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For some of us, certain rules seem more like a suggestion such as cuddling bears or snogging large cats. This brings us to the new maxi single “Kissing Lions,” by Massachusetts band Ghost Painted Sky, a gothic trio consisting of David Strong, Lisa Wood and Michael Boudreau. The single heralds in the soon to be released second album titled Failure Blooms.

Sinuous post-punk guitars greet your ears. “Kissing Lions” has Wood’s vocals in a deep register, casting a mournful pall across the track that has its roots firmly planted in The Cure’s Pornography era. There is a claustrophobic quality, where the lyrics pour forth the lament of an existence based in humdrum.

There is a Effervescent Remix of the single and a brilliant B-side called “My Words Are Not My Own,” that is a complete change of direction as it is very much an electronic affair, and it is a magical thing to hear them fluidly change from guitar based, into synths.

“‘Kissing Lions’ describes those mostly vain attempts to seize on anything that creates a fleeting feeling of being alive for a moment amid relentless waves of the humdrum, doldrums, and failure, which so often end up being misguided and ultimately just creating a thicker mire even more strangling than the original situation one sought to escape… bad decisions that bite back and create further downward spirals.” – David Strong

This single and the new album have been mixed and mastered by William Faith, which is kind a mark of quality. Love, love the grittiness of the subject melded with the dark 80s post-punk sound. So the question is, do you take the safer, more mundane path of existence or do pucker up with the king of the jungle for the quick thrill and find yourself the favourite treat with the gooey centre?

Kissing Lions (maxi-single) | Ghost Painted Sky

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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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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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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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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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Melbourne’s Velatine are going from strength to strength, solidifying their line-up of founding member Loki Lockwood and vocalist Holly Purnell, and at the end of March, releasing the single “Whisper Park,” out on Spooky Records. This is Velatine covering Velatine, as “Whisper Park” was originally released in 2022, though now it has become a different beast.

We are going Fields of the Nephilim style, with that southern gothic guitar twang, and the track builds and builds on itself in thick waves of powering guitars and welling drums. Purnell is sultry and makes “Whisper Park” her domain, inhabiting it with her drawled vocals, like she embodies the personality of Marlene Dietrich.

‘We’re aligned on where we want to go, how we want to be seen, even our basic thoughts on humanity connect. It’s spooky.‘ – Loki Lockwood

The original version, which you should check still check out as well, is very much more electronic, whilst this latest is far heavier, imbued with a streetwise griminess, as if “Whisper Park” is the place to meet all those weird goth kids, and, of course, Velatine. It is not a whisper, but rather a call to the disenfranchised.

Whisper Park | Velatine

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@velatine | VELATINE – For our fans 🖤🌹 [gothic / | Beacons

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Italy’s Christine Plays Viola dropped their latest album F.I.V.E, also known as Fear Increases Violent Emotion back in January, and now have released the single “Desolate Moments,” out on Cleopatra Records.

There is a definite slow maudlin air to the track, slow and deliberate. The guitars trace up and down the scale building tension and the synths are the light lifeline that sparkle in between. The vocals almost feel in sync with the drums, creating a heartbeat, sown with regret and a forlornness.

Classic goth. A dirge about contemplating promises unkept and love lost, and possibly my only complaint is that I wish during the chorus, the synths could have been bulked up to sound like a church organ…. yeah, I might be asking a bit much, but I could hear it in my head! Christine Plays Viola makes beautiful music, even in the “Desolate Moments.”

F.I.V.E. Fear Increases Violent Emotions | Christine Plays Viola

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Shadows Forming is new album from Helsinki based witchy rockers, Hauntees, which will be released on the 28th of February. out on Xonoring Records. Members, Aiju Salminen (bass, vocals), Heini Kauppinen (guitar, vocals, organ), Piia Jalkanen (guitar, backing vocals) and Teemu Kumpulainen (drums), have dropped the single “All Over Again” as a touch stone for Shadows Forming.

The drums are clean and punchy, with fellow rhythm section partner, the bass guitar, up and front, dusting the tune with heavy intent. There is a lilting sadness from the guitars and the vocals fluctuate from singular to the harmonies in the chorus.

“We want to reach toward other worlds with our music, beyond everyday reality, When we write songs, we describe them to each other through places, films, and moods.” – Hauntees

I really like the fact the single is not overly processed, as if I could expect them to sound like this live, which lends an air of feeling fresh and not bound to being absolutely perfect. In other words, a rawness as the Hauntees wrap their vision around your ears. We don’t mind listening to the Hauntees “All Over Again.”

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Initiation | Hauntees

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Something is a stirring at the end of 2025. International gothic super group, Beauty In Chaos have an extended single release in the form of two covers. Oh Lordie, there is going to be a reconning. The first is a folk cover, recorded as far back as 1956 by Odetta called “God’s Gonna Cut You Down,” and also under this title in 2009 by the original Man In Black, Johnny Cash, as well as Marilyn Manson (2017). It has also been reproduced as “Run On” by Elvis Presley (1967) and Moby (1999), as well as others.

Photo by Anabel DFlux

You just know before a single note has been struck, this is going to be a southern gothic affair, where the coyote blues is just waiting there to bite and preacher is sizing you up for the next wooden box he’ll be sermonising over. Sure enough, there is that heavy guitar twang that rings out, joined by the gospel styled hand claps, as well as the rat-a-tat of the military drum, all calling on the day of judgement.

Back in 2003, Joe Strummer And The Mescaleros released the album Streetcore, which brought forth the single “Get Down Moses.” Oh yes, nothing like that reggae flavour, mixed with that unmistakeable Strummer guitar, and the brass section reminding us that ska is the voice of the streets. It is sassy, eexy and still runs true for the modern day.

After “God’s Gonna Cut You Down,” I feel like going to listen to Concrete Blonde’s version of “God Is A Bullet,” for will there be redemption?? I don’t know, but there is a cinematic darkness that tastes like dust and smells of gunpowder. Meanwhile, “Get Down Moses” is like the medicine you never knew you needed to soothe and heal your soul. Easy to listen to and still make you realise that the more things change, the more they stay the same, A bit like “Ghost Town” by The Specials. On a side note, Michael Rozon and Michael Ciravolo are the lynch pins of Beauty In Chaos, and we all know, Michael is God’s avenging angel.

Have mercy on us everyone…..

“God’s Gonna Cut You Down” b/w “Get Down Moses” | BEAUTY IN CHAOS

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