Maybe our existence is really in the matrix and we are an illusion in the memory banks of a computer, and just maybe those awful relationships and people could be reduced to “JUNKFILE” fodder. Italian band, HORRORFORBREAKFAST are Lily B. and Louis M., who have been creating music together under this moniker since 2023, and “JUNKFILE” is their second single.
The sounds of pouring rain and winds, brings forth the images of a bleak and grey day, compounded by the initial lone chimes. In creeps the synths, which take on the tune, building the anticipation, especially when the guitar joins in. The vocals beckon you to your doom by deletion because you don’t fit the normal programme.
It is kind of like toned down versions of LacunaCoil meets Garbage, a catchy and sexy track that could have people swaying on the dance floor. So if alt+control+delete isn’t working for you, then you can hit “JUNKFILE” by HORRORFORBREAKFAST.
It is probably fitting that the birth of a gothic track starts with a nightmare, and so this is how the LunarPaths‘ track “Halo,” came into being. Drummer KevinHunter awoke from his sleep and proceeded to record the rhythm section before handing it onto his musical partner in crime, DianeDubois, to add the extra magic.
The drum lines that the track are based on, are at the fore, with Dubois bringing to life this phantasm with the disturbing echoing synths and her breathy vocals haunting the very air, thick with disquiet. A song about those friends who are only there when they need something from you and are in the habit of asking until you bleed dry.
I have said this before, but Dubois‘ vocals are eerily reminiscent of SiouxsieSioux and the experimental quality often leave me feeling that this is what TheCreatures could have sounded like if they had pursued that creative well. Hunter’s rhythms are the foundation and beautifully move the track along. LunarPaths might just be dark angels, especially with a perfect track like “Halo.”
On the day of his birthday, SebastianSünkler released the single “Bohdi” with his main industrial project, STAHLSCHLAG. The German noise master never fails to amaze with how productive he is, and before we know it, the new full-length album will be upon us.
Become one with the drone of “Bohdi” as STAHLSCHLAG take you into another realm, outside of your being, to where celestial souls transverse the stars, god like, as the rhythms continuously make you aware of your own heartbeat. The combination of luminous and mystical vocals with noise is perfection. The second track, “SriStuti,” continues this journey, with more purpose, demanding your attention be completely focused on the fragging beats while a winding synth line wanders though.
The maestro of power noise keeps his sound fresh whilst plumbing the depth of your spiritual psyche, pulling on ancient tendrils within our genetics. With the brilliance of “Bohdi,” we await the album and wish Sünkler another wonderful year making music around the sun.
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.”
1990 was the year the iconic album, The Good Son, was released by Nick Cave andthe Bad Seeds. It spawned several singles, which included the slow burn wonder that was “The Ship Song.” 2023, and Lunar Paths has taken this classic track and given it their experimental, electronic sheen.
Walking in Cave’s deep, sonorous vocal footprints is no easy task, but female lead singer, DianeDubois, pulls it off with great aplomb. The synths in the background are a constant, swelling and dropping, voluptuous in their role and the live drums of KevinHunter are an excellent accompaniment.
“The Ship Song” has always been a rich track, which is why it has been covered by quite a few bands…. mellow and smooth with an incandescent dark beauty that has been brought to the fore in this latest version by LunarPaths.
Edward Butt and Liam O Callaghan are a pair of very busy Irish men from Cork, who you might know better as Arctic Lights. November 17th, was the drop date for their latest single “Melting,” which was produced, mixed and mastered by the guys. Told you they were busy.
From bongos, we are launched into aggressive sawing guitar and glitching electronics. The vocals are reminiscent of TrentReznor and the staccato style of the Nine Inch Nails track “PerfectDrug.” An air of instability is created by the slightly exaggerated guitar warbling between just becoming off key, while the vocals really just say it all with lyrics like, ‘I’m sick and tired of your crazy shit.’
When your mental health has hit rock bottom due to another person creating issues or unloading their own mental instabilities, is what “Melting” is all about. The walking on egg-shells because you are no longer able to predict what is going to happen next. You feel it in the music, as if ArcticLights are walking on that fine edge.
As sure as the sun will rise tomorrow, SebastianSunkler will probably release a few more things before the year is out. So, November was the release for the new double sided single for STAHLSCHLAG, called Abhinivesha. “Om Mani Padme Hum” and “Ong NamoGuru Dev Namo” will both be on the new album Amrita, which is slated to come out in 2024.
“Om Mani Padme Hum” starts with the charming chimes of temple bells, before the clever combination of harsher electronics and beats are injected into the track, becoming ever more demanding to be heard in the transcendental mirage of the universe.
The second track, “Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo,” has a much darker edge to it, forbidding and sharp. It echoes with the waiting ghosts of past, cavernous sounding, pounding and primitive, only promising enlightenment to those whom dare to cross those boundaries.
As always, STAHLSCHLAG have pulled something unique out of the basket yet again, combining rhythmic noise with accents of that which is ancient and otherworldly, creating a fantasy soundscape to lose yourself in.
Onyx Music Reviews 