Sweden’s Scheitan, started off as a black metal band, back in 1996, but now in 2025, it is a far different beast. With one remaining member, PierreTörnkvist, over the years, Scheitan’s sound has become gothic rock, and the latest single is called “HeavenTonight,” out on the Greek label The Circle Music.
PHOTO BY DANIEL HOLMGREN
Woo, this could honestly be disco gothic rock with the energy of this track, ready to whisk you off to the dance floor. The thudding rhythms, the liquid vocals and the swirling electronics mix together. The lyrics are heavy with meaning, with the chorus either speaking of wanting something forever or a night of a perfect climax.
‘I will love to keep the fire alive While I know that I’m just waiting to die I will touch you in the heat of the night Oh, it’s a firefight / I’ll be in heaven tonight‘
I really like this track and it has this odd cadence that makes me think of the 80s track “IJust Died In Your Arms Tonight” by Canadians Cutting Crew… not that is a bad thing either, as it was a track about petite le mort or the little death that is an orgasm. Scheitan are looking for the perfect gothic love with “Heaven Tonight.”
When the weather warms up, the clothes get skimpier, and the eyes wander, which all leads to gothic SEX… or something like that. Those Italians are hot blooded and MotelTransylvania have dropped the equally hot single “BurningLust,” which is apparently the official track for the Burning Pants Festival 2025.
Slamming drums rock your world and from the start, MotelTransylvania are in your face with the theme. If you like LordoftheLost, then this is going to hit you right in the sweet spot. Big guitar riffs and an even bigger rousing chorus’, pounce and pin you down.
It is all about sticky, sweaty naughty bits, and the music see-saws between seduction and high power thrusting. Oh those young sexy driven darklings. I can appreciate the sentiment and MotelTransylvania definitely rock this hard. Beware of “Burning Lust,” as it might just consume you.
Late at night, when all are asleep, and yet slumber escapes you…. do you hear it? Noises from under the bed, or is it the cupboard or down the hall? Maybe, you are about to “MeetMrScratch,” which coincidently is the new video for the single from SinisterFate, the shock rock five piece unit, based in Chicago.
Häxan, the Swedish silent horror movie from 1922, is the setting for the video, where the band has been grafted into the the story of medieval witchcraft and terror. Band members, DavidBates (vocals), NoelDivad (guitar), LeoGarcia (guitar), TheOmen (bass), and DK (drums) seem to play the roles of ghastly beings who are watching and taunting the religious protagonists, while the music heightens the paranormal tension, in that sassy theatrical way.
In the milieu of such artists as RobZombie and Wednesday13, it has to be said that horror inspired rock is very appealing, especially with its tongue in cheek sense of humour, which definitely is there in spades when watching the music video. Basically it is good old fashioned fun, enhanced by a guitar fuelled track, where one must be careful or encounter the SinisterFate and “MeetMisterScratch.”
My first experience of October Noir, is via this new album, Fate, Wine And Wisteria, that was released on September the 22nd. It is rather confronting at first to think of a band actively trying to take up where Type ONegative sadly could not due to the untimely death of lead singer Pete Steele, especially when the band themselves could not find the heart to continue without him and followed with other projects such as APale Horse CalledDeath.
OCTOBER NOIR
Down in Pensacola, Florida, the weather is warm and the wisteria grows wild in the lost places, so to the album has thirteen tracks, though to be fair the tracks “Fate“, “Wine” and “Wisteria” are kind bridging instrumental pieces and maybe a minute long at the most. “Windows” is the first track with vocals and the single off the album. Fairly taken aback how much this actually sounds like a Type O number, There is the longing in the deep vocals and the long guitar riffs that drift away to then crash back in a revisit.
This is indeed a strange experience. It pays to read the lyrics at times as well. “Effigy” almost seems to be based on one of those teenage horror movies where they go down to the lake and the main character is lured away with the promise of carnal delights, only to find all their friends have been murdered and being Halloween, did they do it?! Equal parts defeat and howling anger in the Greek inspired “Persephone” and “Wanderlust” really reminds me of the iconic “Everything Dies” in places.
Really liked “Sistinas” with the moody harpsichord and the extremely low vocal range that was being plumbed. Anyone that ever listened to Type O Negative, would know that often Steele would firmly have his tongue placed in cheek and liked to create songs about forbidden encounters or the nitty gritty of sexual lust and October Noir have followed post haste in their footsteps with the tracks “Reverence(Make You Love)” and “Proverbs“. Whatever the theme, there is always that underlying darkness that humans are fallible and prone to causing great pain and misery as well as picking others up from the deepest pits of despair in this album.
It was the first time hearing their sound which floored me a little to hear a band that sounded so like Type ONegative, from the bass lines, to the guitar chords and unmissably the vocals so hauntingly like Pete Steele’s. Now some will say they are copy artists and that often happens a lot, ie all the bands that want to be Sisters OfMercy, though unfortunately they are flawed and normally unable to do this well. October Noir don’t hide the fact they are standing in Type O Negative’s shadow but rather embrace the fact and actually create new music I think that even Steele would have been impressed by.
End of November, 2019 saw the release of goth rockers, HerDespair’s latest EP, ExorcismsofEroticism. This 6 piece band are based in London and currently not signed to any label, though I wonder how long that will last.
“Pandaemonium” is a banger of a number to start off with. Those crystal clear vocals that draw you into the heart and heat of song. Author, JohnMilton, wrote the novel, ParadiseLost and created a capital of Hell called Pandaemonium, city of fallen angels and daemons. This builds in its terrible beauty of a soul left bereft and shunning heaven’s God .
A single off the EP is “TheExorcism“. Again you hear the wonderfully crafted lyrics with the musical sensibilities of VilleValo (HIM). A few goth girls are going to melt with this and I can see why. The guitar riff in this is a killer.
Third track, “In That Moment”, has the orchestration wooing you whilst giving you a sense of wonder at how they manage to make this sound so grand and polished. The electronic aspect is spectacular.
For such a darkly named song “Like A Crucifixion“, it feels so light and up beat with a great, catchy chorus. If this is the next single, I would hardly be surprised.
I think English icons, ParadiseLost might have misplaced a track in “Beyond The Veil” as it really reminds me of their goth phase. This is a slightly slower number and I’m not sure if the reference is a veil of mourning or the distance between death and life, though no matter as it all works.
Of course all this commentary of passing to the land of the dead leads well into the final track, “Final Rest”. The sentiment is beautiful as the music swells with the acknowledgment of going to a place of peace… their heaven.
HER DESPAIR
For HerDespair, this is the second EP since the band first released Mournography in 2018. There is great wealth of literary expression and the use of poetic English language is lovely to see.
The band cites influences like The Sisters of Mercy, My Dying Bride and Karl McCoy’s wonderful, Fieldsof the Nephilim and honestly you can hear touchs of these 80’s iconic goth bands but also more recent acts like The 69 Eyes, LacrimosaProfundere and more than a passing nod to tragic love hero’s, HIM.
Goth rock needs shots in the arm like this every once in a while because what the world doesn’t need is another SistersofMercy clone, yet this is a classic example of love lost, longing and dwelling in darkness, set to a backdrop of heaven and hell. Beauty is in the darkness and in the music of HerDespair.
Onyx Music Reviews 