January 25th saw the drop of the new single, “Impetus,” by Portland, Oregon trio CeremonyShadows. Timo (synths/programming), Anastasia (vocals), and Jakub (vocals) describe their sound as ritual darkwave and the mastering engineered by AdamStilson.
The first chiming notes, instantly had my attention, as it reminded me a lot of TheDanseSociety’s “HeavenIsWaiting,” thought this is never a bad thing, and the seductive female vocals curl in, followed by the deeper tones of the second vocalist, like the duality of darkness and light.
It is a sensual slow burn that gets under your skin. You can also go check out the two remixes, a club mix by Stilson and another by vyger, for this track, and “Impetus” is a taste of the soon to be unleashed new album for those craving more dark electro goodness that is CeremonyShadows.
Just before Christmas, the single “SilentCrowd– Meeting in the Dark Variant” was released by HemlockforSocrates, who hail from Pittsburgh, USA. The band consists of members HeatherShore and KeganHeiss, who describe their sound like the ‘sci-fi / fantasy section at the used book store’.
I am not sure which is more delightful…. those elegantly entwined synth lines with guitar or the lilting, emotive vocals from Shore that ring so true. The music encompasses bleating electronic and bell like tones, creating not only that science fiction feel but underlying there is something much older, haunting the shadows.
A tale of the silent crowd, as they travel arduous and dangerous paths, to meet in those dark enclaves, because in the end, it is about finding your own kind. It is a reworked version of this song, which appeared on the last album, and the “Silent Crowd –Meeting in the Dark Variant” by Hemlock for Socrates is a lovely darkwave track with lyrics and vocals that bring forth a rich tapestry of imagery.
Leeds goth rock band, ZeitgeistZero, released their debut self titled album back in 2005, and since then have dropped albums very regularly. 2023 brought forth the current offering of Meddling With The Forces for this trio on the label Bat-Core. Mixing was conducted by CorinZero and StevenWhitfield (TheCure), while the mastering is by TimHay at AutumnGiantMastering and the whole shebang recorded at InnerSanctumStudios.
There is something quite delightful in the slightly chaotic disjointedness of “NightPeople,” as it is almost teeters on industrial ground both musically and for repressed aggression. Those children of the night is what we are all about. Continuing on the harsher side of electronics, the beginning of “Scream” greets your ears with grating noise, before rocking you with the outbursts of guitar and lulls of anticipation. The single “ToxicTwist” is designed to whip you up with its punk attitude and play between synths and guitar, about a relationship with a less than desirable toxic human. “PlasticDiamonds” look flashy but are worth nothing and the same can be said for people who act like fake jewels, where not everything that glitters is worthy, unlike this song. Final track is the lower, slower and heavier “TheUnwantedOne,” that smacks slightly of ConcreteBlonde.
ZeitgeistZero might be MeddlingWithTheForces, but you know this is not the first time they have travelled this gothic road. They are accomplished musicians with a back catalogue that I would highly suggest you check out. The album is full of ghoulish delights, whether they be musical textures or supernatural subjects. Witches, monsters and goths…oh my.
NourtierJulien (drum/sample) and EnaultAnthony (bass/sample) are TheShadow’sGoneOut, an industrial synth group from Tours, France. The single, “WhisperingGhost” came out on December the 1st, and the vocal samples are provided by Sandrine Grandjean-Samyn.
The grainy playback for the voice of Grandjean-Samyn, is the only human semblance of a human touch, in a track of wandering extremes, a tug of war between electronics and guitar, vying for dominance in order to gain your attention.
Grandjean-Samyn is the spectre within the music, seductively luring you into musical clutches of The Shadow’s Gone Out, as they envelop you with their experimental style of industrial music, pitching from delicate to heavy rock. Beware the “Whispering Ghost.”
Onyx Music Reviews 