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From the wilds of ÅŒtepoti (Dunedin), in Aotearoa (New Zealand), Robots In Love have crept on us, and then slapped us with a new single “The Sequel.” Elenor Rayner (vocals, production), Alex Burchell (drums, production) and Tony Lumsden (bass) are now the core of the group, which was begun a year ago by Rayner.

You are lulled into a false sense that this is another electronics only track. That is until the guitar strikes in. Robots In Love are finely balanced between punchy vocals, soaring synths and pounding rhythms, fuelled by the metal inspired guitar work. The chorus just hits me like a nursery rhyme, with its slightly sing song rhythm. but also for mentioning people and steeples, which makes me think of Here Is The Church.

Robots In Love are evolving with every single, growing in confidence as a group and it really shows. “The Sequel” absolutely kicks arse. It is heavy and ballsy, and it kind of reminds me of the 90s when you could mosh to your favourite industrial rock bands. Rayner’s vocals run the gauntlet of sweet to full on dark and brooding rock goddess. Those chords reverberate with the energy of Pop Will Eat Itself and yet…. it is modern and speaks of this generation, the children of the digitally programmed age. Buckle up people because it is about to get intense in here with “The Sequel.”

The Sequel | Robots In Love (bandcamp.com)

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Cicadas could be the rock stars of the insect world. They are the loudest, live two to seventeen years, shed their carapace and come out in Summer to mate and spent most of their lives hibernating. “Cicada” is also the latest single from Lunar Paths‘ Diane Dubois and Kevin Hunter.

Kevin has recorded live drums and it just adds to the dramatic tribal timelessness. There are samples of traditional Greek (Cretan) instruments that Diane has fiddled with and the electronics dominate the track, often matching the sounds of cicadas. They have incorporated live recordings of our little insect friends.

Diane graces us with her vocals as well as her lyrics that pay homage to the sound that marks the feel of Summer in the outdoors. The whirring and heat can be felt, often heralding in a storm after a day of building humidity and “Cicada” takes on a mystical ambience for a creature that spends most of it’s life growing up underground, to come forth for a finite period of time. Lunar Paths are going to entrance you.

Cicada | Lunar Paths (bandcamp.com)

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In 1986, Siouxsie and the Banshees released the album Tinderbox, which yielded the all too catchy single “Cities In Dust.” Now in 2024, Naarm (Melbourne) based Velatine, have covered “Cities In Dust,” featuring for the first time the vocals of Sasha Tyler, along side the ever present lord of darkness himself, Loki Lockwood.

Electronics herald in the recognisable chords to the track, but this is not the same creature as the original. The synths strike a harpsichord tone and the singular guitar has a lot of impact. Tyler’s voice is true and strong. She is not Siouxsie Sioux, for there can only be one of those, however I think she is perfect for this reinterpretation, and her vocals are like honey.

Indeed, the eldritch is strong in this track, and I swear at any moment I am going to hear Vincent Price laughing into the pall of gothic mist covered horror. Why horror? “Cities In Dust” is about the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, seemingly wiped from existence by the powerful explosion of the volcano, Mount Vesuvius. The Velatine version is a little sparser… more electronics and maybe this has upped the ante when it comes to the eeriness factor. Out on the Spooky Records label, visit Bandcamp for name your price before you go dancing at the Lares Shrine.

Cities in Dust | Velatine (bandcamp.com)

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“Never Sever” is the new single from Norway’s Mayflower Madame, from the album Insight, which will be released on November the 1st on the label Night Cult Records.

There is a haunted tone to the beginning of “Never Sever,” however this track kicks off with the guitars powering up their shoegaze jangle. The vocals call out a regret of walking from a relationship, acknowledging that you can never go back after years. The electronics are the unsung hero here filling those swelling chorus.

There is a cool groove about this track, and the way it flows and builds between the guitars and vocals, very much reminds me of The Mission (UK). You can feel the ache of loss, however, the crashing drums combined with the bigger sound, leads you to believe that there is also acceptance of what is. Wallow in the beautiful gothic melancholy that is Mayflower Madame’s “Never Sever.”

Never Sever (single) | Mayflower Madame (bandcamp.com)

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Aston Nyte, lead singer of goth rock band The Awakening, has once again taken on the duty of lead vocalist with US super group, Beauty In Chaos, for the single “Made Of Rain,” which is off their fourth album Dancing With Angels.

Photo by Annabel DFlux

Michael Ciravolo is a master guitarist and the notes drift in a sensuous malady. Meanwhile, Nyte sings from the pit of his being, with the tone grabbing your heart and pulling it out of the cavity it beats in. The lyrical imagery is poignant, stealing your breath with the powerful lament.

Nyte, simply put, has a superb voice with an extraordinary range, and I have to admit I hold him in great esteem along side HIM’s Ville Valo. Not only is his singing beautiful, but you feel everything. So easily he causes a visceral reaction and that is what makes Nyte perfect for this track, “Made Of Rain.” The music video is also a feast for the eyes which I highly encourage you to check out.

DANCING WITH ANGELS | BEAUTY IN CHAOS (bandcamp.com)

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Friday the thirteenth was the release date for the single “Stay Strange” by Swedes THEN COMES SILENCE, which features the smoky eyeliner (and vocal chords) of Dusty Gannon, lead singer of US group Video Vision, out on Metropolis Records.

From sliding down the guitar strings, to the jaunty nature that said guitars are being played, you already know you are in for a cracking tune, and the lads do not disappoint. The drums slam away as Alex Svenson and Gannon share the vocal duties, and it is a display of explosive punk styling pure joy. What a fantastic message in the chorus which simply says ‘stay strange and pure of heart‘.

Be still my beating heart, when you hear what could be a throwback to The Specials’ “Ghost Town,” with bonus points for seeing Goth Dad Gannon, getting on down to it in the video. “Stay Strange” has a psychobilly heart, preaching a feel good anthem that it is okay to go against the grain and not be like everyone else, even when the pressure is to be a carbon copy of the general public person. THEN COMES SILENCE’s third album Trickery is all about finding your people or tribe and Dusty Gannon, as Goth Dad, brings positive inclusiveness, so all I have to add is be weird and keep on dancing.

Stay Strange | THEN COMES SILENCE (bandcamp.com)

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Aaargh, I am running late and I need to show you a single from Bologna band The Peripheries! Out on Three Hands Records, “Colder Than Your Smile” came out in the beginning of June, from members Wiz (vocals), Udo (bass), Flaminia (the monster from the north), Giorgia (visuals), Morgana (beats, tailoring) and Arnar (guitars, keys, vocals). By the way, Flaminia sounds uber cool, like she is a wildling.

The track is doused in a pall of electronic fuzz, and the synths run wistfully, much lighter giving a great contrast to the wonderfully deep bass. Wiz is the lead vocalist here and his performance makes you feel all the one sided love whilst wearing all the cruelty.

The incongruency of the electronics and guitars is really great, kind of a throw-back to the early 2000s EBM music. I really like The Peripheries style and “Colder Than Your Smile” is brilliantly dark and a delight to listen to.

Colder than your smile (Sophistry remix) | The Peripheries (bandcamp.com)

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Is it a bird or a plane? Why no, it is London’s test plan, a post-punk trio and they have released their third single, “It’s Not Enough” at the end of August. Max Mason (drums, backing vocals), Michalis Fragkiadakis (guitar, backing vocals) and Rory Dickinson (bass, vocals) make up test plan.

The first fifty odd seconds is a slow reverberating crush of guitar and echoing vocals….which then explodes into a tsunami of noise. test plan goes from lulls into stressed and strained screaming, not only from their lead singer, but also the guitars, and all the while the drums set the course, faithfully driving the rhythm section forward.

“It’s Not Enough” is amazingly dark and forceful, blaring out in defiance in this play of words. There is a punk heart here, matched up with noise propelled melody, vying to be not just heard, but felt through your skin and sinking into your bones as only a good gothic rock song can, so check out test plan.

It’s Not Enough | test plan (bandcamp.com)

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When The Soft Moon’s Jose Luis Vasquez suddenly passed away, it sent a ripple of shock through the darkwave/industrial community worldwide due to the refreshing influence of his songs. LOVER/ABUSER is a relatively new band from Arizona and they have covered The Soft Moon’s track “CHOKE.”

Though the time signature is the same, this new version is saturated with reverberating guitar, so not necessarily less electronic but with a more metallic taste. You can definitely recognise “CHOKE,” but it is nice to hear that it isn’t a carbon copy with the cleaner vocals from possibly more than one singer. A tribute to a lost icon from LOVER/ABUSER, and maybe check out their other track, “Star Nursery” with it’s classical piano lit with moonlight.

▶︎ CHOKE | LOVER/ABUSER (bandcamp.com)

https://www.instagram.com/lover.abuser?utm_source=qr&igsh=cXEycGE5OWdpbng1

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The saying is the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree and this could be said for young Norwegian guitarist Ja’kob, son of yet another amazing guitarist Karl Morten Dahl, better known as Antipole. They have joined forces with Pedro Code, from IAMTHESHADOW, to release the single “Walk With Me.”

Ja’kob

Pedro Code has a voice that could make you melt with it’s luscious tones and his contribution of vocals and lyrics sits so very well in the guitar laden music being laid down. Those guitars roll and play around each other in a mesmerising dance, which is beautiful to behold.

The music video is set between a Norwegian forest and a shuttered room, a play of light versus dark, of open spaces in contrast to the claustrophobic setting Code finds himself in. “Walk With Me” is delicate and at the same time sombre with the smooth deep intonations of Code. Antipole is a man that can make a guitar speak volumes and I can also see a long career in the music industry for Ja’kob,

Walk With Me (ft. Pedro Code) | Antipole & Ja’kob | Antipole (bandcamp.com)

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