In this modern era, have you ever experienced an “Emptiness“? This is the latest single from Amsterdam based group TheDarkWave, who mix gothic rock with a new wave sensibility, on the label Walboomers Music.
Guitar slides, verses that powerup, and launch you into the chorus and jangling guitar tussling for dominance against the vocal harmonisation. All the while there is that 80s post-punk bass guitar rumbling along as the song breaks into an infectious 90s Brit pop bounciness. Who could ask for anything more alive than this?!
It is rather interesting to see the artwork seems to depict the shape of a mobile phone, a powerful mini computer that can let you see and converse with people from around the world, and yet it also makes humans feel more alone that ever before. This is the concept behind “Emptiness” where one can touch multimedia to connect to things you love, while taking us further away from real interactions. “Emptiness” is full of energy, even if you are dancing by yourself.
PrimitiveRomance rose from the ashes of Florida punk outfit TheStraitJackets in 1981, based around the brothers Allen and LesterEsser, with RandallBarnwell, who would move to Massachusetts to continue the path of post-punk music. In 1987 the band folded, but it seems was never truly forgotten about by fans. 2025 has seen the release of the compilation album, The Spirit’s Still There: 1981 – 1986, and this is also a tribute from Allen to his brother Lester, vocalist/guitarist, who passed away in 2024.
Within this album, there are no less that sixteen tracks, and the initial song is also the title track, “The Spirit’s Still Here,” full of that raw, under produced guitar that is part of the ‘sound’ of the post punk era. You can hear the Bauhaus influence, a hint of “Bella Lugosi’s Dead,” and it is a wonderful reminder of a simpler time. “Motions and Pictures” had me at the unique drumming signature at the beginning, and the kind of flare in the guitar that reminds me of The Jam. The English influence is easy to hear.
The energy rippling off “Bound To Happen” is really a joy to behold. The guitar is reminiscent of Hüsker Dü and with that attacking technique, like a finger poking you in the chest, as the track rolls along, never waiting for you to catch up as it on a mission. “Every House Still Standing,” might be a very early track, as it bridges the 70s punk with mod music and interestingly, Lester utters the words ‘the spirit’s still there,’ so I am wondering if this song was inspiration for the title track, or is it a term that kind held a lot of meaning.
This compilation for PrimitiveRomance, just highlights how much excellent music came out in the 1980s, and though there are fans of the group that would remember seeing them play live or hearing them on college radio, having this music re-released allows people like myself the opportunity to experience their songs, unless going deep diving on YouTube. On The Spirit’s Still There: 1981-1987 they are immortalised as passionate, angry young men, the music ringing in a time of sonic upheaval and Lester’s vocals forever serenading us, even from the other side….. and there it not anything more goth than that.
I am starting to think Portland, Oregon, might have something in the water. They do seem to have an unusually high amount of amazing dark alternative bands that inhabit the area. AltarGirl is an all femme band of the post-punk persuasion with members KayMorrisette (vocals, guitar), MaraVosien (guitar), SamMahon (bass, backing vocals) and ArielChamberlin (drums). Their latest single “Night Terrors” was released on June the 25th.
You will be hypnotised by the reverbing and ethereal guitars, before the percussion and vocals kick in. Morrisette’s singing is sultry and conveys a dark sweetness, that truly takes off in the chorus, with the guitars becoming almost brusque. The harmonising vocals add another opulent layer, are not overused and even the bass gets a chance to shine, duelling with the other guitars.
‘I only see you when I sleep You lie in wait in shadows at my feet I’m under your spell Or is it your hell I’m stuck inside?‘
Imagine, every time you close your eyes and go to sleep, you see the same dreaded phantom, haunting you in your dreams, only letting go when dawn breaks?! It doesn’t get much more gothic rock than that for a group that says they would be post-punk if they knew how to. Catchy, danceable and hands down enchantingly creepy to the core. You can find AltarGirl on Bandcamp for name your price and, honestly, we all need a bit of “Night Terrors” in our lives.
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.”
Fans of The Birthday Massacre have been waiting with bated breath, for the release of a new album, and it seems they don’t have much longer to hold on. Pathways will be out on the label MetropolisRecords, however for now, you can immerse yourself in the new single “SleepTonight.”
There is a nice, harsh edge to the electronics to compliment the guitar. Chibi’s vocals are so much of what defines The Birthday Massacre’s sound, both sweet and strong… and occasionally creepy. For “Sleep Tonight” she is like an angelic dream, haunting, next to the weighty drum beats and raucous guitar, that hints at the promise of violence.
I remember first seeing The Birthday Massacre on a German music compilation video and proceeded to find the first album, and I thought it was amazing that these kids where putting out some great songs. Yeah, we won’t go into how old I feel now, but this band have never lost sight of their purpose in life and it has kept them accountable when creating music that is artistic and pleasing for themselves. “SleepTonight” proves that the wait was worth it, so bring on Pathways.
The Funeral March was breathed into life in 1987, also known as The Funeral Marchof the Marionettes, a US band heavily influenced by the early 80s post-punk scene. Original member, JoeWhiteaker, decided that the thirtieth anniversary might be time to revisit this project, and consequently added new band members Wayne Thiele (guitar) and longtime friend Darius McCaskey (bass). 2023 had the band recording the album It All Falls Apart, with musician/producer William Faith, at his 13Studio. It wasn’t until the end of recording Whiteaker was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, which took him from his wife and children, as well as his music family in 2024. A video for the title track, “It All Falls Apart” has been released just before the album drops.
JOE WHITEAKER (1968-2024)
“I’d like people to know how proud Joe was of this record. We had a great time recording what would become It All Falls Apart with William Faith in 2023, before Joe was diagnosed with cancer, and he was able to hear the final mixes before he passed away. Joe didn’t have a specific theme in mind – each song was written independently, some even several years ago – but as tracks were selected and refined, this idea of things and people breaking down and falling apart emerged.” – DariusMcCaskey
The crying and echoing guitar curls your toes and it does not get much better than this. Whiteaker’s vocals are forlorn and calls out with the guitar, reaching for lost dreams and ideals, knowing everything is falling apart. His sighed ahs are the angelic acceptance.
This is a poignant tribute to a man and it fucking hits so hard. It already was a beautifully tragic song and with the passing of Whiteaker, just ramps up the overwhelming feeling of loss. It can be said that this is not like The Funeral March’s other work and you see them in a whole different light. There is a bigger point to all this that all monies raised from sales of It All Falls Apart can go towards his family. It is a good cause, and from someone who has heard the album, it is phenomenal and just highlights the dark wonder of a truly gothic heart.
Dark alternative music doesn’t seem to have any borders as to where it originates in the world and even the language used. Good music transcends all it feels, when everything is conveyed through sheer talent. Label Musica Tenebris are based in Warsaw, and they have released the four way split album Warsaw After Midnight, that features Polish gothic/deathrock bands Marie Laveau, Natures Mortes, Eat My Teeth and Nameless Creations.
The set list is arranged in blocks for each act, and first off the benches is NaturesMortes with four tracks, “Liar’sWeb” is the most recent release for this group, and indicative of their goth rocking style. You will be swept up from the beginning with the swift paced rhythm and ghoulish signature guitars, all the while being serenaded by the tortured sweet vocals that give no quarter and full of conviction.
Screaming fuzzed out guitar is utterly and instantly attention grabbing for the track “SaltInMyEyes,” by EatMyTeeth. The lead singer’s vibrato style is unforgettable, especially when he hits the high notes. as she almost seamlessly melds into the shrieking guitar. Discordant and rousing, all at the same time and a shout out to the drummer massacring the skins.
Natures Mortes (Facebook)Eat My Teeth (photo Sophie Louise)Nameless Creation (photo Lukasz Larakczyk)Marie Laveau (Facebook)
I get a really interesting vibe from NamelessCreations, and their use of electronics gives the track “Pain-Powered Machine” an early 80s feel, almost AlienSexFiend like, and strengthened by vocals. The music is relentless, swamping your senses like a kaleidoscope with the pulsating psychedelic assault, and this is just one of three tracks.
From the crypt comes MarieLaveau with four treats, and they are going to cast a spell on you with “AreYouBlind?“. These guys ooze European gothic cool and this latest single harkens back to stylings of France’s CorpusDelicti. The lead has a lovely dark quality to her voice and everything about this song is alluring from the classic goth rock guitars through to tight rhythm section.
Personally, I have always had a soft spot for sampler albums, and I have put that down to getting a taste of different styles and band, which opens up new musicians to further investigate. This is a great compilation from a scene that is obviously burgeoning with talent. Yes, I have picked one track from each band, but these are just the ones that first off caught my attention and in all honesty, the whole album is chock full of deathrock goodness. It is a delight to listen to these brilliant gothic aficionados from Poland and now, after falling deathly in love with Natures Mortes, Eat My Teeth, NamelessCreations and Marie Laveau, I want to visit Warsaw After Midnight.
We are going back to February of 2024, when the album If Blood Comes First was released by Dallas based Happy Phantom. This five piece is made up of songwriter JackieLegos (vocals, guitars), ZackBigalow (drums), ColbySias (percussion), JoshPrater (keyboards, synth), PhillipSozansky (bass guitar) and BrendanLadan (guitars).
It is important that the first track off an album grabs your attention, and “A StrangerWalking Shadows Through the Dark” has this in spades, from the sparkling intro, which continues through, and emotion filled jangling guitars, that harkens back to TheCure. Even Lego’s vocals remind one of RobertSmith, lending it to the feel of the legendary album Pornography, which will continue throughout. The title track is a swirling and echoing piece with the synths at the front in a winding classical soundscape domination, only broken by the vocals and occasional guitar. The lyrics in “If First Comes Blood” are beautifully poetic, and where does a relationship go to after we pass this mortal coil?
‘Waiting for the night and captured by the moon saving our goodbyes it’s over much too soon there’s nowhere left to hide when she comes to my bed with nothing but a lie dancing in my head…‘ – If First Comes Blood
“No Illusions” has great bass lines and the mood of the whole track is almost joyful, yet the lyrics tell of a loss where one cannot stay as the situation is eating them up, but they want to because of unreasonable hope. Let me guide you to track six, “I Dare To Love You,” with its booming drums rolling and subtle guitar. The conjoined voices could be a coven’s chant and the wonderful imagery of dancing on graves in a passionate tryst with a ghostly lover. The rangy guitar work is a throwback to early Cult in the track “Lust,” which is about the lack of emotion compared to love that requires as much give as take.
If you haven’t guessed, If Blood Comes First is about finding another dark soul that completes yours, bring the ultimate overwhelming gothic romance and the devastation of being bereft of that person, which leaves you a husk of your former self that yearns for what was lost. I think this album is heavily inspired by real life and also The Crow, which is about devotion, but on a deeper level, trying to be worthy enough to embrace love in death or knowing when you have to let go of those feelings that drag you under the waves of grief. Legos has professed that this is his favourite album so far, and we can hear why. If Blood Comes First is a brooding and heart wrenching ode to love, in the ideal sanctuary of a forever romance, set to a gothic serenade by Happy Phantom.
Religion and governance should never be mixed, but in the US currently, it is hard to see any evidence of common sense versus religious fanaticism. “Dead Gods” is the latest single from Vision Video, off their new new album Modern Horror, where Athens based Dusty Gannon and co. rage against the pricks.
PHOTO BY JEREMY SAFFER
A dissonance of guitar heralds the beginning and one cannot help but revel in the heavy post-punk bass. The synths strike like a high organ peeling while the giving of hymns in holy prayer, except they have the silken vocals that are calling out the double standards and misogyny that nationalistic Christians hold before them like they are actual scripture.
“Dead Gods” is catchy…. no it doesn’t break new ground, but it doesn’t need to do so. Gannon’s singing the chorus is still stuck in my head and you should take that as a good sign of a great track. You can hear the influence of The Cure and Chameleons, and as I always say, we need songs that unify the dark scene and politically push all the wrong people’s buttons.
We knew it was coming. Those Norwegians, Mayflower Madame have finally dropped the new album called Insight, near the end of 2024. They have been threatening this for a while, dropping singles along the way, like bread crumbs, in order to give you a taste but leaving you wanting more. Wait no more, and let the darkness take you.
We can not go past the last single, the track, “Crippled Crow.” The band’s signature guitar is there, but also the synths sound like gusts of cold air. The vocals are echoing and, for me, remind me a little of Echo and the Bunnymen. Without warning, drums and guitar fall into a wonderful vortex of noise, where you will want to save this broken ‘crow.’
There is an area in my chest that just reverberated with “Queen of the Underworld.” I am not sure if it is the heavy guitars or lonely piano, or perhaps the accompanying synths, but it resonates and captures feelings of shivering delight. The first track “Ocean of Bitterness” will instantly drag you into the dark heart of Mayflower Madame.
I am going to say that the cover brought back memories of another in the form of the UK’s Play Dead’s album Company of Justice, which is also an excellent gothic release. Mayflower Madame have that Scandinavian cool about them, mixed with a classic 80s post-punk sound, and creates magically dark and sonically expressive gothic music that strays into shoegaze. Insight is a collection of all the singles, yet there are all the other tracks here to discover and this album won’t leave you feeling disappointed.
Onyx Music Reviews 