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As promised, Killtoys are back with “Departed,” the final instalment of the trilogy release of connected singles that includes, in order, “Blind God” and “Another Realm“. The Brisbane/Meanjin three piece, comprised of Mick Bristow, Stav Tsolakides and Bevan Bancroft, seem to be building up steam… so we are hopeful for an album release.

The guitar work, as always, is glorious, haunted by a whiff of horror inspired uncertainty, with deep sliding riffs, offset by the thrashing drums. The echoing and pained, or is it beseeching(?), vocals leave you with no doubt that the end is nigh, and Bristow welcomes the creeping shadows to come and take him.

Garry and Jess of Obscure Medium Art, have again created evocative cover art, mastered at 301 by Steve Smart in Sydney, and recorded at King Street Studio in Brisbane. ‘We are the dead,’ is the climax to the trilogy and that in the end, as humans, we come into existence, have free will to create our own destiny and that for all of us is the eventual passing into the veil, hopefully to be greeted by those loved ones that went before us. You are never alone with the “Departed” and Killtoys.

https://www.facebook.com/Killtoysband/

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Finnish musician Amanda Aalto dropped the single “Vampira” on December 1st. This independent singer, songwriter, and producer has been releasing music for the last ten years.

The electronics are almost in lament, with an innocence in the lightness, which is further enforced by the vocals. An ode to a female creature of the night, whom has had to accept her fate, never able to go back to her previous life.

I would almost say that “Vampira” wants you to feel remorse for the prejudice the main character has to endure, through no fault of her own. Simple synth lines, coupled with lilting vocals and you too can dance the blood bond with Amanda Aalto and her “Vampira.”

Vampira | Amanda Aalto (bandcamp.com)

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In the early 90s, we were experiencing the second wave of goth, and one band to grab our attention was the French group Corpus Delicti, with the album Sylphes, instantly becoming a classic. After five years Corpus Delicti disbanded, and now, twenty eight years later, they are finally back with the single “Chaos,” which has William Faith (Faith & The Muse, Shadow Project) in the role of producer.

Just the vocals alone make you know that this is Corpus Delicti, as Sebastian’s singing style has not really changed. Serpentine guitar coils around your senses and the bass guitar is truly gorgeous. The chorus sends shivers down my spine with the breath taking soaring quality, that becomes almost attacking in its veracity, and the synths build the underlaying tension.

They are no longer those youngsters, but that has been replaced by a maturity and a conviction to the music. Everything about “Chaos” screams that this is the same band even down to those guitar flourishes, and I am transported back in time to when I picked up a purple covered CD, with a black and white art piece, discovering songs that became a part of who I am today. Oh how I have missed you Corpus Delicti, for now you have released the “Chaos” and we want more…..

Chaos | Corpus Delicti (bandcamp.com)

https://www.facebook.com/cdelicti/

https://corpusdelicti0.wixsite.com/band

https://www.instagram.com/corpusdelictimusic/

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It is always lovely to hear the guitar artistry of Karl Morten Dahl, aka Antipole, and he has joined forces with German based Deus Ex Lumina, the darkwave project of Gonzalo Schwindt, for the single “Destroy.”

Dahl’s guitar is ghostly and ephemeral, a presence in the background and melding into synths which glimmer star like from the murky memories that are uttered on the lips of Schwindt. The vocals weighted, sonorously deep and smooth as liquid black velvet.

It is undeniable that there is an 80s electronic, almost coldwave electronics sound to “Destroy.” There is a gentle fragility within the music though the lyrics more than hint to some sort of violence. “Destroy” is a beautiful act of dancefloor tragedy by Deus Ex Lumina & Antipole.

Destroy | Deus Ex Lumina & Antipole | Deus Ex Lumina (bandcamp.com)

https://www.facebook.com/deusxlumina/

https://www.instagram.com/deusexluminaofficial

Music | Antipole (bandcamp.com)

http://www.facebook.com/antipoleband

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Fancy a bit of deathrock bilge? Argh nothing like the accursed sound of those scurvy naves Sea Lungs, whom seem to flotsam and jetsam between Melbourne and Sydney. Those salty dogs, Jarrad Robertson and Andi Lennon, with a little bit of brass ball handling help from Dase Beard, are back with a new single, “Teignmouth Electron.”

Ah yes, you can feel the sea beneath you with the rolling guitars, as the drums crash against your senses. Black Sabbath want their guitar riffs back and it is possible to see in your mind’s eye, young Ozzy shaking his head in glee. Glam and rock collide, though this does not seem to deter Lennon from his demonic wittering, as he imbues the insanity of a captain who is all but lost to the watery deep with the “Teignmouth Electron.” The lads have also resurrected the track “Eel Pie,” giving the eels more teeth, filling it out with delicious ringing guitars, filling it up with the juicy waves of noise.

What is a “Teignmouth Electron,” one might ask, and the answer being, it was a trimaran sailing boat created for a race in 1968, and the one man crew that was David Crowhurst, seems to have completely lost his bottle during said race, and more than likely ended his life, for he was never seen again. The ship still exists, though now is a wreck on a beach, somewhere in the Caribbean Islands. “Teignmouth Electron” is yet again, something different from what the guys have so far presented us with, definitely heavier with that goth/glam seduction and the revamped version of “Eel Pie” is no poor cousin, easily holding its own even as a b-side. Join the crew and get yourself some Sea Lungs.

Teignmouth Electron | Sea Lungs (bandcamp.com)

https://www.facebook.com/sealungs

http://linktr.ee/sealungs

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Who do you believe and what can you trust? Wars popping up around the world and now the revamped hostilities in the Gaza Strip…. you have to ask, when does the killing stop? Dystopiarch is the new project for Matthew McIntosh, whom you might know from A Cloud Of Ravens, and the debut single is “Like Hell.” The proceeds of the single will be donated to civilian victims of the Middle East conflict through International Rescue Committee.

From the opening speeding rhythm, combined with the pulsating synths, are simply attention grabbing. McIntosh’s vocals are strained and at times breathy, compelling you you to listen to the lyrics, which are about modern living, where we have lost contact with the natural world, preferring so see perfection on a screen, and just let the Earth burn. A literal hell.

There is a wonderful juxtaposition between bright and dark synths, the driving rhythm that thumps along and those rather Imperative vocals, that make up “Like Hell.” The style of music invokes thoughts of cyber-industrial with post-punk leanings, due to the electronics that play against each other, creating both feelings of claustrophobia and euphoria. It is catchy, thought provoking and proceeds are for a great cause. Those alone are great reasons for people to get behind this Dystopiarch track, for life is not meant to be “Like Hell.”

Like Hell | Dystopiarch (bandcamp.com)

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Hard to believe, but it has been five years since the release of Kill Shelter’s debut album Damage on the label Unknown Pleasures. So, December 1st will see the special limited edition of the reworked album, called Damage (V), where tracks that have the (V) have been re-recorded, whilst the others have been remastered by the man himself, Pete Burns at the Shelter Studio. Anyway, before we get to the album, the single “In Decay (V),” was dropped at the end of October, featuring Antipole and Delphine Coma. You may say, hey….. that was a single off the original Damage, and you are not wrong, however this is one of the (V) tracks and now it also has a video to go with it!

Ashe Ruppe is Delphine Coma and his deep, sonorous vocals seem to almost reverberate into the core of your being, as he brings to bear the desperation and disillusionment of those looking to escape across the waters. The delicate guitar strains are Antipole’s Karl Morten Dahl, and they fall like rivulets of drenching tears. All the while, Burns builds the dark and overbearing atmosphere with his driving bass.

You might wonder what the difference is between the original version and this one. For me, I am going to say that the vocals are more at the fore, that the guitar fills in more space, where as the original felt as if it there were voids to punctuate the music, and this new version is just going to take you for a sonic journey. But, more to the point, maybe you need to listen to both versions of “In Decay” in order to make your own mind up. “In Decay (V)” is just beautifully crafted post-punk, and I for one could not think of anyone better to perform it than Delphine Coma, Antipole and, of course, Kill Shelter.

Damage | Kill Shelter (bandcamp.com)

https://www.facebook.com/killshelterofficial

Music | Antipole (bandcamp.com)

http://www.facebook.com/antipoleband

Music | Delphine Coma (bandcamp.com)

http://www.facebook.com/Delphine.Coma

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Drawing a spotlight onto music that might have gone under your radar is something we relish at Onyx. So, if you haven’t heard the EP Intimacy from France’s Distance H, then we are here to tell you that you might just be missing out. ManuH is a producer and man behind the darkwave/post-punk project and he invites different female vocalists to write the lyrics that they then perform for their track. Intimacy is the debut EP release for Distance H, that came out in January of 2023.

There are two tracks featuring Blue Saigon’s delightful vocalist, Ophelia. The sassy single “Bitch 16” with it’s pealing guitar work, and the dark, dirge like wonder that is the last track “Leaden Skies.” Ophelia goes from oozing seduction, to an emotional outpouring so pure and haunting.

“Waters Of Woe” is another single that features the vocal talents of Marita Volodina. It both surges and spirals down with the guitar, powerful and evocative with Volodina stirring those pools of sadness.

Liset Alea makes up the triumvirate with the ultra smooth ode to lover’s promises “Time To Rush,” that lilts and caresses your ears. The last track is “Twilight” and it is glorious both with it’s female vocals and musically with the effusive shoegaze ephemera.

I have to say that it is rather brilliant concept to collaborate with female vocalists, because not only is there some damn fine singing, but also the lyrics are written by them and are therefor so much more pertinent and poignant, giving the listener a glimpse into fragments of fragility, passion, longing, sadness and a core iron inner strength that runs throughout. ManuH (guitar, synths), is the music mastermind creating swirling, jangly accompaniments, however the icing is the fact that he even has women leading the way on drums and bass, this being Amélie G and Zoé H respectively. There is a lot of reverence in Intimacy, and maybe this is because ManuH, and in turn Distance H listen to the feminine heart.

Intimacy | Distance H (bandcamp.com)

https://www.facebook.com/DistanceH

https://instagram.com/distanceh.music

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You might say Witches Falls could be one of the most coolest names a place could be called and indeed it is a real locale, situated on Tamborine Mountain, in Australia. Gold Coast based Chiffon Magnifique, brain child of Jed A Walters, have sprung forth a darkwave single, also named “Witches Falls,” with an equally creepy video set in said area.

Echoing and ringing post-punk guitar on this track is really beautiful, setting the swirling tone, that sweeps you along for the ride. Walter’s vocals, deep and longing, beseech you for understanding, for one that finds the modern world, at times, so overwhelming, they need to retreat to the calm that is the quiet arms of the natural world. The video conveys the self doubt in a mind clouded in a tormented perception that they are forever alone and unwanted. The house full of curios, changes to the city (Vinnies’ Dive Bar), before a furious night drive to the Falls, and their majestic ancient rain forest, in which the “Witches Falls” resides.

What could possibly top this great track? Maybe the knowledge that in 2024, we can expect the debut album named Anxietika, which, with all the current singles, you know is going to be punching well above its weight with all the gothic goodness Walters puts into his music. The man is seriously talented and very heavily involved in the dark alternative scene in South-East Queensland and I cannot stress enough to watch this space because Chiffon Magnifique are just starting to hit their straps, so find your way to “Witches Falls.”

Witches Falls | Chiffon Magnifique (bandcamp.com)

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Peak Flow are a darkwave duo from York in the UK, and their debut single “Running To You” was released in June, but who are we to hold back on a great track?! Not I. James and Jools have said they draw inspiration from post-punk icons such as Echo and the Bunnymen, The Cure, and Jesus and Mary Chain.

From the beginning keyboard notes, this track promises to become stuck in your head, especially when it comes to the chorus. The vocals are clean and light in comparison to the wonderfully heavy bass. The storyline is from the perspective of two people, where one is still in love and the other no longer feels any empathy for their lover. Honestly, this is such a catchy tune and should really be something that graces the dancefloor with other songs such as Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart.”. Just saying, if people give Peak Flow a chance, then “Running To You” might become a classic.

https://www.facebook.com/peakflowband