Gothic Rock

Night Goat, Totem (Black Donut 2023)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , ,

Buckeye gothic death rock band Night Goat stages a triumphant return on Totem.

I do like gothic rock, I must say, and I always have. I am finicky, though, and there only a couple bands that really appeal to me in this lane. Night Goat is one of them. Their first album came out in 2019, Milk, and it was noticed. I place the new one, Totem, on an even higher shelf. The recording lineup for the latest set was Julia Bentley (vocals), Chris Bentley (guitar), Dalin Jones (Bass), Mike Ramone (guitar), and Donnie Casey (drums).

“Sister Wolf” gets things rolling on a sweet rock and roll riff and enticing vocals. The singing turns sinister right away and starts to put you on edge. The rolling guitar and peppery percussion sets the singing off a bit and unbalances the listener. The final third of the song occurs in a jazz space lounge with a wiring problem. “Ghost Sickness” is spooky. Then the spooky turns harsh, wresting a semblance danger overtop the lighter opening. The vocals sound desperate, strained, pleading. Something bad is happening. I wish I could tell you that everything turned out all right, but I don’t know that for sure. A “Wendigo,” recall, is a flesh eating monster, usually described as a cannibal, so this song was predestined to be gruff. And it is, and tipsy, too. “Blood Circles” seals the deal for me as it holds the mirror up to yet another dark corner, conjuring disciples from a perilous realm.

I do like this gothic music. It reminds me a little of Bloody Hammers, but this work is darker and less guitar-oriented. Also, it is not particularly melodic, feasting instead on tougher meat. I like every song on the record, but make sure you listen closely to “Rattlesnake,” a little rager with a lot of impact. “Skin Walk with Me” is another highlight, with its extra heavy clunk. The final track is the longest, “Death Crow Dance,” and it has a twisting vibe all its own. This album is a land of wicked wonders. Recommended.

Totem is available on Friday, March 17th through Black Donut Records. Get your stuff at the links below.

Band photo by Molly Crowe.

Links.

Night Goat website, https://nightgoat13.com/

Bandcamp, https://nightgoat13.bandcamp.com/album/totem

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/nightgoat13

Black Donut Records, https://blackdonut.bandcamp.com/

© Wayne Edwards

Night Goat, Totem (Black Donut 2023)

Photo Gallery: Ghost, Blue Ridge Rock Festival 2022

Wayne Edwards, , , , , ,

Photos by Wayne Edwards.

Links.

Ghost website, https://ghost-official.com/

Blue Ridge Rock Festival, https://blueridgerockfest.com/

FFMB article on Blue Ridge Rock Festival 2022, https://flyingfiddlesticks.com/2022/10/06/blue-ridge-rock-festival-alton-virginia-september-8-11-2022/

Ryze-Up Magazine feature, https://www.ryze-up.com/ryze-up-magazine-current-issue/ryze-up-magazine-october-2022/

© Wayne Edwards

Photo Gallery: Ghost, Blue Ridge Rock Festival 2022

Golgotha, Mors Diligentis (Xtreem Music 2022)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , , ,

Golgotha renew their doom metal music on their fifth album, Mors Diligentis.

The roots of Golgotha stretch back to 1992 when the Spanish doom metal band was created by Vicente J. Payá. They started recording music within a year, and demos, EPs, and long-players followed, as did line-up changes. The band went on hiatus in 1998 and, after briefly reemerging in 2005, Golgotha returned with staying power in 2014, cracking out the well-regarded Erasing The Past album in 2019. Now we have another incarnation with a shake-up in the vocals. The band for Mors Diligentis is María J. Lladó (clean vocals), Miriam Vallés (guttural vocals), Vicente J. Payá (guitar), Andrew Spinosa (bass), and Tomeu Crespí (drums).

The new record has eight tracks, opening with “My Burden.” The pace is slow and deliberate, unhurried. The first vocals are melodic and crystal clear. Hard on the heels of the lyrical singing is the harsh vocalization that presses home the dire nature of the conveyed emotions. The voices alternate throughout the song in an obvious insistence on the duality of darkness and light – light, after all, casts a shadow behind anything it encounters. “Our Trust Betrayed” proceeds at a brighter clip, although its tone is more actively ominous than the lead song. It has the broad appeal of a single while maintaining the essential dreariness of doom and gothic music. Nicely done.

Every song on the album has heft, and there are a couple that are particularly heavy doom pieces, like “Farewell Humanity.” This one is my favorite of the set for its pace, length, and deliberateness. It matters that the guttural vocals begin the song while the clean vocals follow later. There are also great pieces that flash out at a charging pace, like “Waiting For My Death,” that serve to variegate and deepen the texture of the album. The music overall has a high level of polished production and, while striving to broadcast on the doom wavelength, effectively straddles adjacent pathways. Recommended.

Mors Diligentis is out now through Xtreem Music. Hit up the links below.

Links.

Golgotha website, http://www.golgothaofficial.com/

Bandcamp, https://xtreemmusic.bandcamp.com/album/mors-diligentis

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/GolgothaOfficialBand/

Xtreem Music, http://www.xtreemmusic.com/

© Wayne Edwards

Golgotha, Mors Diligentis (Xtreem Music 2022)

Bloody Hammers, Washed In The Blood (2022)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , , , , , ,

It’s Halloween – you need Bloody Hammers at your party. Washed In The Blood is out now.

Bloody Hammers is the Charlotte, North Carolina horror doom rock duo of Anders Manga (vocals, guitar, drums, bass, keys) and Devallia (keys, bass). For more than a decade, they have been laying down shivering grooves beginning with their self-titled album in 2012. Five more records followed over the years, and now we have the seventh, Washed In The Blood. The new one holds as many horrors as those that came before. This time around, Bloody Hammers took the DIY approach, and the result is a high water mark in their catalogue.

There are nine killer tracks on the new record. It all kicks off with a bang on “Black Sunday.” A serious riff is followed by a big, full hard rock sound and immediately recognizable vocals. It is called a hook for a reason and this one sinks in true and deep, putting me in mind of radio leads from not so long ago. This song would be an excellent opener for a live show.

The horror movie elements are infused in every song, hitting especially solidly on tracks like “Phantasmagoria” where the clear narrative and singable chorus creates a clear path to the anthemic. “And Soon The Darkness” is a rousing rough-houser with a gruff edge that gets polished in the vocals. “At Midnight I’ll Take Your Soul,” on the other hand, goes full sinister and heavy gothic.

The entire album is winner and I played it through twice on the first listen. I say in all honesty that I like every track, but the song I can’t get out of my head is “Water to the Dead.” It is a combination of the insistent guitar and the heavy melodic surety in the way that the vocals execute the lyrics that combine to make it unforgettable. “Last Rites Of Lucifer” is a top shelf contender, too, and the final piece, “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark,” eliminates any doubt about the album making year’s best lists far and wide. I have been a Bloody Hammers fan all along, and the new record is at the top of the queue here at Shardik Media headquarters. Highly recommended.

Washed In The Blood is out now on digital, CD, and vinyl. Check and see if any physicals remain at the link below.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://bloodyhammers.bandcamp.com/album/washed-in-the-blood

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/BloodyHammers

© Wayne Edwards

Bloody Hammers, Washed In The Blood (2022)

Sonja, Loud Arriver (Cruz Del Sur Music 2022)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , ,

Loud Arriver is the full-length debut album from Philadelphia goth rockers Sonja.

The beginnings of Sonja stretch back to 2014, and the firm formation began a few years after that. Founder Melissa Moore (guitar, vocals) was known up to that point for her work with black metal band Absu, and before then with the thrash band Rumpelstiltskin Grinder. Sonja is musically quite different, moving more in the gothic rock lane. They released a two-song demo in 2018, and work on Loud Arriver started the next year. It is great to have the finished product available now. Moore is joined by Ben Brand (bass) and Grzesiek Czapla (drums) for the album.

There are eight tracks on the new record, getting going with “When The Candle Burns Low…” A haunting voice emerges from the mist, setting the mood. The music fully drops with a deep gothic attitude, surging guitars, and persistent percussion. Moore has an excellent voice for this kind of music and it is hard to believe this is the first time she has sung lead. “Nylon Nights” is a straight up hard rocker with a killer opening riff and a melody that sticks in your head. “Pink Fog” has a kind of club feel in the chorus while the slower movements are rather melancholy. The first triplet offers three very different looks at the band’s style.

Other songs to note are “Fuck, Then Die,” which, despite its aggressive title, is tantalizingly engrossing in the execution. “Moans From The Chapel” is a great song that is fast and sharp, and it is surely a crowd pleaser when played live. The title track anchors the set at the end. It opens acoustically with gentle vocals, then moves into a more rugged build. Ultimately, it takes off at a dead run. There is nice guitar work in the middle, and this song might be my favorite on the album, accomplishing, as it does, exceptional transitions and seamlessly melding together separate ideas into a unified composition. Fine work. All the tracks hold up well and I hope that this is the start of a long string of big albums. Recommended.

Loud Arriver is out on Friday, September 23rd through Cruz Del Sur Music in digital, CD, and vinyl. You can pick it up through the links below.

Band photo by Don Vincent Ortega.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://sonjaband.bandcamp.com/album/loud-arriver

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/Sonjabooking/

Cruz Del Sur Music, https://www.cruzdelsurmusic.com

© Wayne Edwards

Sonja, Loud Arriver (Cruz Del Sur Music 2022)

The 69 Eyes, Drive (Atomic Fire 2022)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , , , ,

Goth ‘N’ Roll originators The 69 Eyes invite you to get into their car for a little trip on their new EP, Drive.

OK, look, maybe you know about the Helsinki Vampires and maybe you don’t. The 69 Eyes is a more recognized act outside the US, true, but whatever your perspective, you cannot deny their gravitational pull over thirty-three years and twelve albums, several of of which have gone platinum. From Helsinki, Finland, the band is Jyrki 69 (vocals), Bazie (guitar), Timo Timo (guitar), Archzie (bass), and Jussi 69 (drums).

Drive is a quick take, with three radio-length songs and a bonus live track on the physical formats. The title track is first, and it is pop rock gold with a light-hearted sinisterness in the vocal and an extra dose of catchiness so you won’t forget it. It is a little bit like a combination of Golden Earring and Type O Negative, if Peter Steele had toned it down and perked it up a lot. A delight.

“Call Me Snake” opens on muted mechanical noises, quickly introducing a nice fuzzy riff and then a guitar melody. Jyrki 69 steps in and rubs a healthy does of soft goth on it all. The reference is fairly obvious, and it makes me smile, as does the lead guitar break at the midpoint. “California” is the driving-est of the songs on Drive. You can feel the wind on your face as you drive your convertible out of the hills around Malibu and head toward the city. Spot on – vampires in LA.

“Two Horns Up” is a live track you only get when you buy one of the physical versions of the EP. It is a great song, and it is nice to hear what a live experience can be like. I think this brief collection of tunes from The 69 Eyes is the perfect introduction to the band for those who are new to their music. Long-time fans, of course, are always happy to have something more from this storied party band. Recommended.

Drive is out on Friday, September 16th through Atomic Fire Records.

Band photo by Marek Sabogal.

Links.

The 69 Eyes website, http://69eyes.com/

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/the69eyes

Atomic Fire Records, https://www.atomicfire-records.com/products

© Wayne Edwards

The 69 Eyes, Drive (Atomic Fire 2022)