First things first... This article is intended to banish a few myths and explain modern day Goth, the Music and Culture. It is not open flaming for the narrowminded or plain ignorant thats what forums are for, if you are either of these, click back on your browser, and read somthing else. Though all constructive criticism is more than welcome. Moving on swiftly. Enjoy the article (Its a long read but very worth it).
Who Are The Goths?
Goth is an alternative subculture; it is both a style of music and a fashion, like Punk. People who listen to the music don't necessarily dress in the style, and people who look like goths don't necessarily like the music either - a lot of metal fans have adopted the goth look, making for a great deal of confusion.
The Goth Rock and the Goth Metal genres started around the same time, but Gothic Metal has very little in common with Goth Rock.
So What Does "Goth" Mean?
The name originally came from a Germanic tribe (The Goths). The Romans regarded them as barbaric and uncultured. "Gothic" was later applied to a style of medieval architecture by critics who regarded it as similarly barbaric and uncultured. Therefor the name Goth.
The Doors were described as being gothic rock. In 1967 which is interesting because important Goth Rock bands like Joy Division were really influenced by them.
This very important band (Joy Division for those whose attention lapsed) was called "Gothic compared to the pop mainstream" by Tony Wilson TV show on BBC in 1979. Which brings us onto the important dates of Goth music.
So what important dates do we have?
1974 - David Bowie describes "Diamond Dogs" as "Gothic".
1979 - Souxie and The Banshees describes their new album "Join Hands" as being gothic.
1979 - Tony Wilson describes Joy Division as being Gothic compared to the pop mainstream.
1982 - The fans of the Goth Rock band "Sex Gang Children" gets the name "Goths".
1983-84 - Goth was a well known and growing subculture, but a lot of the big bands had split up, even Bauhaus the only band that can be called true Goth Rock had split up...
1985 - Another major Goth Rock casualty as The Sisters Of Mercy split up.
Then we have the newcomers and famous "Fields Of The Nephilim" they also had the deep vocal stylings, similar to The Sisters Of Mercy... but their sound ended up far away from goth rock. At the same time The Cure were really popular amongst The Goths "Pornography" would be their most goth like cd (Although in arguement the spaced out drearyness of Disintegration comes close).
In the 1990`s with terrible covers of songs like Temple Of Love the Goth scene slowly died but still stayed quite popular in London (And still does, Camden being a Goth Hotspot amongst other things).
The punk influenced Goth was dead.
But Goth as we know it today just got born, with the power of distorted guitars, female vocals, male growling, organs (Do not misread as growling male organs) and lyrics which are/were both romantic and sad.
The 80`s Goth still exists but its strongest in the UK and Germany, but the sound will never be the same anywhere because the new Goth Rock bands are to influenced by industrial and techno. Bands like Blutengel, Wumpscut, Gothminister (from Norway), The Cruxshaddows and Icon Of Coil, are all examples of this. Though under scrutiny, these bands get classed as industrial and into other subgenres.
So the kids who hear about Goth today and get into it (including Ourselfs) get into Goth Metal bands like Type O Negative, Tristania, Theatre Of Tragedy, Sins Of Thy Beloved and many many more. Because this is the new goth style... Just like the evolution in the 70´s and 80`s.
So the New wave of Goth Metallers/Rockers if we can call it that, is really far from the roots of real goth music. Bands like H-I-M (Who are not nu-metal, to clear up the argument before it begins) and The 69 Eyes... These are Goth Rock but they are much darker then Bauhaus, Sisters Of Mercy etc...
Bauhaus and Sisters Of Mercy was actually called happy punk by some... Very strange since the stereotypical Goth today is slitting their wrists and commiting suicide.
Bands like These (HIM, Evanescence, The 69 Eyes) is just another sign that the subculture is changing into new styles and attracts young listeners to the culture so that they also can learn about Bauhaus, The Cure, Sisters Of Mecy Ect, And enjoy these old bands.
Many of these new Goth Rock bands are called Nu-Goth (like Metal and Nu-metal) by the people who are deep into goth music. The Goth Metal band "Type O Negative" have a song called "We Hate Everyone" and the lyrics are a mockery of the people who are narrowminded, judging Goths and Metallers, You can check the lyrics here.
Thus ending our history of Gothic Rock and Metal, Proceed to read if you want some good recommendations of what to listen for. (The layout is Band: Song).
Goth Metal And Goth Influenced Doom Metal
Cradle Of Filth - A Gothic Romance, Her Ghost In The Fog
Tristania - Angellore, Wormwood, My Lost Lenore, Lionheart
Theatre Of Tragedy - Machine, A Rose For The Dead
Seraphim Shock - Little Gothic, Prey, Beyond Forever
Lacuna Coil - Heaven's A Lie, Swamped
Sins Of Thy Beloved - Lake Of Sorrow, My Love, the kiss, all alone
Type O Negative - We Hate Everyone, Everything Dies
My Dying Bride - The Raven and The Rose, The Dreadful Hours
After Forever - Black Tomb
Moonspell - Vampiria, Made Of Storm, Opium
Poisonblack - Lay Your Heart To Rest
Sirenia - Sister Nightfall
Goth Rock, Goth-pop And Nu-Goth
Bauhaus - She`s In Parties, The Man With X-Ray Eyes, Rosegarden Funeral Of Sores
Joy Division- Transmission, New Dawn Fades, Love Will Tear Us Apart
Sisters Of Mercy - Temple of Love, Kiss The Carpet
H-I-M - Your Sweet 666, Razorblade Kiss, The Funeral Of Hearts, Soul On Fire.
The 69 Eyes - Brandon Lee, Wasting The Dawn, Gothic Girl, Lost Boys
Scarling - Make You Belive, The Last Day I Was Happy, H over C
Jack Off Jill - Vivica, Fear Of Dying, Star No Star, Strawberry Gashes
Evanescence - Even In Death, Tourniqet
The Cure - Burn, A Night Like This, A Forest, Lovesong, Pictures Of You
Miranda Sex Garden - A Fairytale About Slavery
The Cult - She Sells Sanctuary, Firewoman
Industrial, EMB/Alternative And Electronic Goth Music
Gothminister - Angel, Devil
Blutengel - Weg Zu Mir T
The Cruxshadows - Ave Maria, Even Angels Fall
Rasputina - tourniqet
Gothica - Medusa
Celldweller - Frozen
Icon Of Coil - Stimulated
PM Either of us (Me, Alix Dorrington, or Erling). If you have any questions. This article in full is work of Erling and Alix D.
| POSTED: 01/24/2005 - 10:06 am |
|
|
|
|
.
TRISTANIA & CRUXSHADOWS
I also can get incredibly confused by all these sub-genre things, and have been called a hippie and a goth in the space of about 3minutes which really doesn't make sense, and now I'm getting told that I watch goth-movies. I didn't realise there was such a thing... :|
