Classic goth rock. Besides the gloom and darkwave, some songs have a great hook, almost having a glam feel to them (like Son of Serpent and The Last Vampire).
Angels Of Liberty – Servant Of The Grail
Polynation – Igneous
Electronic music ranging from cinematic ambient through mid-tempo moody melodic beats to dance floor grooves for small sidesteps. They are fellow artists from the same roster as Weval, so that.
It’s kinda ridiculous that I don’t have a good genre definition for this kind of music. I always feel it hard to put a label on it, although it’s clearly a thing.
Raised Fist – Anthems
Angry punk guys playing hard rock. Like someone coming from a hc punk background but evolved and built through the years, playing something more well-crafted today but keeping that punk zest. Especially the singer, I can hear him biting into the mic.
Black Oak County – Theatre Of The Mind
This fits in the row with Mustasch and Motorjesus in the sense that it’s also hard rock and some heavy metal in a blender. I couldn’t name any specific thing why this record should be any standout but still I find myself listening to it repeatedly. These guys sound like those friendly rock and roll dudes, not overpolished, down to earth, honest, just from that next room in the rehearsal place.
(After listening to some album I ended up in this Nordic rock listening spree and still processing the new finds from there.)
Mustasch – Killing It For Life
Stoner rock with some heavy metal spice in the mix. I love this style that comes out of it. It’s a hard rock banger, would love to see them live.
Unto Others – Mana
Last year my number one music was Unto Others – Strength, and now I’m listening to their first album, wanted to make an entry for this, too. I consider their second record the better one, but they are pretty close, this first one is also amazing. I’m still trying to crack why I am so much obsessed with this band’s music. They share some DNA with an old Hungarian goth rock band, F.O.System, which is also one of my all-time favorite bands, so that may play a part.
Asteria – Faderhead
EBM and futurepop from cyberpunk atmospheres to the dancefloor.
Alex Banks – Beneath The Surface
Intimate electronic music (think Moderat) with down to mid tempo and glitchy broken beats. Not the kind of intimate that makes you turn inside and feel blue, but the one that gives a push and inspires.
Years of Denial – Suicide Disco
This is easily one of my most influential albums that I came across in 2020. Modern technoid EBM with bubbling analog synths and tight industrial beats. It has all the dark beauty of any oldschool EBM but without the spotlight mainstreamism of some retro abusing modern electronic music. They are to EBM what Led Er Est was to post-punk goth rock—something new that understands the roots and fully lives in the present. Wonderful, fantastic music, soundtrack of my life material.
6th Circle – The Third Estate
Actually there’s nothing too special about this album, good old sounding EBM and aggrotech. Still somehow it managed to gain quite a few plays recently. It just has everything ideally put together that I want from a hellectro record, and well, nowadays I don’t really remember to dig up old Hocico albums. (Maybe I should.)