After seven years, British darkwave/industrial stalwart ATTRITION, finally dropped the album TheBlackMaria last year. SInce then, MartinBowes has pretty much been touring almost non-stop, and after more than forty years of music creation under this banner, recording/mixing/mastering at TheCageStudio, running the TwoGods record label, one might think he had his hands full. Never underestimate the joss stick wielding MrBowes because there is a new remix album out for BlackMaria, that has been named A Permanent View?.
Where do we start with a sprawling compilation that features twenty tracks remixed by twenty different musicians/bands?
“TheAlibi” gets the SPANKTHENUN treatment which wonderfully gives over to the angelic vocals against Bowes own gravelled ones, all to a hypnotic beat, and then there is the Panoptica version that oozes a sophistication, like an electronic jewelled oddity.
The Chiasm mix seems to swing between grinding creepy and electro cutesy in “TheGreatDerailer“, and for the record, the remix by Lights of Euphoria is this massively uplifting monster that sweeps you away in it’s grandeur.
And that is just four of the tracks!
In the end, my telling you about this remix odyssey and all the artists that have contributed their talents, is never going to be as good as you diving into this ATTRITION album. It is huge, diverse and in a way, pushing the envelope further into experimental territory whilst letting each musician showcase a track in their particular style. It creates new sounds and new worlds, all through Bowes musical mastery. It kind of proves that while something is thought of as permanent, it is never viewed the same way by each individual. Behold A Permanent View? Black Maria Remixed and its drawing together those that walk the alternative music line with pride.
For the last few years, New Jersey, US, for a few days, increases their population of goth types dramatically, as the Sheraton in Parsippany hosts the Dark Force Fest. This festival was created by the people who bought you the social platform, Vampirefreaks, and the lineup of bands for 2025 have been announced.
There are thirty-five bands on show with a mixture of both overseas and local talent ranging from the synth-industrial of Sweden’s Covenant to TRAITRS from Canada with their dark post-punk, through to US industrial-metal artists Orgy. We spoke to Jet VF to find out what drives him to host these gothic/industrial events and who is playing in 2025.
You are the founder of VampireFreaks, which I believe was a social forum online and evolved into a business. I am going to admit that I am older and missed out on the VF phenomenon, so can you tell me a bit more about how this all came about?
VampireFreaks was a social networking site from the years 2004 – 2020. In addition we’ve been running our online clothing store since 2001 which is still up and running. We currently ship out about 7,000 orders a month around the world from our warehouse in Pennsylvania!
Do you think the dark scene has changed much from the late 90s and do you think it is for the better, worse or just different in your experience?
There’s definitely been some big changes. I grew up as part of the nyc goth club scene in the 90s – 2000’s and at that time there was an event to go to every day of the week and we had more alternative shops to visit, the nyc scene was really thriving.
Nowadays there doesn’t seem to be as many events, but I do appreciate the events we do have. Dark Force Fest has grown to be the largest event in the area, and we look forward to it all year. Goth/industrial music has also really progressed throughout the years, there’s some great new bands, so it’s an exciting time for music.
Jet, you have been described to me as the impresario of Dark Force Fest, which kind of looks like a holiday for goths, including a lot of bands. What inspired you to start this particular festival, and how hard was it getting it off the ground?
I’ve been doing events since 2000, starting off with small club events that would only get a handful of people. Over the years there’s been a lot of ups and downs, a lot of successes, and a lot of failures. Event promotions can be tough. For the first few years, I would consider an event a success if we didn’t lose money. I’ve done events that lost so much money it would make a grown man cry.
Doing events for over 20 years has really just been a growth process and a learning process. I’ve done a ton of club events and concerts, as well as a few other festivals / conventions. Dark Force Fest has indeed been a learning process and built upon the lessons learned from previous events.
JET VF
There are 35 bands on the 2025 line up but could this number grow?
The lineup is currently finalized but we will be announcing 2 bands for the Thursday night pre-party.
Tell us about who is headlining the festival?
Friday, we have The Birthday Massacre from Toronto, CA. They’re a favorite among our crowd, and we’ve had the pleasure of working with them on a few occasions they’re really great talented people
Saturday, we have Orgy, the superstar industrial-rock band, who reached platinum status in the 90s. Their cover of ‘Blue Monday’ was all over the radio in the 90s.
Sunday, we have Covenant from Sweden, with their huge catalog of industrial club hits.
There are a lot of electronic bands such as Covenant, Suicide Commando, and [SITD], to name a few. Do you think this style of music is very popular due to the party/dance like atmosphere?
We do a good amount of electronic / EBM bands, yes I think the high-energy electronic music is great for a live performance. We do mix up the musical styles though so there is a pretty good range of dark styles we are representing.
You also champion smaller acts and bring them to new audiences. Who are some of these smaller bands?
A few of the newer bands include: Dancing Plague- Their sound is super catchy and different, the bass in these songs just vibrates your bones and the guy has a super deep baritone voice. Occults – These guys are pretty new but their music is really good and super professional sounding, I think they’ve got a lot of great potential. Panic Priest – Awesome synthpop band from Chicago, some of his songs sound super familiar and infectious Circuit Preacher – gritty industrial music that reminds me of some of my favorite industrial sounds from the 90s but with an original modern twist to it Corbeau Hangs – amazing post-punk band that is really gaining momentum Contracult – heavy industrial rock band from California with nice production on it. Fun fact – the guitarist is Travis Bacon, who is Kevin Bacon’s son.
Held at the huge Sheraton Hotel in Parsippany, New Jersey, how many stages are there on-site, and how much easier is it to run everything at the one venue, including rooming patrons?
It’s 2 stages with alternating schedules. We also have over 100 vendors and 2 other rooms where we host panels, presentations, drag shows and sideshow performances. It is nice having everything in one building so that attendees can easily bounce between different areas.
It isn’t just bands, though. There are also stalls selling all sorts of gothic wares. What can people expect in the market?
We have a really good variety of vendors including taxidermy, oddities, clothing, jewelry, art, housewares, skull bowls, coffin furniture and more.
You are obviously a huge music fan, so which bands really excite you that they are coming and who do you absolutely need to catch, even with your overseeing the running of the festival?
I’m really excited for all of the bands on the lineup. I’ll be running all over the place during the festival, but I always make it a point to at least catch 1-2 songs of each band, so that’s the goal! Most of the bands playing next year have never played the festival before, and I haven’t seen a lot of them before, so I’m definitely looking forward to seeing some new stuff! Some bands off the top of my head that I’m looking forward to include:
TRAITRS – these guys have really been gaining popularity lately, and they have some songs that sound just like a modern version of The Cure, which is amazing.
Calabrese – they’ve got a unique horror-punk type style, which I think will bring some fun energy to the event.
Razed In Black – industrial legends from Hawaii, I haven’t seen them perform in so long, and these guys are just the best.k
Haujobb – This band was really influential for me in the early 90s when I was just really getting into industrial music, and Daniel Myer is so talented.
The Birthday Massacre – These guys were the #1 band on the Vampirefreaks social network back in the day, so we’ve really had a cool history with these guys.
Aesthetic Perfection – We’ve worked with these guys a few times, and it’s just always been a pleasure. It’s been awesome to see Daniel grow over the years.
Klutae – This is Claus from Leaetherstrip’s other band, everyone loved Leaetherstrip so much last time, and we had a bunch of requests for him to come back.
What do you think it is about the gothic/industrial scene that keeps you co-ordinating these events year in and out?
I’ve had a realy love for the goth/industrial scene as a young teenager. The music, the fashion, and most importantly the people who are so welcoming and friendly. We’ve really built an amazing community and I just love bringing people together.
I am rather curious as the description on your website says you are helped by your weird wifey for lifey, but also your black cat. What is the name of this god-like creature, and how much say do they have?
My cat is named Skelly, she’s the queen of the universe and she gets treated like royalty. She’s very majestic and loves to grace me with cuddles.
When do you start planning the next Dark Force Fest?
Basically a few weeks after the last one is over. I spend the whole year planning this event out to get everything right, there’s a lot of moving parts involved.
If you could have any act perform at DFF (alive or resurrected with necromancy), who would you pursue?
My all time wishlist band would be The Cure but I was also thinking it would be cool to get Marilyn Manson!
What will you folks from VampireFreaks be doing next to top all this?!
Dark Force Fest gets bigger and better each year so we’re always looking to top previous years by improving the lineup and adding fun new things to the event!
Thanks for your time and see you at Dark Force Fest
The single called “Grip Of Pain” does sound… well, painful. This is the latest drop from Teknovore, as GeorgeKlontzas takes us on an electronic nightmare into Greek mythos, with JanKluge of AnySecond on vocal duties, with this the second single off the soon to be released album, on InfactedRecords, called Caerdroia.
‘Listen to me, no way out‘ grabs you by the nuts and the brutal vocals punch you in the guts. The electronics are laced with urgency, like you are being chased by unseen forces in the darkness. The techno beats echoing around in your head, duelling along with Kluge’s rasped promise of no escape in “GripOfPain.” “Anamnesis” is just throw back to hard dance style techno rave music, full of electrifying energy that builds over and over again, taking you to the point where you have to move, for now your body is not your own.
If you love dance music, electronic music or just good industrial, then you really will have to have a listen to the latest Teknovore. It is really mind blowing how well Klontzas can weave together tracks that are instantaneously likeable, plus accessing talent like JanKluge (AnySecond) to set it all on fire, speak volumes about the man. Get thee the “GripOfPain,” because we seem to have lived this life before………….
Hard to believe, but it has been five years since the release of KillShelter’s debut album Damage on the label UnknownPleasures. So, December 1st will see the special limited edition of the reworked album, called Damage (V), where tracks that have the (V) have been re-recorded, whilst the others have been remastered by the man himself, PeteBurns at the ShelterStudio. Anyway, before we get to the album, the single “InDecay(V),” was dropped at the end of October, featuring Antipole and DelphineComa. You may say, hey….. that was a single off the original Damage, and you are not wrong, however this is one of the (V) tracks and now it also has a video to go with it!
AsheRuppe is DelphineComa and his deep, sonorous vocals seem to almost reverberate into the core of your being, as he brings to bear the desperation and disillusionment of those looking to escape across the waters. The delicate guitar strains are Antipole’sKarlMortenDahl, and they fall like rivulets of drenching tears. All the while, Burns builds the dark and overbearing atmosphere with his driving bass.
You might wonder what the difference is between the original version and this one. For me, I am going to say that the vocals are more at the fore, that the guitar fills in more space, where as the original felt as if it there were voids to punctuate the music, and this new version is just going to take you for a sonic journey. But, more to the point, maybe you need to listen to both versions of “In Decay” in order to make your own mind up. “InDecay (V)” is just beautifully crafted post-punk, and I for one could not think of anyone better to perform it than DelphineComa, Antipole and, of course, KillShelter.
The night(mare) before Christmas, came in the form of the track, “The Snow Queen Is Coming” by New ZeroGod. This is the first release from the four piece post-punk band since 2019 and their lead singer, Mike Pougounas, is a stalwart in the Greek gothic/darkwave scene since the 80s.
The best description would be a sinfully sumptuous amount of jangly guitar with the vocals delightfully crystal clear. A precautionary tale to not let the Snow Queen steal you away, for otherwise, you will never see another day.
I remember Mike from the MySpace days, when we would talk of music and he sent several pictures of Athens covered in snow, which is something a lot of people don’t realise, that it actually gets that cold in Greece. The snow looks pure and beautiful, but in essence, she will slowly freeze you until your heart stops. This is the Hans Christian Andersen queen of snow, as the song says, though the title made me think of the witch queen from The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. For those currently in the grip of winter, will know her icy touch but can enjoy a warm dance to this fabulous piece.
November 21st saw the Norwegian’s Dødsmaskin, release their sixth full length out on the ant-zen label. Based on the master and slave morality theory of Friedrich Nietzsche, the album is divided into two parts to represent both sides.
Have you ever started to listen to an album and had to instantly stop doing anything else, stunned into silence? Rare occurrence, but I found myself slightly slack jawed as I played the first 30 seconds to “Trusselbilde“, suddenly turning off the music thinking, ‘I must play this when I am alone, so I can turn it up as loud as I want!‘.
Okay, almost every track has a Norwegian title, but I don’t see the point of looking up the meanings, as the music will speak for itself and it most definitely does. “Trusselbilde” is the single and it is brutal. Super heavy rhythmic noise and yet there are these points of synth lightness where you can ‘breath’. It doesn’t seem possible and yet the noise grows and consumes, until it’s abrupt end. The sludgy “Døpt IBensin, Renset Med Ild“, feels ancient and full of portent, while “Imperium” is on the move, ready to mow you down. There is the perceived horns of war, hammers of destruction and waves of domination.
This is just the first three tracks off the album and that quality is throughout the whole release. Dødsmaskin are known for their crunchy rhythmic noise, but this release seems heavier and even darker, intent on searing your nerves and probing your brain with a javelin. If harsh rhythmic noise is your thing, then you must listen to Dødsmaskin and experience their album,”herremoral | slavemoral“.
Down in the crypt, somewhere in the United Kingdom, someone cobbled together a monstrous label called We Are Horror Records, knitting and stapling punk, deathrock and psychobilly. Their first abomination is the compilation, Horror Punk’s Not Dead! Vol 1. with a whole 27 tracks to give you the heebie jeebies and this unholy of unholies was given life on Halloween.
“The reasons behind this compilation are clear! To pay homage to the “Punk-o-Rama” series, and to showcase the best modern Horror Punk, Death Rock, and Psychobilly bands in the world! To quote 5¢ Freakshow.. “We may be freaks, but we are not alone…” The Horror is here!” (Dan P., creator and host of the Horrorpunk’s Not Dead! podcast.)
So much choice here. There is the soulful harmonics of Silent Horror with “Astrofiends“, the utterly oi oi stylings of Damage 66 and their ever so eloquent track “Fuck You (If You’re Not Bruce Campbell)” which is honestly a sentiment I can completely get down with. You can bounce around to the delightful rock’n’roll psychos, 5 Cent Freakshow with their self titled track, listen to the goth-a-billy sweet lads, Evelyn’s Casket and their ode to checking out of life, “Evelyn“, maybe suffer some electrifying goth rock at “The Asylum” from TheDeathtones or be mesmerised by the cover of The Dickies song, “Killer Klowns From Outer Space” by Ghosts On Tape.
Get your hatchet face on because this thing is bubbling with talent and oozing with tracks to murder for, as you party with your fiends in the nearest and dearest graveyard. There is also the delightful intro to the compilation which you really should have a listen to. Like most serial killer bad guys in the horror movies, I am going to have to stop, though luckily I didn’t need to be stabbed, incinerated or buried in a well. But I will be back, because as the title says, Horror Punk Is Not Dead! Vol 1, which means………you children of the night better be ready for some more juicy horror punk.
You might think that a song title like “Oh My God My Chemical“, might be from, say, Alien Sex Fiend but no! It is the title of Portland group, Hovering Shrikes new single released on the 26th of August.
They are consumed by a women whom wore a different perfume on every body part. Vocally, there is a Bowie like resemblance, though maybe a little off kilter at first and it builds from the meeting and gallops full force in to the affair prompted by the wiff of the chemicals on a lady or is the scent of love?
It is storytelling within a song, quirky with a sense of humour and I appreciate that. The Hovering Shrikes obviously write tracks that they find interesting and have fun with because that really comes through. They remind me a bit of S.P.O.C.K. and that is never a bad thing, so I say “Oh My God My Chemicals“.
Estetica Noir are darkwave/post-punk group, founded in 2013 in Turin, Italy and they released their second album this year on the Red CatRecords label, called This Dream In Monochrome. The band is comprised of founding members Silvio Oreste (vocals-guitars-programming) and Rik Guido (bass), as well as Paolo Accossato (drums) and Marco Caliandro (synth-programming-back vocals).
There is something beautifully serpentine about the track “Room Of Masks“, as we are introduced to Estetica Noir and their lead vocalist’s ringing tones. Basically if this is the quality of what is to follow, then the whole album is going to be a treat. The second single off the album is “Sweeper” which is simply a divine myriad of guitars, synths and vocals. So utterly catchy.
“Striate Body” has a harsher tone to it in the beginning but that all melts in the chorus, only to return for this song, that was the first single released. The contrast of abrasive vocals and sweeter singing is quite delightful. The rain greets you in “Autumn” with unaccompanied keyboards, building a soundscape where if you listen carefully enough you hear the heartbeat. I still suffer from the pain of hearing the old internet dial up sound. “N.U.” uses this effect within the track. There is a cyber coldness as you feel the icy tendrils of the synths.
Such a wonderful build up of guitar in “Dawn Of Pluto” that drives it along on a sonic wave and echos throughout the whole piece. Do you have a strong preference for the night or darkness? You might suffer from “Nychtophilia” and the track is sexy with a soaring chorus about those that inhabit the shadows. “X” could mean a kiss in this spine tingling track. Smooth and slick with the breathy chorus. In the next number, a short instrumental, truly feels like it is on a precipice and maybe that is why it is called “The Fall“. We hit the last track, which is the retrospective “Climbing Up The Loneliness“. Such a superb balance of vocals with the haunting instruments backing up the lament of never being satisfied,
This is perfect darkwave music. Expressive, melancholy with great bass lines and lyrics that grab you by the heart strings. Throughout there are the wonderful guitar lines that ring out and the synths that create a beautiful synergy. I love Oreste’s vocals, a really strong singer who seems to very competent in his role. Each track has this beautiful dark crystal sound to it, smooth and clean on the surface but smoky beneath that shine. EsteticaNoir’s “This Dream In Monochrome” should be on your have a listen list, so what are you waiting for?
What happens when you mix New Zealand’s Robots In Love with Sweden’s JA/VI? You get a dancefloor remix of the single “Good Cocaine“. Elenor Rayner is Robots In Love and formerly, half of Australian act, The CrystallineEffect with Pete Crane (Shiv-r) as well as performing in Snog and Soulscraper. JA/VI is an emo/pop singer as well as producer who has molded “Good Cocaine“.
The track is catchy with the beats and synths that erupt with fire going into the chorus. An undercurrent of raw sexuality, oozes through, with JA/VI’s vocals in a most pleasing manner. It is an interesting premise that love is like cocaine, addictive and that is great, thought the other side of the coin is cocaine is addictive…..so will love kill you? What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger, so they say. What is addictive is this song, so you might want to heart Robots In Love.
Onyx Music Reviews 