stalking invisible hell hounds chasing you down the hall. Frightening electronic horror that walks the sinister pace of inevitability. The chorus roars ferocious intention.

An unfortunate fate to conjure you
An unfortunate fate to conjure you
All the suffering you wanted me to
Fuck that, I hope it happens to you
An unfortunate fate to conjure you

Often with Metal music my hangup is the vocals where intention gets lost in the pure aggression. Trick Casket finds a subtitle delivery just on the brink of chaos. If I ever get the chance to demolish concrete walls with a sledgehammer, Trick Casket is the soundtrack to fill my heart with brimstone for the deed.

released April 2, 2024
Written and performed by: Trick Casket
Music produced by: Trick Casket and Brett Carruthers
Mixed & Mastered by: Brett Carruthers

Additional writing credit:
Ryan Parker – composition, drums
Nicolo Cassidy – additional guitar composition

BITCHCRAFT | Trick Casket (bandcamp.com)

“The Black Maria: a menacing 19th Century figure who would come to take away our outcasts and miscreants…
later used as the slang term For UK police vans…
Nothing much has change”

ATTRITION – The Black Maria – Electronic music legend Martin Bowes put out the single The Great Derailer some time ago. An instant classic utilizing vocal talents Emke of Black Nail Cabaret to paint a striking portrait of 19th century baron’s holding a mirror to modern day post capitalism. In March the full album was released from Cage Studios in his home in Coventry. There is a focus in music these days to release a constant stream of content to maintain relevance. I love the patient unraveling of this records story, as well as the controlled narrative style of it’s creation. Additional collaborators Yvette from Vaselyne, Joanne Wolf and most notably the return of original ATTRITION vocalist Julia, to create an album varying in style from industrial to gothic to dark ambient soundscapes. These drum compositions and sound effect craft create a subversive world of flickering amber lights and combustion machinery. Martin adds his own slow whiskey gravel vocals, building and chanting intensity.

Using a menagerie of symphonic sound from special guest appearances by Alia Miroshichenko (Subterranea) Annie Hogan (Marc and the Mambas etc) on Grand Piano, Vancorvid and Marietta Fox on Violins, Ian Arkley (My Silent Wake, Guillotine Dream) on Guitar, Steve Clarke (Futumche/Octogoth) on additional guitar/bass, and Kris Force on Cello. Every aspect of this album feels large and significant.

Favorite Track: The Great Derailer is the easy answer. I have reviewed the single before though. So I will talk about The Alibi – This terrifying Bioshock lullaby with tension lashing violins, and gorgeous operettic harmonies. A chaotic fever dream held together by the tempo of the rolling tracks. A wonderous example of songcraft.

This entire album is a wonderous experience that paints images and inspires higher thought. Something we are sorely in need of in the modern world. What if Tom Waits crooned and industrial record on the downfall of mankind in 2024? You don’t have to dream anymore.

The Black Maria | ATTRITION (bandcamp.com)

Red Lokust – Hope is the Last Refuge of the Dying – Latest release from Pittsburgh’s Distortion Records guru Jim Semonik one of the truly good dudes in this scene. Things I appreciate from the starting gun “Sunfall Down” bouncy clubdustrial beats with sunken distorted vocals, in which I can hear every word ring out. Sometimes genre gets in the way of intent. Not here, lots of classic 90’s industrial homage elements but never at the expense of the lyrics and delivery. This album is bright and crackling with an explorers sci fi hope. It’s dark and snarling, but always charging forward and this underlying live wire is what makes the tracks sizzle. I didn’t link an interview to this review because somehow I have never had Jim on the show, I really need to remedy that. I kept waiting to hit my high speed industrial limit break but it never came. With breakdown tracks like Crestfallen to lay tempo change and curve to the laser car extravaganza.

Hope is the Last Refuge of the Dying | Red Lokust (bandcamp.com)

SU – Amanita ocreata – So last year I fell in love with the bizarre Quebec duo that did the most amazing cover of Skinny Puppy “Smothered Hope” on the Retronomicon album to help Charles Levi. I suppose when I spooled up this new EP, I expected something vaguely in the vein of that. I LOVE being this level of delighted and surprised. To start with, the cover art is magnificent. Before I hit play I was transported to a secret Jules Verne cavern of wonder. The opening track is an operatic chorus of deep sea majesty. Then track two (The title track) completely flipped the script on everything I thought I knew about SU. A sleek alien submarine QLazzarus meets Miranda’s Sex Garden adventure soundtrack in French where I understood nothing but heard all. Song after song I felt so transported by the creativity and execution I was convinced Jean-Marc Lederman was involved somehow.

Paroles et musique par SU
Enregistré et mixé par SU
Pochette par Raphaëlle Lavoie

Favorite track: La fête des spores – Closing out with these toms and fairy fire vocals was captivating like the first time I heard the Sugar Cubes. Chanting underdark magic rising from spore laced smoke. The whole time I listened I felt myself lured to a cold fate, and kept following the beauty of the song.

Amanita ocreata | SU (bandcamp.com)

Goth/Industrial/Post Punk already making 2024 Sizzle.

Featured By soundsandshadows (Ken Magerman)

I have been awful about writing to you all about the latest and greatest darkscene releases this year. It’s time for me to start making up that up. My goal this year is to dive a little deeper into feature pieces on bands and releases. Doing quick hit articles with multiple bands tagged is still valuable for getting the word out and combining fan bases. So if you love dark music and this scene, read about the bands you already know. More importantly give a chance to some you don’t recognize and please share these reviews. It costs nothing and help folks find new music to love. I appreciate everyone who supports us. Go see live music in underground venues. These bands are The Cure/Joy Division/Depeche Mode/Sister Of Mercy of tomorrow. You can see them now for under 20 dollars.

Tears for ʇhe Dying – Dead Girl Dancing (single) – Nothing feels better than watching something I already love, re-invent itself into something new and glorious. Tears For The Dying has become my favorite in a new wave of death rock. Adria and Mick have an exposed truth you cannot put a mask on. It shines with feral chaotic beauty burning outside modern popular refinement. Dead Girl Dancing is a delicate and subtle shine blasting through the cracks of traumatic armor. I love hearing a playful tone in Adria’s singing and phrase. Mick also shows wide range with this wrist flick fencers beat. This song reminds me that sometimes the most goth thing of all isn’t to wallow in despair. Instead to celebrate the beauty of the macabre. A dream which for some might be a nightmare, yet to those who want to look beyond convention, a midnight dance with the animated dead. Sometimes I fear Tears For the Dying is too honest and strange to ever feel the embrace of mainstream audiences. I hope they do find the attention of our darkscene. Other artists in the know, know Tears For the Dying.

See me, hear me, take my hand
Let’s go for a walk in the boneyard
See me, hear me, take my hand
Let’s dance in the fog

Dead Girl Dancing (single) | Tears for ʇhe Dying (bandcamp.com)

Bootblacks – When You Want – Speaking of rebirth, the Brooklyn post punk band Bootblacks who I have heaped praise on many times have done some introspection, a lineup change, and a total sonic reboot. When it is a band you already love, it is natural to worry, if I already loved where they were heading, will I still after a 180? It’s a beautiful twist of fate when the new direction makes you fall in love over again. There is a lot of excitement right now around the “Dark Italian Disco Sound”. It seems to be the next hot thing. “When You Want” is a flame laced single that embraces modern American Dark Disco. Something brash and confident that leaves pretention at the door. I’ve never heard Panther embrace such elegance and clarity. Those raw fuzzy energy waves from “Thin Skies” have become sharp lines and complex movement. Whatever that special “it” factor that Panther and Barrett had, they managed to bring it with them. Riding the cusp of the next natural progression.

When You Want | Bootblacks (bandcamp.com)

Isaac Howlett – House of Cards – By track three of this review a pattern is emerging. Another phoenix rises with a new sound and pallet. Isaac Howlett of the atmospheric darksynth band Empathy Test releases his first solo venture. Without a live drummer this single stays light on it’s toes. It sparkles and spins on a fantastical dancefloor. Isaac’s always beautiful voice glows warmer and wider. I feel a real “Power, Corruption, and Lies” tone in the music. I think Isaac’s vocal talent elevates the original concept in many ways. Excited to see where this new feel takes us next.

House of Cards | Isaac Howlett (bandcamp.com)

The Joy Thieves – The Heart of the Worm – Since Dan Milligan started The Joy Thieves it has been growing in membership to include over 50 members. Bringing new talents and skills to add to the color palette. Now it ranges all the way from living legends to…me. As in previous releases TJT tend to build around a vocalist in each album. The Heart Of The Worm goes back to one of the first Joy Thieves and Dan’s oldest friends Mathew Clark (Mary’s Window). Tragically Mathew had a stroke that left him with a long road to physical recovery. “Spilt Milk” embodies Matt’s trademark snarl and purr style with a crunchy new metal riff. The drums are dialed in so tightly you really feel the walls closing in. Then the chorus blows the roof off the building to scream to the heavens. It’s something special to play together so long, in so many projects it gives a song the hive mind feel. When timing becomes so precise you wonder if they used some kind of telepathic link. Track 2: Relentless features Chicago Industrial standout Mike Reidy on vocals is a frothing beast bends each phrase to match the pitch shift riff. I love when industrial leans into a groove.

The Angels Have All Gone Insane | The Human Element (bandcamp.com)

The Heart of the Worm | The Joy Thieves (bandcamp.com)

ACTORS – In Real Life – It’s impossible to mention the resurgence of post punk next wave music without discussing Vancouver based band Actors. The first single of 2024 throws every color at the wall with precision and efficiency. This track is beauty celebrated, an emotional sculpture drawing your ear towards a captured moment.

Also the Actors are going back out on the road. I’m going to see them on Sat 4/27 at Fixation Festival in Detroit. I need to make it clear, in 2036 there will be two kinds of people in this scene. Those talking about how they saw Actors for less than $20 back in the day, and those complaining about the price of tickets they are still going to buy. It’s not too late to be the former.

In Real Life | ACTORS (bandcamp.com)

Intrusive Pinky – I Hate You, Patriarch Fuck! – Modular duo of Jackie and Diana, a bit of Melloncampiness there, which came to my attention being the first signing of Jean-Marc Lederman’s new label Les disques de la pantoufle. If I was to pick 5 names I considered experts of knowing something has quality in the modern artistic scene, Jean-Marc would be on that list. So lets turn up the studio speakers and get some first impressions from the debut EP of Californias Intrusive Pinky.

Past Midnight – I like to think the first track of the first EP from a band is meant to send you a message. Right away the message was clear. Ken, you are not the demographic the song was aimed at. Still, you know badass when you hear it. This beat goes against the grain, still finding a pulse your heart is drawn to follow. Spoken throwing star cadence throwing sharp words at random intervals from the palm. Finding some equilibrium between hook and chaos that gives this slow electric club stomper a jazzy soul. You have my attention.

We’re The Meow Meow Generation – Give me that glitchy flapper energy like trip hop on a runaway train. Lately I’ve seen a modern trend of new video games to use advanced graphic versions of pixel art to bring the focus back to the story. This track feels like the music version of that ideal. It’s bright, bold, feather boas at a 90s Detroit warehouse rave.

I’m already invested hook like and sinker and need to have these folks on for an interview soon.

I Hate You, Patriarch Fuck! | Intrusive Pinky (bandcamp.com)

LEATHERS – Crash – Brand new single from the shimmering jewel reverse personality of Actors. Also on Artoffact but with a focus on the arm hair chills stunning voice of Shannon Hemmett. A slippery synthpop symphony in slow wide arcs. I love when a songs lyrics take you on a mystery. Hints at a story that feels familiar but lingers just out of your reach. I’ll admit to playing and reading the lyrics 5 times to reflect, and I am not done yet.

Crash | LEATHERS (bandcamp.com)

BRIDES – Doom Profits – From the moment Adrian started this lofi Norwegian dark rock project it has stirred in me a desire to proclaim the soul of traditional goth has returned. He even calls it “Norwegian rock band Brides”, refusing to acknowledge the word goth. Just like Doom Profits who came before him. Wielding these slithering guitar riffs like a Bo-whip demonstration above a thunderous bass hook. Leaning into his own voice with rough textures on higher range to create his own tale of woe.

Nothing Left For Love – A slow driving croon with fog curling over the lip of a chasm. Lyrics that are utterly beyond hope and have given over to the void. This song takes a simple vamping riff and dials it into that exact median dot so many have searched for. Listening to this is like playing chicken with true darkness. You keep expecting a moment where the author diverts and shows it was all pageantry. He never blinks. Never

“And these dreams that spill out of my head
Drip from my tongue and crawl up my throat
Until I vomit them out on the page
Or in a song”

Heartquake – A scorcher foot to the floor right off the line. This song is a black muscle car with flames and exposed chrome. Siren emulating synthesizers trail behind dangerous slides over broken city concrete. Hard dirty motion that doesn’t slow down as it goes around the curves.

“A shakey kiss
From trembling lips
Earthbeat
Heartquake
Skin crawls
Fingers quiver
Tongues slip
Tendrils slither
Tracing scars
Unwrap the heart
Muted howls
Nervous touch”

Doom Profits | BRIDES (bandcamp.com)

Sounds and Shadows 2023 Top Darkscene Albums

Featured By soundsandshadows (Ken Magerman)

This has been a tough year for a lot of people personally. A year where we lost many friends and beloved artists in this scene. Though history strife and conflict have often been the inspiration for great art. A catalyst that helps us search for truth and test boundaries. This was a year of amazing new music that touched my heart and inspired me. As always I won’t try and rate or list every record I enjoyed. I think to cover everything and try and place it in a tidy box of genre is to lose the magic I feel getting to tell you all about something new. So I will tell you all about the Albums and Eps that touched me deepest in 2023. I hope in 2024 I discover even more and make twice as many friends like you to share it with. I’m not going to write in any particular order. If a record is on this list, I hold it in high esteem.

unitcode:machine – Critical Fault – The growth and innovation Eric Kristoffer achieved with this release is staggering. Signing with COP International to release this cold icicle dagger of EDM pop hooks and pounding industrial machinery. Eric’s vocals are captivating and unexpected. Chris Hall (Stabbing Westward) did the a masterful and modern job of the mixing and you can hear both his influence as well his belief and passion for what Eric wrote. I expect by this time next year A Lot of fans of electronic music are going to be talking about unitcode:machine.

Critical Fault | unitcode:machine (bandcamp.com)

A Cloud of Ravens – -Lost Hymns– Another story about huge achievements this year are the Brooklyn based duo infusing sharp jagged punk rock with the mystery and romantism of gothic rock. Produced by Jackknife Studio’s the heavy bass and exaltation in the vocals melt together into something spiritual that burns with passion. I love that Matt’s vocals aren’t afraid to be dramatic. His delivery adds so much to the narrative. The dedication to gothic driven rock is what ties together the record. The thing that makes it stand out in 2023. My favorite track is one of the most synth heavy electronic crooners “Old Ghosts“. A top to bottom stand out that explores the vocal range sense of exploration that makes ACOR shine brightest. This record is the perfect accompaniment for almost every activity. It longs to bring you on adventures.

‘LOST HYMNS’ | A Cloud of Ravens (bandcamp.com)

BELLHEAD – Good Intentions – Chicago based double bass duo Karen and Ivan are supporters of one of the largest scenes in the US. They play eclectic dark alt horror that confronts and energizes. The May release is a roller-coaster off the tracks, chaotic, dangerous, and alluring. Image rich poetry bouncing in a dialog of vocals to bouncing bass and stabbing guitars. Ivan’s voice is a whispered menace that gnaws the back of your neck while Karen’s cadence draws you forward. Favorite track: Valentine – This sad pop bopping guitar crossing something sinister and a blissful ignorance of what stalks you is an amazing sensation.

Good Intentions | BELLHEAD (bandcamp.com)

The Bellwether Syndicate – Vestige & Vigil – This record is a modern day classic. Released in 2023 to great acclaim by darkscene insiders, this is a record I think will keep gaining momentum in 2024. William, Sara, and Phil all hold impressive pedigree in this scene. Vestige & Vigil was their chance to place their stamp on the modern conversation of post punk by drawing in the collective anxiety and rage of the modern world, pressing it into a cool thrumming gem, then hurling it with a snarling curse at an unfeeling world. It takes true expertise to hone the ethos of filthy punk rock into something this smooth and concentrated. I can’t think of higher praise than saying picture “Raw Power” recorded by Martin Hannett in Manchester with 2023 gear. William just took a break from his role in March Violets to focus on The Bellwether Syndicate and touring, so please make sure to look for them coming to play near you. This will be the band everyone is talking about.

Vestige & Vigil | The Bellwether Syndicate (bandcamp.com)

Beborn Beton – Darkness Falls Again – We waited too long for a new release from legendary German electropop from Beborn Beton. When the wait was over, dear gods was it worth it. This record is a master class on songcraft, beauty, and emotional complexity. Stefan Netschio croons away with a leather whip delivery. All eight tracks are a spinning cyberpunk ballroom to get lost in. Dancer In The Dark is an all-time own the floor banger. One of those tracks that has longevity to break through the surface of todays vast ocean of new synth music.

Darkness Falls Again | Beborn Beton (bandcamp.com)

Antipole & Paris Alexander – Crystalline – Antipole is a Norway based post punk band I first fell in love with in 2017 with Karl’s first release “Northern Flux“. They have collaborated with many European top darkscene talents. In my humble opinion Karl has the best guitar tone in the genre. However that is something I have come to expect from all of Karl’s albums. That is not what made this record shine so brightly. This record was a far more collaborative effort which highlighted the soul and range of Paris Alexander and Eirene. This made characters and voices of complexity to dance on the shining crystal world Karl had built. Gorgeous and impactful, below is a link to a rare interview I did with Karl about the record. This is an album that transports you.

Crystalline | Antipole & Paris Alexander | Antipole (bandcamp.com)

A Covenant of Thorns – Ashes – Scott-David Allen has been making some of the best romantic goth since The Cure “Disintegration” for the last couple decades largely below the radar of the world discussion. Bringing in Gordon Young the legendary goth guitar whisperer to master and provide presence was a match made in heaven. Cascading minor tones wet with sorrow and storm cloud beauty. Some artists just know how to stab me right in the heart with emotional presence. The track “Idols” is a full on melodramatic John Hughes standing in the rain as you watch her walk away experience. Plunge headlong into the forlorn and broken beauty.

Ashes | A Covenant of Thorns (bandcamp.com)

Odonis Odonis – ICON – Toronto dark spectrum artists Constantin Tzenos and Denholm Whale flipped the script again with this new EP. Bringing in a series of great contributors like Tobacco, A Place to Bury Strangers, Actors, SUUNS, and Patriarchy to turn up the heat on a sizzling 90’s alternative chaos. ICON shifts boldly between styles and texture while tying each song back to the badass black leather jacket metric. Walking around with earbuds through the world, every song makes you feel cooler. A little more invincible, a little more fearless. Brilliant Things Feat: Terror Bird was my standout track on an album full of them. Bold longing flung forward as confident vulnerability.

ICON | Odonis Odonis (bandcamp.com)

Black Rose Burning – Ad Astra – The September EP from NY’s George Grant. The man I refer to as the Peter Gabriel of goth. Transcendent stories in distant galaxies, a hyperdrive range and astral bardic delivery. All of these songs feel so timeless, vibrating on a frequency between the past and future. Jason Corbett did the mastering to create sleek lines for maximum warp. Folks are finally starting to take notice of George’s talent and vision. Your collection deserves “Ad Astra“

Ad Astra | Black Rose Burning (bandcamp.com)

MALE TEARS – KRYPT – LA Futurewave artists that have gone through a lineup change since this album give me hope for the future. A Young vibrant addition to the scene that forged their own path. Some people dream in synth sounds, bright fractalated hyper colors. James has a soul for the dramatic and a beautiful voice to carry the message of cleverness. This record is the ideal for the 13 person rager. Lit, but exclusive.

KRYPT | MALE TEARS (bandcamp.com)

Choke Chain – Mortality – Mark Trueman the Hardcore Industrial Punk artist from Wisconsin is one of those pure souls you love to see succeed. Taking hard industrial beats and unleashing vocal wounds with genuine intensity that never feels like a performance. Mortality is another step in the evolution in this synthesis of chaotic electronic club thunder, with piercing confrontation of depression and rage. The truest art should take us to the edge of a precipice, beholding excitement and terror. That is the place Choke Chain takes us. I think this record is something that won’t be fully appreciated until we have had a decade to reflect on it.

Mortality | Choke Chain (bandcamp.com)

BRIDES – The Earth Defeats Me – I have been a major fan of Norway’s modular doom rocker Adrian Borgia for some time, through several projects. This is the record I have been waiting for. The promise of potential I have always seen brought into that perfect moment. Stirring the shadowy depths of the primordial ooze that made that first proto goth sound touch that place in the hearts of everyone on the outside of the circle. Chalices is a 10/10 eerie live in your dreams balled as familiar as it is unique. The religious dedication to modular sway pans like dark water in the underworld. Lean desperate wolf growls which have latched onto fresh meat clarity which allow the poetry to shine. For everyone waiting on the bridge between the earliest death rock and stripped down modern coldwave, it has arrived.

The Earth Defeats Me | BRIDES (bandcamp.com)

Ashes Fallen – Walk Through Fire – Sacramento dark rock trio Ashes Fallen had another blazing guitar forward September release from their “Chapel” recording studio. The vocal duties between Michelle and James have found a wonderful balance. The tone is a reflection of the foreboding world closing in. Sprinkled liberally with a sparkle and glam of London After Midnight. Gordan Young has yet another mastering credit on my best of list by bringing the sharpest edges to these shimmering riffs. Favorite Track: Scar , which is definitely not a single at 5:16. it is a captivating slow build emotional exposition that really highlights the range and sincerity of their collective experience. Ashes Fallen continues to be a standout example of the place where passion and execution meet in the modern era of music.

Walk Through Fire | Ashes Fallen (bandcamp.com)

Sapphira Vee – Fortune – Sapphira from New York state is a great example of an artist I have gotten to watch the growth and development of in real time. The daring courage of her voice and the added components of her collaborators have expanded the limits or motion and image. I feel enraptured by the emergence of a woman’s experience and sensuality expressed unfiltered. This album is intimate, nuanced, unburdened by the insecurities of the past. It harkens 90’s trip hop balanced with the soul and execution of modern darkpop. Favorite Track: Those Words feat Jean Marc Lederman – The Belgian composer is well known for finding the perfect backdrop to highlight a story. The cadence that Sapphira uses in this track is the perfect exposition of her beauty and power. The music evaporates when she steps forward, and rises as she whispers a secret. I love when a story shines in a perfect moment. There is nothing more beautiful then watching an artist evolve in a heart stopping moment.

Fortune | Sapphira Vee (bandcamp.com)

NIGHT NAIL – Fates Explained – This record was a late comer releasing in November from the Berlin Germany transplants Night Nail. Finding a third home of Metropolis Records and mastered by sonic sculptor Pete Burns (Kill Shelter) this abstract concept darkwave has ridden the cusp of the modern scene staying under the radar of popular post punk audiences. Brandon Robert brings an expressive Mark Sandman baritone I feared we may never witness again. I know I said I wasn’t going to rank these records as they all have a distinct brilliance, but this record really hits with an intention, an impact, the transcends enjoyable club music. A complex puzzle to patiently unravel over the next decade. Favorite Track: Narcoleptic Dream Catcher – This one has a throwback Ian McCulloch beauty and depth. Valentine’s backup vocals cast the perfect backlight against the slithering groove. A forgotten hit plucked out of time.

Fates Explained | NIGHT NAIL (bandcamp.com)

VNV Nation – Electric Sun – Confession time, I slept on VNV Nation for WAY too long. Ronan Harris released his first full length since 2018 and it is absolutely breathtaking. The craft, the expression, the undeniable honesty of this record gets beneath your skin. I felt things, ask questions, experienced what art is meant to mean. The art of lyrics as the primary focus in modern songcraft is a sadly lost focus in 2023. This album is everything you ask from modern production while delivering Leonard Cohen level poetry. I am a convert. A believer. I will never sleep on the power and impact of VNV Nation again. Favorite Track: The Game – I have played this song 100 times and the hair on the back of my arms stand up every single time. Some songs just hit a perfect spot, in a perfect moment. They become unforgettable. This is one of those tracks.

Electric Sun | VNV Nation (bandcamp.com)

Bedless Bones – Mire of Mercury – Another late release November 2023 from my favorite band in Estonia. Kadri Sammel has such a unique vocal cadence and energetic world beat percussion texture. A flowing aquatic fantasy of motion and prophesy. This album is shrouded in mystery. An internal exploration of body and soul.

Mire of Mercury | Bedless Bones (bandcamp.com)

Gazelle Twin – Black Dog – Awesome UK band I just discovered this year. Lot’s of gorgeous textured analog synths. Powerful psychedelic Grace Slick style vocals. This band immediately capture me by being creative in a way no one else was doing. A tempo and attack outside the box of what is popular in this moment. The growling industrial version of the Doors of Perception. The lyrics are delivered with poetic intensity. From the moment I heard that first single Black Dog I was hooked. Music without boundaries and rules that captures my dreams. This will always move me.

Black Dog | Gazelle Twin (bandcamp.com)

HEALTH – RAT WARS – LA band that waited until the end of the year to put out one of the most groundbreaking and emotive offerings I heard all year. I know I said I wasn’t going to rank these albums but this was an instant classic banger. It perfectly rides the pipe of beauty and destructive power. Lightning in a bottle of honey dripping warm amber vocals and sand blasting cannon guitars. “Hateful” is an inferno club banger that builds an obsidian castle in your brain and never lets go. This album came out December 2023 so I didn’t get to spend as much time with it as others on this list. That in no way diminished that the first time I heard it I was floored with just how perfectly it balanced the range of human emotion. This record will be something people talk about for years to come.

RAT WARS | HEALTH (bandcamp.com)

Aurelio Voltaire – The Last Halloween Party – As a comedy goth artist the niche pool of artists to look up to is not a vast pool. It is no secret that Aurelio Voltaire is a bit of a personal hero, getting to open for him in 2023 was a highlight of my musical career. Getting a chance to drive him around while listening to this record pre-release was one of those moments that reminds me why I do this. Dark music can be fun, it can be clever, it is diverse and connects with us in all aspects of the human experience. I remember him saying to me “I am a goth who plays music, not a goth musician.” It’s jazz, folk, fusion, all prancing around the fire, stories to send a chill up your spine. There is a very good reason he has continued to entrance fans around the world for decades. An understanding that exploring the darkness and gallows humor within us all is what connects all the misfit children around the world. I can’t wait to play with him again in Detroit in May.

The Last Halloween Party | Aurelio Voltaire (bandcamp.com)

SOPOR AETERNUS & The Ensemble Of Shadows – The Rules – German band that continues to do some of the most impactful and unique darkscene music year after year. An intelligent and abstract experience in a completely different category than the rest of the genre. A little Dead Can Dance, a pinch of The Swans, a smattering of Legendary Pink Dots, all whirling through a Nick Cave mist so theatrically their own. As a reviewer it is so difficult to try and define an experience so unique. No matter how many times I discover a new Sopor Aeternus album I am always struck by how glorious and innovative it is in a sea of ships moving closer together.

The Rules (2023) | SOPOR AETERNUS & The Ensemble Of Shadows (bandcamp.com)

Lana Del Rabies – STREGA BEATA – The impressive 3rd record from Arizona artist Lana Del Rabies. A sinking bog ritual of strings and vibration. A longing prayer to darker forces. This is soulful pleading music felt in the bloodstream. Something old and dangerous called forth from dark woods to transform your dancefloor into a spell of summoning. Don’t enter into this album lightly. It is a summoning. It is a crack in the doorway between dreams and reality. To create something so unnerving and captivating is an act of courage. A thing of defiance. A challenge to the other side.

STREGA BEATA | Lana Del Rabies (bandcamp.com)

genCAB – Signature Flaws – Philly electronic artist David Dutton has captured an idea which seems elementary, but has continued to illude the masses. The lilting anthem driving vocals of emo, and the complex vibrating impact of electronic dance music. It’s bouncing expression you feel in your bones, while vulnerable narrative lyrics offer up something relatable and transformative. The title track Signature Flaws I takes two complex ideas and curls them into perfect synthesis. As someone who came late to the game with emo music, this record blends the best parts of the early 2000s into something fresh and progressive. An album for the future blending ideas not fully realized.

Signature Flaws | genCAB (bandcamp.com)

Korine – Tear – Another incredible Philly band blending the most pastel beautiful aspects of Jesus and Mary Chain shoegaze, Synthwave, and 90s Britpop. The wispy sass of the vocals are a sonic cotton candy I can always get lost in. Pure dopamine poured into your ears. Korine have major star potential and are high on the list of bands I must see live in the near future.

Tear | Korine (bandcamp.com)

SWANS – The Beggar – Return of New York electro doom folk and controversial songwriter Michael Gira with a record that both surprised me and lived up to high expectations. Winding freeform psychedelic murder ballads all clocking in over 6 minutes. Only one single Los Angeles City Of Death, mostly a hard diet of brown acid campfire tales of cosmic horror. A revealing soul exploration that left me inspired and frightened in equal measure. Don’t try and digest this in one go. You need to take many bites before settling in for the meal. It is a meal well worth the wait though. Staggering, brilliant, tortured.

The Beggar | SWANS (bandcamp.com)

Randolph & Mortimer – The Incomplete Truth – The Sheffield, UK artist released this bouncing electropunk symphony of gears and pistons in perpetual motion. It walks heavy with blue collar confidence through a warehouse district after dark. I think one of the hardest things to master in electronic dance music laden with samples is the exact moment to drop them for maximum impact. To not overuse so that the single spoken line sets the scenery without the need for poetic lyrics. The Incomplete Truth achieves an almost robotic precision in it’s efficiency and impact. Never a wasted line, never a bridge that wears out it’s welcome. A place for everything and everything in it’s place.

The Incomplete Truth | Randolph & Mortimer (bandcamp.com)

OMD – Bauhaus Staircase – Another big name legacy band with a return to form in this dystopian fantasywave. I really love how they found new ways to attack the same vamp. A whimsical dance through the streets of a crumbling society. Kleptocracy was my favorite single, the vocals had a slippery magma quality. Bright pop with a thoughtful political relevance. I don’t know if anyone had thought OMD had started to miss the beat, but they most certainly have not.

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – Bauhaus Staircase – Amazon.com Music

††† (Crosses) – Goodnight, God Bless, I Love U, Delete. – LA band that folks are always recommending to me but I never really dug into until this year. I real David Gahan sensuality in the vocals with a more modern glitchy vibe to the darkpop sound. Lot’s of club singles to choose from, an album of dance floor bangers. The occasions when things turn up to 11 quickly against the smooth poppy hooks to smash you with morning star intensity. It’s deceptive in ways that keep you on high alert. Unexpected depth, unexpected intensity, a return to mystique I have longed for.

Amazon.com: Goodnight, God Bless, I Love U, Delete. (2 LP): CDs & Vinyl

thePicassos – Divination Scars: among the dead in symmetry – As a big fan of the Detroit band the thing that has always impressed me most about Charles and company is the intention and thought that goes into every aspect of their performance. Such an eclectic bizarre mixture of styles from 50s doo wop to 90’s Pixies dark alt. Charles has a slippery devotion to every story he sets. Another of my favorite 2023 discoveries that the wider world needs to jump on board with.

Divination Scars: among the dead in symmetry | thePicassos (bandcamp.com)

Ritual Howls – Virtue Falters – 5th record from Detroit post rock Ritual Howls. My obsession with Yee haw goth is well documented and Virtue Falters really plays up the Johnny Cash aspect of country caught in the current of Fields of the Nephelium tragic guitars. The real power comes from how much complexity the songs have while maintaining a very straight forward groove. it’s no easy feat to capture both ideals in equal measure. It feels like one of those old school records where 3 humans locked themselves in an abandoned warehouse and got weird together for two months. Something that either leads to brilliance or madness. Never in between and Virtue Falters tapped the former.

▶︎ Virtue Falters | Ritual Howls (bandcamp.com)

ASSASSUN – Chronic Quicksand Depression Morning – Alexander is one of those infuriating brilliant humans who puts out such a vast amount of quality work I often wonder if he is a person or a fey. Not only is it always amazing, it is always vastly different and mind jarringly weird. I’ve never followed a stranger into an abandoned train station in Berlin in 1987 where 12 people in masks were playing abstract electronic brap music as a party performance piece. I have to imagine this would have been what it felt like and it is awesome. I think the most impressive aspect of this ambient mind goo is that it never feels pretentious. It should, but it never does.

Chronic Quicksand Depression Morning | ASSASSUN | Blackjack Illuminist Records (bandcamp.com)

Witch Pop | CRUNE (bandcamp.com)

Jean-Marc Lederman– Soul Music For Zombies – Legendary Belgian composer Jean-Marc Lederman has an uncanny ability to constantly will into being something my heart had no idea it yearned for. A dark funky industrial blender on roller skates spinning under a disco ball. Frequent contributor Emileigh Rohn does another vocal contribution which soars and cascades with waterfall beauty. Diverse as the shades of human emotion. Jean-Marc spews forth brilliant concepts that need to be shown the light. Underappreciated in our scene doesn’t tell the whole tale.

Soul Music For Zombies | Jean-Marc Lederman (bandcamp.com)

Scorpion Tea – Scorpion Tea – Finally a band that is equal measure fresh on the scene, as well as brimming with OG street cred from drummer Edley ODowd (Psychic TV). Hard mean motorcycle revving skids on the floor of a condemned church. Untamed death rock with tube amp crunch and Raw Power sensuality. I expect 2024 to be a meteoric rise for the NYC band that could find a place in three different scenes.

Scorpion Tea | Scorpion Tea (bandcamp.com)

Sept Bandcamp Day is Here! What is New and Exciting in the Darkscene ?

Featured By soundsandshadows (Ken Magerman)

I have not been doing a great job of releasing new reviews this summer. It is Bandcamp Friday so I thought I would play a bit of catchup on some of the amazing new music that has kept my Summer dark and cool. Goth/Industrial/Wave music is alive and well and as always I want to place a focus on new music that has touched my heart and inflamed my senses.

Black Rose Burning – Night Terrors – George Grant with a second new single from this hybrid genre project that continues to impress. George has a standout voice that has shown new facets of depth and clarity. The cover art and tone are a return to the science fiction passion resonant in the theme of BRB. The slow shooting star guitar rift gives shape to the frantic rhythm driving the track. I know Jason Corbett (Actors) is providing mastering for the upcoming album and I can’t wait to hear his vision of George’s story.

Night Terrors | Black Rose Burning (bandcamp.com)

Obsidian – Collection 1 – I had the pleasure of seeing the Florida Death Rock band play live in Chicago in August. A band that is crackling with positive energy and overflowing with live performance emotion. When I got back home I immediately looked up this October 2022 compilation of their career to date. I hear a lot of passion for the core of original goth. A reverence for Pornography Cure, Acid Bath Alien Sex Fiend, for that early strain of darkness blended with the spark of creation. The compilation includes 2018-2020 15 tracks and a wide swath of styles.

Missy Mortis – Vocals & Guitar
Kathy D. – Keyboards & Backup Vocals
Dent A Gon– Bass & Backup Vocals
Chuck Loose – Drums & Backup Vocal

Favorite Tracks:

A Swamp – You always need to start an album with a banger. Thunderclap bassline which really drives this song like a crashing wave. Sinful chanting vocals that come from the back of the room and pierce a veil of Barney Sumner guitar static. Draw them in before you knock them down. You can hear this was early material by the rawness of production, but the track is all hairpin turns and precision.

The Vultures Will Pick Your Bones – This is a high-speed decay. Kathy Diaz takes the vocal point like an enflamed banshee wailing a future demise. The punk rock gnashing teeth of these drums will have you flailing and processed. At the two-minute mark you hear a madman’s laugh and a blistering guitar solo that drives you into a brick wall.

Viracoacha – I love the resonant Cure guitar tone here. Missy unleashes a haunting Peter Murphy style vocal that completely channels the early goth flavor. I feel this one swelling in my chest. Punishing bass that comes from the inside out. I am memorized by how unhinged every song feels while reminded what careful attention went into each song writing decision.

This is definitely a band where the live performance tells the true tale. I got to have a quick interview at the show, but I promise you all we will have a full discussion with this up and coming talent soon.

Collection 1 | Obsidian (bandcamp.com)

Red Meat – Providence – Brand new double single release from the sordid electrofilth artist Rhys Hughes of Manchester. Freshly signed to Armalyte Records and ready to drag you into an underground world of unimagined debauchery. Rhys brings an unapologetic Queer courage and political napalm to both their songs and online persona. I always like to close my eyes and conjure an image the first time I hear a track. This is a dump truck full of green ooze caterwauling down the street splashing acid on the world as it teeters through every turn. Rhys flings the venom laced vocals at high velocity on a gatling gun percussion. It jumped up the bandcamp charts in a hurry for good reason.

▶︎ Providence | RED MEAT (bandcamp.com)

Sapphira Vee – Fortune – NY shadow siren Sapphira Vee continues a steady flow of electronic cabaret on Distortion Records. This latest offering is in pre-release for Sept 8th. As always she puts a focus on collaboration and community with a bevy of top tier guest stars like Jean-Marc Lederman, Veronica Tam, Chava Sanberg, and Jim Marcus. Mixed and mastered by Jules Seifert at Epic Audio Media, London UK. My first thought from track one is how much you can hear the craft work she put into her production and songwriting. A lot of effort went into very tiny details and it shines. A shimmering jazzy vocal cadence blended with Underworld electronica. Creating a lovely space between the triphop feel of her earlier releases. Powerful use of string synths that draw a memorizing line through the phrase.

Favorite Tracks:

What It Was – Hard not to choose this opening single. Opening with those gorgeous string sounds into a sharp drum attack and very early 2000s London feel. Sapphira’s voice is a slow amber whiskey swirling in a glass. Confident and center without overpowering. An effortless ownership that eases you in.

Last (Feat Jim Marcus) – As a huge fan of Jim’s voice, hearing him take on a sensitive beauty in the reflection of someone else’s music is amazing. I feel so much trust and collaboration in this track. usually when I think of Jim’s lyrics and voice it’s all sexy bear growls and slippery club feels. This is tender, sweet, beckoning.

Fortune | Sapphira Vee (bandcamp.com)

Metamorph – Woo Woo (Feat: Adoration Destroyed) – NYC Synth Witch Margot Day is leaning into the autumn season and teaming with club thumper maestros Adoration Destroyed. Streaking through the sky on broomstick, cutting the violet fog, getting real high and getting witchy for us. The flute breakdown before two minutes if the perfect gust of breath. We all know how much I love my goth to be fun, and this is a Stevie Nicks riot.

Woo Woo | Metamorph (Margot Day) (bandcamp.com)

Slighter – This Futile Engine– What makes California electro sonic visionary Colin Cameron stand out in a crowd so much? I think it is how he approaches music. It’s never with a plan to play out live, to pack a room. His songs are moving auditory dreams made solid. This translates into his career doing soundtracks for tv/movies. The latest title “This Futile Engine” rings so apt evoking imagery of a grinding mechanized monstrosity rolling over a dying world of post capitalism too enormous to support it’s own consumption. Colin pulled out all the stops from Brutal Resonance and beyond with guest artists who he pushed out of their comfort zone in every track.

Tracks 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 13 written by Colin Cameron Allrich (ASCAP)
Track 2 lyrics and vocals by Craig Joseph Huxtable (SOCAN)
Track 7 lyrics and vocals by Anastasia Poirier (BMI)
Track 9 lyrics and vocals by Yvette Winkler, recording assisted by Roland Zwaga
Track 11 lyrics and vocals by Tara Kimberly Saavedra (ASCAP)

Track 5 Vocals by Steven Seibold and Tara Saavedra

Track 9 Vocals by Yvette Winkler

Favorite Tracks:

Memory Corruptor – (Feat Steven Seibold and Tara Saavedra) – This one is broken sky slow grind with terrifying screaming vocals. Guess who is one of the greatest screamers in the game? Steven Seibold of Hate Dept. Blend this with the ethereal swamp whispers of Tara aka Morgue VVitch and you are left with a heady and unnerving brew. The production on this song really highlights the best of everyone.

Pulling Me Under – Previous winner on the S & S darkscene singles chart. This track showed a glorious new side to Craig’s voice. The music is a rumbling dance bop. Cold and captivating Craigs voice resonates with desperation seeping into cold water. Try not to move your whole body to this track.

This whole album is perfect to close your eyes and sink into a nightmare imagination journey.

This Futile Engine (Deluxe Edition) [LP] | Slighter | Brutal Resonance Records (bandcamp.com)

Psyclon Nine – More To Hell – Los Angeles terrordustrial band has made this EP as mean and gritty as I can handle. It’s good to know where your edge is, and this one is mine. Released on goth/industrial legendary label Metropolis in May 2023 this is a follow up to the 2022 “Less To Heaven” with some heavy hitter remixes by Skold, Suicide Commando, Pitch Black, and more. This EP is all slithering shadows, and they are all holding wicked looking knives. One of those records I don’t listen to if i am hoping for a peaceful nights sleep. Double bass drum impact, cruel glitchy guitar fuzz, and vocals that lash around like a razor sharp forked tongue. This isn’t in my standard wheelhouse, but something done well that has a time and place in my heart. Enough that I have continued to come back and find the words.

Favorite Track:

Money Sex and Death (Suicide Commando Remix) – Sure this is one of the bigger names for the remixes, but there is a reason they have that name. This is explosive like a legion of demons assaulting the gates. Stomping in the viscous sludge in platform boots.

▶︎ More To Hell | Psyclon Nine (bandcamp.com)

Stoneburner – The Great Filter – Lately I have been getting the feedback that I have a few artists that receive a constant stream of my bandwidth and I could search deeper for bands I don’t know yet. Steven Archer would surely be near the top of that list. The thing is, Steven keeps putting out incredible art, and it is always different. I’m not going to stop talking about it just because I have before. So here is a new EP on COP International with a hypothesis to question if the universe is as vast as it is, it seems mathematically likely other life exists. So why don’t we see it. Industrial music, which has always had strong ties to Science Fiction or prediction is at it’s best when not only tackling concepts like dancing, banging, and drinking. Opening with the frenzy beat Narcisus Steven does layered mesh vocals rich with a lip curl arrogance. Almost like an audiobook Steven is finding ways to tell stories by vocal inflection. Different characters in the Stoneburner world have emerged with distinct voices. Another intriguing aspect of The Great Filter is a return to complete production control in Steven’s studio. I think it creates a different energy and confidence to some of the COP releases featuring John Fryer.

Favorite Tracks:

Fair and Balanced – Punk infused political banger addressing class and corruption. This is vintage Stoneburner spitting dissent with even cadence and rhythm you feel in your bones. It’s hard not to put your hands up. Like a bouncing cyborg kangaroo charging towards you on fire.

Corvomancers – What a rich and complex tale, of carrion hybrid creatures picking the bones of a broken world. The vocal effects back off to let the clarity of the words breath. This chorus got stuck in my head. The Crow hybrid or shapeshifter has deep roots as a trickster in many mythologies. Blending that with an alternate reality or science fiction is a master stroke. I would love to see a graphic novel of this premise.

The Great Filter | Stoneburner (bandcamp.com)