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Kasumuen Records brings to you high definition thrills and spills, in the form of the new single “Victory Girl” by Melbourne based band Velvet Parade, an Australian super group made up of Ripley Hood (lead vocals) of Lime Spiders, Vincent J Kramer (guitar) of Cold Harbour, Peter Azzopardi (bass, backing vocals) of Claire Birchall’s Phantom Hitchhikers, Ashley Jones (keyboard) of Matt Malone’s Holy Spirits and Fraudband’s Don Drum (drums).

I had forgotten how rich Hood’s vocals can be, like bourbon whiskey, that slowly burns at it goes down, bringing the drama, and “Victory Girl” is a perfect tune for his singing. The other elements of the track are equally important with the strikingly rolling drums setting the pace, the stoic charged guitars adding the wonderful twang of consequence, and, of course, the piano that creates a touch of class in a town full of dust, trampled dreams and a love won, then lost..

There is a rawness to this track, and it brings the same chills down the spine as Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ From Her To Eternity and points to a sound so profoundly Australian. Grippingly disjointed at times, that resolves into a grandiose upheaval of boudoir southern gothic honky-tonk, a perfect mixture of maudlin and yesterday’s personal regrets. The debut LP from Velvet Parade will not be far behind, which has been recorded, mixed and mastered by Loki Lockwood and Dugald Jayes, so all I can say is that I am down for this and a whole lot more…..

Velvet Parade – Victory Girl

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For some of us, certain rules seem more like a suggestion such as cuddling bears or snogging large cats. This brings us to the new maxi single “Kissing Lions,” by Massachusetts band Ghost Painted Sky, a gothic trio consisting of David Strong, Lisa Wood and Michael Boudreau. The single heralds in the soon to be released second album titled Failure Blooms.

Sinuous post-punk guitars greet your ears. “Kissing Lions” has Wood’s vocals in a deep register, casting a mournful pall across the track that has its roots firmly planted in The Cure’s Pornography era. There is a claustrophobic quality, where the lyrics pour forth the lament of an existence based in humdrum.

There is a Effervescent Remix of the single and a brilliant B-side called “My Words Are Not My Own,” that is a complete change of direction as it is very much an electronic affair, and it is a magical thing to hear them fluidly change from guitar based, into synths.

“‘Kissing Lions’ describes those mostly vain attempts to seize on anything that creates a fleeting feeling of being alive for a moment amid relentless waves of the humdrum, doldrums, and failure, which so often end up being misguided and ultimately just creating a thicker mire even more strangling than the original situation one sought to escape… bad decisions that bite back and create further downward spirals.” – David Strong

This single and the new album have been mixed and mastered by William Faith, which is kind a mark of quality. Love, love the grittiness of the subject melded with the dark 80s post-punk sound. So the question is, do you take the safer, more mundane path of existence or do pucker up with the king of the jungle for the quick thrill and find yourself the favourite treat with the gooey centre?

Kissing Lions (maxi-single) | Ghost Painted Sky

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There is something a bit odd about the Australian gothic music scene. We have a knack for having local talent, that will go on to delight the rest of the world with their often unique sound, and yet, in their home country, are relatively unspoken about. I am talking in the league of Dead Can Dance, Subterfuge and the mighty Ikon. When lead singer, Michael Aliani, left Ikon, he went on to to found another band called Chiron, with fellow ex-Ikon member Dino Molinaro (electric bass), in Melbourne, anno domini 1997. Chiron are now a trio, joined by Ivan Bullock (electric guitar, electronics), for the latest album called A Dark Beauty.

PHOTO BY PETER CASAMENTO

The first track is the title track and title tracks are always a good indication what to expect from an album. There is a wonderful electronic heaviness between the programmed drums and synths, while the guitars are the release and permission to be above the almost ancient memories. Low whittering of the electronics, combined with the drumming and languid guitar, create a discernible eeriness in “Flesh and Blood.” The vocals echo through the chorus, and the emphasis being in the line ‘the end of twilight,’ a reference to the decay of both flesh and blood.

The single release off the album is “The Hunted,” which has the driving rhythm section that is not interested in slowing down. Aliani’s singing is punchy and breathy, like he fleeing something in the darkness, while the delicate guitar could possibly be the guiding light The final original track is “Oblivion” which guests the vocals of Yvette Winkler of Vaselyne. Do not mistake this as Chiron going out on a whisper, but rather it is definitely a post-punk, bass lead dance along the road to nigh, where the synths give the impression of infinite depth.

There are also four bonus re-mixes that includes a cinematic unreleased track called “Slipping Away – Mansfield Mourning,” that could be set on the misty Moors by Chiron. “Flesh and Blood” gets the treatment by Athens (Greece) based Paradox Obscur, Australians Imbibe, from Canberra, take on “A Dark Beauty,” and Melbourne’s SIRUS put their spin on “The Hunt.” All three of these bands are electronic based and this brings a different sound to each of the tracks.

There has been a revival in the Australian gothic scene, and it has been a joy seeing new bands bring their sound to the darkwave banquet, but I would be lying if I didn’t admit that it is lovely hearing from the stalwarts. Chiron have the history behind them and brought to bear their bountiful talents, creating a rich and textured album in A Dark Beauty, where the title gives away the whole theme. Finding the light in the darkness that illuminates the exquisite symmetry of life and death, through haunting lyrics and melodies matched with the brilliant vitality of post-punk music. She is A Dark Beauty indeed…

A Dark Beauty | Chiron

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There is nothing wrong with indie pop/rock, especially with its jangle guitar and honest lyrics. Hitherto, if you have not heard about New York’s Heroes Formula, made up of members Lucas Lappin, Adam Szot, and Brandon Crooks, then behold the single “Ode To My Wife,” an independent release that came out in May.

“Ode To My Wife” has that 90s sound about it, like a nod towards such acts as Teenage Fanclub and Matthew Sweet, where there an certain tone to the guitar, the clean vocals with simple harmonising that brings everything to life, and a humanity to the words. This is a man unloading how he destroyed his marriage to the woman who loved him, through excesses and betrayal. The consequence of squandering his life was losing her, of which you can feel the inner turmoil though the sawing guitar. Heroes Formula have brought together perfectly the sweet and sour of real life in a memorable indie pop bubble.

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Ghost Reflections are a darkwave band from Turin, Italy, a duo of musicians who call themselves Murmur and Mir. 2026 has already been a busy year for them and September was the release for the latest single “Descending.”

The guitar is the first thing to grab your attention, dominating and sinewed, growing with the voracity of the track, fed by the deep vocals as they devolve into manic screaming. This is the “Descending,” between gothic horror and the pit of no return, where delicate synths are in stark contrast with the eldritch singing, and the guitar is the harbinger of doom.

Music | Ghost Reflections

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