Speak of the devil, and the devil appears… As a long-time fan of Depeche Mode, I must admit some trepidation with their latest release Memento Mori, appropriately “an artistic or symbolic trope acting as a reminder of the inevitability of death.” Yet with apparent re-listenings, I once again begin to fall in love with their unique energy born of an … Continue reading Depeche Mode ~ Before We Drown [2⊘23]
Martin Gore famously paraphrased co-producer Daniel Miller’s shellacking of his demo tape, stating, “The songs aren’t good enough, there aren’t any singles and it’ll never get played on the radio.” That demo tape would become the basis of Depeche Mode’s fifth studio album Black Celebration. Lead single, “Stripped”, would be described as an “ominous and intriguing pop song”, reaching the top ten in five European countries (Finland, Ireland … Continue reading Depeche Mode ~ Stripped [1986]
Arguably, The Cure is the greatest goth band to ever exist, but not if you ask co-founder and frontman Robert Smith who dislikes the gothic label. “We got stuck with it at a certain time when goths first started. I was playing guitar with Siouxsie And The Banshees, so I had to play the part. Goth was like pantomime to me.” That said, he continues, “Every goth I’ve ever met has been very nice, you know? As a subculture, I think it’s full of wonderful people. But I have never liked what’s classified as goth music.” “The innocence of … Continue reading The Cure ~ Primary [1981]
Perhaps unsurprisingly a band named The Shyness of Strangers wouldn’t be the most unabashed. True to form, it might be more selectively-social and steadfast in its coldwave, post-punk sound. It might even … Continue reading The Shyness of Strangers ~ If It Serves You [2⊘17]
Turkish band She Past Away conspired with Los Angeles’ Drab Majesty to present Soluk (Pale), an open invitation in surreal recognition of a dying civilization. This, unceremoniously designated the first “Double Feature” on GodHatesGoth, as it has proven difficult to choose between the original video track and the U.K.’s Kill Shelter’s beat-boosted remix — the former being a more illustrative video, and the latter gilded … Continue reading She Past Away ~ Soluk (Pale) [2⊘15]
