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Name your poison! For VAZUM, it is deadly “Night Shade“, which happens to be their next single as released on the spooktacular day of Friday the 13th of January, by the deathgaze duo of Zach Pliska and Emily Sturm.

The driving guitar is the trademark of VAZUM and “Night Shade” is laced with it. A warning that not all fawning friends and influencers, are actually going to be there for you when the chips are laid down. But they will lie to your face and make you adore them, which fits in perfectly with the contemptuous music. There is also a second track included that also follows the theme of untruths, called “Living Great” that has this wonderful shoegaze brilliance that never pauses.

Having two very different sounding tracks, even if they are on the short comings of humans, makes this release quite delightful bit of gothic rock to get your heart beating. VAZUM again have given us something killer in “Night Shade“, a killer of a track which is name your price on Bandcamp.

https://vazum.bandcamp.com/album/night-shade

https://www.facebook.com/VAZUMROCKS/

https://www.instagram.com/vazum_

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Miami based goths, Astari Nite, last single came out in May of 2022 and so behold there is now the new single “Bowie In Daydreams“. Inspired the legend that was David Bowie, the recent movie and his many roles that Bowie wore like a glove.

A march into the echoes of another time, guitar driven rivulets taking you into darker places. The vocals permeate the swirling music, while the heavily symbolic lyrics paint a picture, with mounting fervour.

There are references to the decadent West Berlin period, the Ziggy Stardust era and the vampiric role Bowie played in the iconic movie The Hunger. And “Bowie In Daydreams” is also a referral to the beloved track “Moonage Daydream” from The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars and Astari Nite pay homage to his memory through conjuring up his spirit.

https://astarinitengp.bandcamp.com/album/bowie-in-daydreams

https://www.facebook.com/astarinitemusic

https://instagram.com/astarinite43

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The Yets are the dream pop duo, Robin Wilson (vocals, keyboards, lyrics), and Craig Anderson Snook (guitar, everything else), who are based in South Carolina Their self-titled debut EP has given us the new single, “A Letter To A Boy“.

In a different era, before social media and text messages, one often wrote long letters of love. The wistful and dreamy guitar jangle echo’s back in time, while the vocals sweetly give you an insight into her heart and how much this boy means to her as a mother. The keyboards are an understated accomplice to the beautiful guitar flourishes, as Wilson reminds the lad that no matter what, he is forever her beloved.

The guitar work and the ethereal nature really does give this track that Cocteau Twins delightful ambience, though there is something I cannot quite put my finger on, that definitely makes it sound not quintessentially British, which is great. I love the guitar and the vocals, more so that The Yets have their own niche sound that sets them apart

The Yets | The Yets (bandcamp.com)

https://www.facebook.com/theyets?mibextid=ZbWKwL

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New Mexico based, industrial horror metal act, Dunwich Dreams, dropped the single “A Darkness Hungers” on the 30th of December, off the soon to be released album, Rise of The Seventh Sun

Like the beginning of John Carpenter score, it all starts to get brooding and heavy all so soon, the notes scale up and down, stalking from a place of infernal pending doom. The vocals are ravenous and your very soul is in mortal peril from that which lurks.

Is it something within the darkness or is it the darkness itself that desperately wants to consume? For this is a tale of Egyptian Gods going to war, so that the sun may rise again. Who won is for you to decide, should you dare to listen to “A Darkness Hungers“, a seething industrial metal behemoth from Dunwich Dreams.

A Darkness Hungers (Single) | Dunwich Dreams (bandcamp.com)

Dunwich Dreams | Albuquerque NM | Facebook

Dunwich Dreams – The soundtrack to your nightmares

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There is a lot of excitement in the electro-industrial world currently with the fact that Germans, Beborn Beton just released their new single, “Dancer In The Dark“, however the big news is that the single is linked to a brand spanking new album, titled Darkness Falls Again which is slated to drop on the 17th of March, with Dependent Records.

Wonderful, danceable beat, sprinkled light synths that harmonise with the vocals. Speaking of vocals, the last time we heard Netschio singing was on a track with Kill Shelter and it so nice to hear his dulcet tones. The electronics court with the guitar, spinning and melding into a track of perfection.

Oh, Beborn Beton…. how I have missed your eloquently smooth synthpop. There is a real human warmth in their music considering they use electronics and I can guarantee that “Dancer In The Dark” is going draw you in and satisfy your craving for beautifully crafted music.

Darkness Falls Again | Beborn Beton (bandcamp.com)

Beborn Beton | Facebook

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Woohoo and the year kicked off with a bang. German industrial meisters, ROTERSAND hit the ground running with a new single, “Higher Ground” as of New Years Day 2023, on the label Metropolis Records. It is has been exactly a year since the release of the previous single “Grey“, and though we have been able to hear the guys performing remix magic last year, the exciting news is that “Higher Ground” is heralding the countdown to a new album!

From the beginning, already, the skin is goose fleshing in anticipation with the build-up. Nikov’s vocals really are just silken and ever smooth, an observation that some people will always be a beacon of hope and sanctuary, even at their own discomfort. I even detect the strumming of an acoustic guitar. That is before it all just takes flight with that fabulous synthie pop beat and surging electronics coming at you in waves.

The Evendorff remix is fresh and intense, like a blast of concentrated ROTERSAND, which makes it pretty electric. Beautifully recorded and mastered. Also, there is the radio edit version, but that is neither here nor there as “Higher Ground” is a little piece of EBM magic

Higher Ground | Rotersand (bandcamp.com)

Rotersand | Gelsenkirchen | Facebook

Rotersand – Truth is Fanatic again.

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French gothic rock group, Divine Shade, is finishing off a year that saw them with a remix by ex-Nine Inch Nails member Chris Vienna, a twenty date European tour as support for Gary Numan, with the release of the newest single “Stars“, that also features the vocal talents of Shan Moue and production by Ren Toner.

Sometimes there is a longing to go back to our childhood, a time that is meant to have a blend of safety, everything was new and dreams seemed possible, like starring at the star laden sky in wonder. In this vein, the longing in the vocals builds, with the rising of the heavy electronic influence and Moue’s singing, gently caressing the lead vocals in the chorus.

Chic cool darkwave, mixed with an electronic sound bearing the marking of 90s era NIN is how I would I describe “Stars“. Brooding and full of of wanting to be able to touch those lights in the heavens again, Devine Shade, through belief and heart, are bringing you the “Stars“.

Stars | Divine Shade (bandcamp.com)

Divine Shade | Facebook

Divine Shade (@divineshade) • Instagram photos and videos

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The industrial machine that is Mach FoX, has teamed up with producer/EBM musican, Zeven Odd Gods, aka D.Corri, and the end product is the single, “A Sickness“, released on the 16th of December.

Slick EBM beats ooze into your ears, picking up your heartbeat. Subtle synths waver in the background, while the electronics deliver the jolts to make your body move and FoX’s vocals are the mantra. The sickness is all consuming, a fever of needing to replace the soft human flesh, that is so unreliable, with cybernetics.

The constant augmentation to become more machine has become “The Sickness“. FoX’s vocals/lyrics/arrangement, really blends in very well with the music production of Zeven Odd Gods, complimenting each other. So, if this is the sickness, hopefully there is no cure.

A Sickness | Mach FoX & Zeven Odd Gods | Mach FoX (bandcamp.com)

Mach FoX | Minneapolis MN | Facebook

Zeven Odd Gods | Facebook

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Not all darkwave heroes run around, brandishing you over the head with big beats and synth confectionery. Today, we are introducing you to German solo artist Meersein and his new single “Speechless” which is an acoustic version, and third single to date from this project.

There is such an extraordinarily palpable melancholy to Meersein’s beautifully clean vocals, only supported by an acoustic guitar and piano. His singing is beseeching to one he loves, to recognise the fact that he isn’t like other people and desperately wants to talk to them but has become speechless.

“Speechless” was Meersein’s debut release, back in around June of this year, and it was a far different track in a completely electronic vein. The Germans seem to have this affinity to take a song, break it down to the bare bones, and imbue the track with an even more eloquent heart. It made me think a lot of Lord Of The Lost and the times they have done this with tracks or orchestrated them. A yearning heart from the dispossessed is “Speechless“.

Meersein (@meersein_official) • Instagram photos and videos

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So you went out drinking last night… what do you remember, where are you now and what is that smell? Brisbane’s Dream Of Machines, has delivered the debut single, “Nocturnal Omissions“, on the Viral Records label. The fact that you might be scratching your head and wondering if this is a dirty title, probably tickles the fancy of Zane Seymour, the man behind the machines that dream.

Your journey is first greeted with an excerpt from “The spiritual consequences of alcohol“, by Jason Christoff, the vocals floating in the aether but not for long as the guitars plunder your senses. What the fuck happened last night? is the question that haunts him. From silken singing, to enraged screams, because while he was entoxicated…. was his body taken over by an outside force intent on creating havoc?

There is the seven minute opus or the more radio friendly edit, but both are worthy of your listening, for there is never a dull moment. There is everything from simple piano playing, Seymour’s brilliant vocals, all the way to an explosive cacophony of sound and it is all quite glorious, helped along by the mixing & mastering of Roger Menso. Alcohol can really be evil (even influencing a human to eat liquid soap) yet is the drink the devil or is something even more sinister waiting in the shadows to take over…..? You will have to make your mind up when you listen to “Nocturnal Omissions” by Dream Of Machines.

https://dreamofmachines.bandcamp.com/album/nocturnal-omissions-single

https://www.facebook.com/dreamofmachines?mibextid=ZbWKwL

https://www.facebook.com/viralrecordsau?mibextid=ZbWKwL

https://viralrecords.com.au/