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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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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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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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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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Stars and the Underground are a New Zealand shoegaze/darkwave project first created by John Mason, (ex-Winterland) and John McDermott (ex-Headless Chickens), and have been joined by guest vocalist Hannah Berry (Talmar) for the new single “Echolocation.”

Angelic vocals drift up introducing us to Berry, her lilting utterances in complete contrast to the far deeper vocals of Mason. Actually, Mason sounds like he’s channelling Carl McCoy, and the lyrics speaking of second sight due to an all encompassing darkness, could just be the cherry on top. Darkness can feel like torture, yet it cannot stop these hearts from finding each other.

Imagine, if you will, that Fields of the Nephilim had incorporated early Sisters of Mercy, but had become a bit more whimsical, nor did they require the clattering Dr Avalanche (drum machine), as the live drummer (McDermott) is far more nuanced. That somewhat goes towards what “Echolocation” sounds like, but also has this joyful shoegaze sonic wall of sound, which is great if you a post-punk loving human, though possibly bad if you are a bat.

Echolocation Feat Hannah Berry (Talmar) – Single | Stars and the Underground

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Stars and the Underground

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Who are Walty & Malik? Some might say they come from LA, California. Others could allude that they might be tad bit gothy. What is definitely provable is the fact that this duo of Walty (vocals, midi instruments, mixing & mastering) and Malik (guitar) have released their debut single called “Restraint, Recognition.”

The track is a bubbling cauldron of musical styles. The start has a grungy feel, that instantly became heavier, with hints of Type O Negative, but that could be Walty’s deep melodious vocals that are unhurried. There is almost definitely the influence of reggae rhythmically, and for me this makes “Restraint, Recognition” a bit unique, as those beats are incorporated with droning guitar of Malik, and those synth lines that add a dark edge. Yes, it is gothy, however more importantly, it feels cultural and alive, like Walty & Malik have added their own essence to the fabric of the music. That is one pretty cool debut.

▶︎ Restraint, Recognition | Walty & Malik

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Ria Aursjoen (vocals, keyboards), Stephan Salit (guitars), Randy Gzebb (drums) and Jay Denton (bass) are US based Octavian Winters, a peak choice goth rock outfit, and their new single is “By The Stars.” Cherry on top is being recorded at ‘Studio 13‘, and produced, mixed and mastered by William Faith.

Ethereal is the first word that comes to mind from the first tantalising chords of guitar, threaded by the angelic vocals of Aursjoen. There is a gradual swelling in the music, a blooming sense of joy, that is hard to not get hooked into.

“The song has the feel of a sea voyage. The images for me were always ones of the vastness of the sky and the sea, and the feeling of the magnificent beauty of the world. The call and answer vocals are like two people calling back and forth across a valley. It’s meant to encompass that feeling of transcendence when you take a meta view of life and of the natural world, and just fall into the beautiful patterns of it all.” – Ria Aursjoen

“By The Stars” is an ode to the innocence of youth and the promise of possibilities, compared to wisdom and perspective in the later years. Floating the sea of life is not always predictable and sometimes we have to be present in the world just to experience it. Both the sentiment and the track itself are beautiful and gorgeously layered, woven delicately by Octavian Winters.

By The Stars | Octavian Winters

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Low Munroe is a post-punk/gothic project based in Naarm/Melbourne, and Mark Sergi (vocals, keys, guitar) is the man in the creative darkwave hot seat. The newest single has been released in June, called “Desire Limbs.”

Photo by Jacinta De Agrela

The rhythm section undulates and throbs, as the heartbeat becomes more rapid. The guitar strips you bare in comparison to the warmth of Sergi’s vocals, which implore to be passionately wrapped up and removed from the present.

The cadence and attitude is stark reminder of a younger Nick Cave, but the music itself hails from the British post-punk scene, with the understated drum machine and angular guitars. The tone overall is charged with eroticism and longing from the shadows, with Low Munroe sculpting a dark promise for your ears in the form of “Desire Limbs.”

Desire Limbs | Low Monroe

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✯𝐋𝐨𝐰 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐫𝐨𝐞✯ (@lowmonroe) • Instagram photos and videos

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Many know of German based gothic rockers Aeon Sable, and original member Nino Sable, has a solo post-punk project called Melanculia. It has been eight years between albums for Melanculia, but 2026 has brought into fruition the new full length release called Post Mortem, out on noot moon records.

Full length is not a lie. Post Mortem is fourteen tracks long and goes for almost exactly one hour.  The single is the melancholic “Sunboat Ascension,” with what sounds like a Hammond organ, bringing you into intimate utterances of devotion. It is almost like this is another existence we are privy in seeing, thrown back thousands of years, when the Egyptians are at the peak of their ancient civilization. It slowly unwinds with longing, only heightened by Sable’s vocals.

The album has proclamations of desperate and deeply absolute states of love, and none is better than “The Healer.” 80s inspired synths that could be at home in a fantasy inspired movie, coupled with lyrics that speak of dancing under the midnight sun, unicorn blood and being the fire that burns for another, are enough to curl your toes with the ideal of being the focal point of adoration.

Special mention goes to the seriously heart squeezing “We Are Only Human,” a slow dance, putting the emphasis on how the race of men are frail creatures, who have not been long on this planet. The clarinet solo by Benno Schlicht, just tops off the track, causing goosebumps.

This album is awash with magical energy and it plumbs the depths of mysticism. The references to the cards of the tarot are hard to miss with titles such as “The Healer” and “The Tower,” amalgamated with tendrils of those ephemeral things in life, like relationships, the attrition that comes with time, as well as the many shades and shapes love.  The album is drenched in neo-folk, with hints in the guitars and sentiment of The Cure’s Disintegration era, and the electronic darkness of Gary Numan, all slowly stirred into melancholic and romantic dissections of life. This is the Post Mortem, looking for connection in this universe, by Melanculia.

post mortem | Melanculia

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Melanculia – indie Grunge since 2004 – indie – grunge – alternative