So since Thursday I have been tuning in regularly to the amazing streaming event Goths for Sanctuaries. I have been discovering amazing bands and Dj’s from all over the world. As well as a few things through the usual channels. So to take my mind off of my own nervous energy about playing Sunday night with Amaranth I figured I will try and get some reviews done.
The Vampires Of Rome: I saw this band in the streaming show and I was captured by the energy and beauty of their live performance. From Italy I’m currently only seeing the one single on bandcamp, but already they are creating a stir. The sound has an urgency to it’s tempo and a vocal cadence of batcave punk. I love the constant humming guitars and double time drums. Sometimes goth can get caged by it’s own tempo restraints. TVOR are pure unrestrained energy with the same dark seasoning. Early in the game but I see a bright future.
https://agogerecords.bandcamp.com/track/a-ghost-for-helen
Vision Video: Really cool band from Atlanta my friend Richeau turned me onto. I think what captured me was how familiar the sound was ( Cure/New Order) but also unique the flavor was. The drums and synth sounds had this lovely dreampop feel. A little Johnny Marr to the guitar. Dustin Gannon has a voice that dances on top of the rhythms. They have a very tight sound that transcend the 3 songs available on bandcamp. They really hit hard on that idea of bright shining beautiful sounds with intense dark lyrics to make a wonderful synthesis. I can’t wait to hear more.
https://visionvideo.bandcamp.com/album/in-my-side
Kiss of the Whip: I’ve been following Tristan and this amazing Baltimore based shadow synth project for a while now. “We’re Not Here” comes out on 10/23 and I have a pre-order in. In a world of neon pastel synth music KOTW is painting pictures with smokey grey charcoal. It’s music that just feels cool. When you listen to it driving down the street you feel like you are in on the secret. The edges aren’t sharp, it’s a fog that wraps around you and makes you the protagonist in a spy film. This record can’t arrive soon enough.
https://kissofthewhip.bandcamp.com/
Pretty Addicted: Fuck yes! This came to me courtesy of my friend Jeff Heveron. I need all the goth adjacent sounds with badass lady singers punching the status quo in the mouth. It’s dancable, it’s sexy, and it gives zero fucks. Great transitions with brutal intensity. I just found this band but I have a feeling I will be falling deep into this acid spewing K hole. Looks like a series of singles and I’ll be working my way back. Fuk me up with hot burning trash.
https://prettyaddicted.bandcamp.com/track/puppet-2
Helvete Inc: Brand new Album called “The New Flesh” from Baltimore. I really enjoyed the 2018 release Filth for it’s biting sensual chaos. I LOVE seeing growth of sound and that is what I am feeling here. When you have a style based in noisy Skinny Puppy intensity it is a razor edge to smooth those edges without losing that rawness. That’s what I feel from this record. It’s intelligent, political, sensual, and angry in just the right measure. The cover of Prince’s “Controversy” (one of my favorite Prince Tracks) is a driving blend of sharp edges and crystal energy. I love hearing another layer on something I already love.
https://hymnsovgolgotha.bandcamp.com/album/the-new-flesh
Delphine Coma: Brand new single from goth/darkwave veteran Ashe Ruppe called Dissolve. This track really gets back to the proto-goth roots. It could have felt right at home on First Last and Always. Organic fender jazz tube amp guitar trills. The husky growl in the lowest of registers. A tone that searches the emptiness sightless and unsure. All too relatable in these times.
https://swissdarknights.bandcamp.com/track/dissolve-2
DogTablet: New album from Martin King and company called “Tales From The Outlaw”. It’s hard to compare one album to another for Dogtablet because the range is so vast. Jared Louche (Chemlab) returns to add vocals. This time with a beauty of harmonies that tend more towards The Velvet Underground than Industrial. I suppose that is the great benefit of being genre royalty is you get to reinvent your own wheel. Track 2 includes vocals from talented electronic tune wizard Melodywhore. Again with such a gentle subtlety and hopeful tone in the downbeat tempo. The more I hear the more I impressed with his soothing and rich voice. Martin and Dogtablet continue to be one of those projects I can always count on while it is still in the decanter. Expertly crafted and creatively fresh with each passing release.
https://dogtablet.bandcamp.com/
11 Grams: Rob and Simeon have just released the long anticipated electronic mind shredder “Humancide” full of grinding industrial dance beats, guest vocalists and remixes. When I hear 11 grams I hear the work of master electronic engineers with savvy and intent addressing the human condition. Each track feels balanced on a pin with a blend of energy and elements that leap from track to track while existing in the same world. It’s a sonic science fiction novel compressed and downloaded into your mind.
