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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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Nicole Fior-Greant is the solo artist behind the darkwave industrial project NICO AMARA, based in Basel, Switzerland. She is about to release her second album, PUNISHMENT MACHINERY, based off the tale of Dante’s Inferno, on October the 17th, however the first single from said album, has dropped at the end of September, called “Burn.”

PHOTO BY ZAK GREANT

The rhythm is juicy, thick and electronic. There is a programmed drone that builds in urgency, and the vocals balance out that inorganic element, however NICO AMARA has become a part of the machine, with cold and unrelenting spoken words that move industriously with those same beats.

One gets the notion that “Burn” is a commentary on how people watch the world through a lens where they feel they have no responsibility or basically the attitude ‘it’s not my fault.’ Thought provoking and catchy all at the same time, we have now stepped into the first level of the inferno with NICO AMARA.

Burn | NICO AMARA

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In 2024, Oslo based darkwave band, Mayflower Madame released their third album Insight. At the time, Insight consisted of nine songs, however the band had actually recorded fourteen tracks, and now in 2026, Mayflower Madame have dropped the Deluxe Edition that now includes the extra five tracks.

It includes the possibly Echo and the Bunnymen inspired “In Hindsight,” which has the prominent deep bass lines and the lighter dreamy vocals. Or you could fixate on the incredibly moody and apprehension filled “Leave Everything Behind,” however, my pick is the last track, “Afterglow.” There is something overwhelmingly open in the sentiment of a love that there is no defence against, while the music pulls you in.

If Mayflower Madame tickled your fancy with the original release, then you should seek out the extra tracks, that you can now get in vinyl!…. and if you are a new initiate, then you have nothing to lose and a lot of lovely post-punk music to gain.

Insight (Deluxe Version) | Mayflower Madame

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Mayflower Madame – Insight

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September broke the new single “The House on the Hill,” by California’s Low Battery. Their style could be described as lo-fi dark ambient pop, taking inspiration from books, movies, poetry and art, which points to the name of the album Inspired By, that will be out in 2027.

The breathy vocals are ghost like, lingering in the echoes between the piano and plucked guitar. It is those echoes that colour the very air, in tones of grey mixing with the oscillations, blending an atmosphere of unearthliness and the haunting hours.

“House on the Hill” is ethereal as vapour, as if your fingers were to try and hold onto smoke, only to find it is floating away. Everything feels like a dream filled with such longing, to a point where you may question if it is the singer’s fancy or a spectre of the past. In “House on the Hill,” Low Battery have created something powerfully delicate, like a single finger moving down bare skin.

The House On The Hill | Low Battery

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Some people can be a tad mysterious and on that note, there is a new single from Bradford based project Signia Alpha, called “Cascade.” Matt Webster is the musical wizard that pulls the strings, and knows some bloke who knows this other bloke, and pulls it all together. Also appearing on the track is Harris and some fella called Paul, was meant to play the bass, but one Paul Gray of some unknown band called The Damned, though often seen in the vicinity at times, missed out on this beauty.

Extra trivia note is the x-ray does belong to one of the mentioned names as they become Lee Majors (insert Bionic Man noises here).

There is a very quintessential Englishness about “Cascade” and a harkening back to “Scarborough Fair.” Possibly it is the plucked acoustic guitar, or the dual vocals that are reminiscent of Simon & Garfunkel, with those delicate harmonisations. It does poke at the edges of your imagination with that strong chorus, healthy drums and wandering deep bass lines. Oh my heart…”Cascade” pulls at the strings with the not only the beauty of the music, but also lyrics about life and how choices from the past can come back to colour your present, and haunt the future. Tis magic.

Music | Signia Alpha

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Are they noise rock? Experimental rock? Post-punk? All of it? I am talking about London’s test plan, the busy trio, who when they are not writing, are recording and when doing neither of these, they are touring. test plan are releasing their first first four singles, oddly called Four Songs on vinyl, however in the meantime, they have dropped a live video named Live in Darkness One, recorded at the Manor House Studio. A taste of the live experience.

Live In Darkness One | test plan

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If you have not heard of Silver SIrcus yet, then I would implore you to have a listen. The Meanjin/Brisbane based group is headed by the vocal magnificence of Lucinda Shaw (lead/backing vocals) and the ever so talented James Lees (drums, percussion, synths), the progenitors of Silver Sircus in 2008. The band is completed by Mark Angel (guitars), Terry Dixon (bass guitar, backing vocals), Ruth Gardner (guitars, backing vocals), James Halloran (piano, backing vocals) and Wayne Jennings (cello, backing vocals), and they have dropped their new EP, The Bones Of You.

The title track speaks of the past, and people in that past that have influenced where you are now, whether for good or bad. There is an eerie seductiveness in both the vocals and strings, and the arrangement is beautifully done, where every component is heard. No singing or instruments are lost in the mix, making the track sound classic and intimate, with a haunting piano that is enough to give one goose bumps.

The beginning of “Under Your Skin” feels like it is bubbling forth from your stomach, a mixture of tribalistic rhythm and Western drawling guitar, with the mistress of dark temptation, luring into her boudoir, making demons and spiders seem positively what you need in your brain right now. The disjointed piano from Halloran is a sharpness that could warn of danger or mental collapse, however Shaw’s singing eases all, dragging you under her spell yet again.

The Bones Of You, for myself, is a moody cabaret, where the participants have exposed their inner insecurities and cracked open their chests revelling bleeding, beating hearts. It is about finite span of this human coil, yet still finding beauty in that ultimate fragility, known as the human condition. As magical as the music is, there is no denying how electrifying the vocals of Shaw are, and she creates the theatre in each track. The cover photo Silver Sircus have chosen is such a great representation of the EP. A flower that looks as if it made of a skeleton, simultaneously looking both alien and fragile and yet alive. The end comes for everything, but that just should remind us to live and love for today, and The Bones Of You is a graceful expression of mortality.

The Bones Of You | Silver Sircus

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What do you get when you mix two parts Sunshine Blind and one part The Wake? A band named Los Tres Mortales with the debut single called “Bourbon,” boasting vocalists/lyricists Troy Payne (The Wake) and Caroline Blind (Sunshine Blind) with CWHK (Sunshine Blind), master of instruments and music. They are joined by Rich W. (The Wake) lending his mercurial guitar skills to the lead solo for this track.

Do you like your bourbon with rock? Payne and Blind have such distinct voices, which is a joy in itself in an age where auto-tune has reduced many to the bargain bin of indistinguishable, and Caroline’s powerful honey mellow singing is the perfect foil for the low timbre of Payne. The guitars are just beautiful with deep smoky tones that keep the drums company, and the lead guitar spiderwebbing its way as the highlight sweet notes.

The initial gustation of “Bourbon,” is vintage US gothic rock of the late 80s and early 90s, the top shelf stuff that hits you with a warmth that spreads through the chest, in that most delightful way. There is the southern gothic twang mixed with tomorrows buyer’s regret, viewed from the bottom of a bottle. The overall mouth-taste is classic and timeless, which is pretty good for three mortals.

Bourbon | Los Tres Mortales

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