2011 in Darkness
2011-in-darkness
December 28, 2011
ready
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# 2011 in Darkness
I'm so sick of hearing and reading the word 'dark'. I truly wish we'd
come up with something new to describe this sort of music without using
equally annoying words like *grave, witch* or (a sure sign of CRAP
AHOY!) the dreaded *nu*. 'Goth-without-goth' is too clumsy; 'advanced
goth' maybe, but that's a label with too much stigma anyway. For now,
DARK is going to have to be an acceptable umbrella term for a collection
of music that feeds on the tense, the sinister and the evil. There was
plenty of it this year, to be sure: from the shimmering whispers coming
out of **Tri Angle** to the experimental pulse of **Galakthorrö**. To
cover it all would take way more time than I have (really busy with
[tumblr][1]{: target="_blank"}) but the following is probably the best
anyway.
Many of my favorite musicians making the kind of fucked-up, deadly
synthpunk that would make **Nervous Gender** blink twice are from Los
Angeles. Something about the West Coast just naturally breeds this sort
of band. **[Tearist][2]{: target="_blank"}** and **[Bestial Mouths][3]{:
target="_blank"}** are two obvious favorites, the former's *Hissing
Veil* debut and the latter's live LP topping our Year's Best list.
**[B-R-A-N-E-S][4]{: target="_blank"}** were also a wonderful new
discovery, a post-deathrock boy/girl duo who bring to mind the mid-00s
death disco explosion from the Bay Area. If you read my [review][5]{:
target="_blank"} of **[Jaws][6]{: target="_blank"}**' *Stress Test*,
you'd know how impressed I was with his shrieking, clunky electronics,
and his violent live shows are an essential piece of the puzzle. Fellow
**Hundebiss Records** alumni **Sewn Leather** also blew me away with his
intense live performances and the equally intense *Sikknastafari Slash
Crasstafari* LP. Parisian [Johnny Teardrop][7]{: target="_blank"} made
some heavy waves of his own in Berlin at the best dark art-music
festival in the world, Drop Dead. If you've been craving more punk in
your goth, these were unmissable shows.
**Bestial Mouths -- Small Prey**
**Sewn Leather -- Sikknastafari Slash Crasstafari (Preview)**
Speaking of goth, there was quite lot of stuff released this year that
was undeniably drenched in that doddering subculture, but given a fresh
new vibe with fresh, young faces and a few new ideas. 2011 was the year
where every darkly-inclined female singer got compared to **Siouxsie**
at some point, **Zola Jesus** and **[Chelsea Wolfe][8]{:
target="_blank"}** more than most. I wasn't that impressed with
Danilova's [latest effort][9]{: target="_blank"} *Conatus*, but if
anyone deserves such a powerful comparison, it's Wolfe. Her
*Apokalypsis* LP is certainly one of the most [powerful records][10]{:
target="_blank"} you'll hear all year. **[Designer Drugs][11]{:
target="_blank"}**' *Hardcore/Softcore* deserves a mention for it's
goth-tinged electro (particularly 'For All We Know', 'Leather Gang', and
'Drop Down', [the video][12]{: target="_blank"} for which should be the
instructional guide for 'how to dress goth and not look like a total
nerd') but it's band member Michael Vincent Patrick's new project
**[KLOAKS][13]{: target="_blank"}** that really shines. If their single
'Dreams Are Gone' isn't already making mopey kids prance through
fog-shrouded dancefloors, this world is a corrupt one indeed.
**Chelsea Wolfe -- Mer**
**Kloaks -- Dreams Are Gone**
**[The Soft Moon][14]** put out one of the best post-punk EPs I've heard
in ages, and even better was they managed to sound not at all like **Joy
Division**. That's a fairly fucking impressive feat for post-punk bands
these days. Equally intriguing was **[Naked On The Vague][15]{:
target="_blank"}**'s *Twelve Dark Noons*, HTRK's *Work
(work, work)* and **[Tropic Of Cancer][16]{: target="_blank"}**'s *The
End of All Things*, all of which capitalize on that cold, jangly
post-Batcave gloom but still manage to keep it sounding fresh. [Litanic
Mask][17]{: target="_blank"} were another new discovery, creators of my
perfect coldwave anthem 'Leather Mask', a simple yet beautiful track
that makes me ache every time I hear it. On a more apocalyptic note,
both **[Cult of Youth][18]{: target="_blank"}** and **[King Dude][19]{:
target="_blank"}** managed to kindle a spark in me for the misery
ballads of neofolk. I won't be hitting up the military surplus store
anytime soon, but I just might join you at the next **Death In June**
show.
**Litanic Mask -- Leather Mask**
**Cult of Youth -- New West**
Now we move on to the more modern side of sinister sounds. A lot of this
stuff is being spawned at the unholy pop vats of Tri Angle, a melting
pot of sable sounds with undeniable Top 40 influence. **[Holy
Other][20]{: target="_blank"}**'s gorgeous *With U* EP was a favorite
for many (myself included) but it was **[Water Borders][21]{:
target="_blank"}** who blew me away with their debut LP *Harbored
Mantras*. An array of influences ranging from **Coil** to **The Virgin
Prunes** are given hip-hop production and touches of post-dubstep to
create what is possibly the finest goth album in the last 20 years.
**[CREEP][22]{: target="_blank"}** steadily released the beautiful,
R&B-soaked dark pop singles 'Days', 'You' and 'Animals', along with
gorgeous accompanying videos. **Modern Witch** released more many splits
and singles than I can remember, but their remake of their early track
'In Your Eyes' stands out as a true future classic.
**CREEP -- You**
**Modern Witch -- In Your Eyes**
**White Ring** released both the remix-heavy *CHAIND VOL. 1* and the
excellent 'Hey Hey My My' single, while fellow 808ers **CRIM3S** put me
off for a while; the whole 'band name with number/symbol' thing is
usually another way of saying 'don't waste your time listening to this'
but seeing them live was seriously fun, a vibe that's usually missing
from the witchy set. Dudes put the ghetto in gothic. On that note,
**[Dark Sister][23]{: target="_blank"}** proved capabley interesting
enough to drop the sable thug vibe I love, washing away the stains of
**Gvcci Hvcci** and thereby making the world just a tiny bit better. As
for **Salem**...well, they were Salem. Equal parts annoying and
entrancing, they shat out a smattering of forgettable remixes before
releasing their latest EP *I'm Still In The Night*. While it wasn't
[kingly][24]{: target="_blank"} by any means, it was proof the trio can
still grab our attention when they really want to. Let's hope 2012
yields more effort and less drags.
**CRIM3S -- Breed**
**Salem -- Krawl**
[Galakthorrö][25]{: target="_blank"} is a label that always satisfies my
hunger for industrial sounds with none of the god-awful cybershit and
terrorcrud that makes the more 'mainstream' version of that scene a
complete joke to anyone with a post-pubescent mentality. Both **Maska
Genetik** and **Haus Arafna** put out unique releases, the former even
more surprising considering the project was completed some time ago.
Even though *Strada* is made up of old, unreleased material, it's still
some of the best experimental angstpop around. **Angels In America**'s
*Narrow Road To The Interior* evoked the ghosts of dusty western roads
and melded them with echoes from ancient **Throbbing Gristle** shows,
while **[Micachu][26]{: target="_blank"}**'s surprising (and vastly
overlooked) live album *Chopped and Screwed* was the very essence of
experimental: shattered glass and vaccums combine with the strings and
woodwinds of the London Sinfonietta to make a thick, drugged-out
experience. On the opposite side of the spectrum, **[TENSE][27]{:
target="_blank"}** have continued to make EBM that you can actually feel
proud to be a fan of...and if you've ever been to an EBM club, you know
that's something not said lightly. Finally, **[Prurient][28]{:
target="_blank"}**'s *Bermuda Drain* is the best industrial album of the
year. Nothing more to say on that; just get it.
**Angels In America -- Follow Me Out**
**Prurient -- Watch Silently**
It's impossible to do a list of the year's best dark material without
including that most grim of genres: METAL. Fortunately I'll be steering
away from the dire, overly serious bullshit and focusing more on the
experimental and the raw. Let's begin with genre-bending darlings
**[Liturgy][29]{: target="_blank"}**, who've taken massive amounts of
shit from the black metal community for allegedly killing black metal by
incorporating other elements. Of course, the only people who ever
proclaim the death of any genre are the purists, and who cares what they
think. *Aesthethica* redefines the way we think about black metal, and
it's one of the most trve releases you'll hear all year. **[Gnaw Their
Tongues][30]{: target="_blank"}** latest LP *Per Flagellum Sanguemque,
Tenebras Veneramus* may not be anything new, but it's everything he does
best: shrieks and distortion, grand and filthy symphonics and ridiculous
song titles like 'Bone Dust On Dead Genitals'...all the things I want
out of this kind of music. **[Atriach][31]{: target="_blank"}**
(post-**Antioch Arrow**, so PAY ATTENTION!) put out the undeniably epic
*Forever The End*, and **[Reliq][32]{: target="_blank"}**'s self-titled
debut EP is equally entrancing, even if it can never come close to the
soul-shattering fury of their live show. It's California quartet **[Ash
Borer][33]{: target="_blank"}**, however, who put out the finest slab of
black metal wax this year. Three tracks of sprawling, beautiful doom
that stretches on into bleak infinity, it's simply beautiful in the way
that only shrieking angels can be.
**Gnaw Their Tongues -- Bone Dust On Dead Genitals**
**Ash Borer -- Rest, You Are The Lightning**
So that's your essential primer for all things evil, black, grim, doomy,
gloomy, gothy, or just plain **dark** in 2011. There's loads more out
there, of course; I'm not an encyclopedia, and some stuff I glossed over
because it was slightly outside what is blatantly 'dark' (**Balam Acab,
Austra**, and **Deathface** even though that dude's music is sick as
hell), unnecessary (most of the current witch house scene) or just plain
shitty (most of what you'd hear amongst the actual goth scene) as well
as hip-hop in general just because there's so much dirty and evil
southern stuff that it's impossible to pick favorites. Hopefully,
however, this will give you a few places to start, and a lot to look
forward to in 2012. It's the end of the world, after all, so prepare
your soundtrack now.
[1]: http://guccigoth.tumblr.com/
[2]: http://tearist.bandcamp.com/
[3]: http://bestialmouths.tumblr.com/
[4]: https://www.facebook.com/BRANES.official
[5]: http://www.electronicbeats.net/music/reviews/jaws-stress-test
[6]: http://soundcloud.com/jawsjawsjaws
[7]: http://soundcloud.com/jonnyteardrop
[8]: http://chelseawolfe.net/
[9]: http://www.electronicbeats.net/music/reviews/zola-jesus-conatus
[10]: http://www.electronicbeats.net/music/reviews/chelsea-wolfe-apokalypsis
[11]: http://www.designer-drugs.net/
[12]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LM7OaMOGba0
[13]: http://soundcloud.com/kloaks
[14]: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Soft-Moon/159673281315
[15]: http://www.nakedonthevague.com/
[16]: http://tropicofcancer.bandcamp.com/
[17]: http://soundcloud.com/litanic-mask
[18]: https://www.facebook.com/cultofyouth
[19]: http://kingdude.bandcamp.com/
[20]: http://soundcloud.com/holyother
[21]: http://soundcloud.com/water-borders
[22]: http://www.officialcreep.com/
[23]: http://darksister.tumblr.com/
[24]: http://soundcloud.com/salem-official/king-night
[25]: http://www.galakthorroe.de/
[26]: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Micachu/10361552241
[27]: https://www.facebook.com/pages/TENSE/103169403053195
[28]: http://prurient.bandcamp.com/
[29]: https://www.facebook.com/liturgynybm?sk=wall
[30]: http://www.gnawtheirtongues.com/
[31]: http://atriarch.bandcamp.com/
[32]: http://www.dev01ded.com/?page_id=535
[33]: http://www.ash-borer.blogspot.com/
---
id: 4e3ac106-3a26-4a56-9f9f-0f628573605b
blueprint: article
title: '2011 in Darkness'
date: 2011-12-28T11:29:09+01:00
wp_id: '11207'
slug: 2011-in-darkness
teaser_image: legacy/2011-in-darkness/2011darkness.png
contents:
-
type: text
text: '<p>I’m so sick of hearing and reading the word ‘dark’. I truly wish we’d come up with something new to describe this sort of music without using equally annoying words like <em>grave, witch</em> or (a sure sign of CRAP AHOY!) the dreaded <em>nu</em>. ‘Goth-without-goth’ is too clumsy; ‘advanced goth’ maybe, but that’s a label with too much stigma anyway. For now, DARK is going to have to be an acceptable umbrella term for a collection of music that feeds on the tense, the sinister and the evil. There was plenty of it this year, to be sure: from the shimmering whispers coming out of <strong>Tri Angle</strong> to the experimental pulse of <strong>Galakthorrö</strong>. To cover it all would take way more time than I have (really busy with <a href="http://guccigoth.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">tumblr</a>) but the following is probably the best anyway.</p><p>Many of my favorite musicians making the kind of fucked-up, deadly synthpunk that would make <strong>Nervous Gender</strong> blink twice are from Los Angeles. Something about the West Coast just naturally breeds this sort of band. <strong><a href="http://tearist.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Tearist</a></strong> and <strong><a href="http://bestialmouths.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Bestial Mouths</a></strong> are two obvious favorites, the former’s <em>Hissing Veil</em> debut and the latter’s live LP topping our Year’s Best list. <strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BRANES.official" target="_blank">B-R-A-N-E-S</a></strong> were also a wonderful new discovery, a post-deathrock boy/girl duo who bring to mind the mid-00s death disco explosion from the Bay Area. If you read my <a href="http://www.electronicbeats.net/music/reviews/jaws-stress-test" target="_blank">review</a> of <strong><a href="http://soundcloud.com/jawsjawsjaws" target="_blank">Jaws</a></strong>‘ <em>Stress Test</em>, you’d know how impressed I was with his shrieking, clunky electronics, and his violent live shows are an essential piece of the puzzle. Fellow <strong>Hundebiss Records</strong> alumni <strong>Sewn Leather</strong> also blew me away with his intense live performances and the equally intense <em>Sikknastafari Slash Crasstafari</em> LP. Parisian <a href="http://soundcloud.com/jonnyteardrop" target="_blank">Johnny Teardrop</a> made some heavy waves of his own in Berlin at the best dark art-music festival in the world, Drop Dead. If you’ve been craving more punk in your goth, these were unmissable shows.</p><p><strong>Bestial Mouths – Small Prey</strong></p><p><strong>Sewn Leather – Sikknastafari Slash Crasstafari (Preview)</strong></p><p>Speaking of goth, there was quite lot of stuff released this year that was undeniably drenched in that doddering subculture, but given a fresh new vibe with fresh, young faces and a few new ideas. 2011 was the year where every darkly-inclined female singer got compared to <strong>Siouxsie</strong> at some point, <strong>Zola Jesus</strong> and <strong><a href="http://chelseawolfe.net/" target="_blank">Chelsea Wolfe</a></strong> more than most. I wasn’t that impressed with Danilova’s <a href="http://www.electronicbeats.net/music/reviews/zola-jesus-conatus" target="_blank">latest effort</a> <em>Conatus</em>, but if anyone deserves such a powerful comparison, it’s Wolfe. Her <em>Apokalypsis</em> LP is certainly one of the most <a href="http://www.electronicbeats.net/music/reviews/chelsea-wolfe-apokalypsis" target="_blank">powerful records</a> you’ll hear all year. <strong><a href="http://www.designer-drugs.net/" target="_blank">Designer Drugs</a></strong>‘ <em>Hardcore/Softcore</em> deserves a mention for it’s goth-tinged electro (particularly ‘For All We Know’, ‘Leather Gang’, and ‘Drop Down’, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LM7OaMOGba0" target="_blank">the video</a> for which should be the instructional guide for ‘how to dress goth and not look like a total nerd’) but it’s band member Michael Vincent Patrick’s new project <strong><a href="http://soundcloud.com/kloaks" target="_blank">KLOAKS</a></strong> that really shines. If their single ‘Dreams Are Gone’ isn’t already making mopey kids prance through fog-shrouded dancefloors, this world is a corrupt one indeed.</p><p><strong>Chelsea Wolfe – Mer</strong></p><p><strong>Kloaks – Dreams Are Gone</strong></p><p><strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Soft-Moon/159673281315">The Soft Moon</a></strong> put out one of the best post-punk EPs I’ve heard in ages, and even better was they managed to sound not at all like <strong>Joy Division</strong>. That’s a fairly fucking impressive feat for post-punk bands these days. Equally intriguing was <strong><a href="http://www.nakedonthevague.com/" target="_blank">Naked On The Vague</a></strong>‘s <em>Twelve Dark Noons</em>,<strong><a href="http://www.yourcomicbookfantasy.com/"> HTRK</a></strong>‘s <em>Work (work, work)</em> and <strong><a href="http://tropicofcancer.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Tropic Of Cancer</a></strong>‘s <em>The End of All Things</em>, all of which capitalize on that cold, jangly post-Batcave gloom but still manage to keep it sounding fresh. <a href="http://soundcloud.com/litanic-mask" target="_blank">Litanic Mask</a> were another new discovery, creators of my perfect coldwave anthem ‘Leather Mask’, a simple yet beautiful track that makes me ache every time I hear it. On a more apocalyptic note, both <strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/cultofyouth" target="_blank">Cult of Youth</a></strong> and <strong><a href="http://kingdude.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">King Dude</a></strong> managed to kindle a spark in me for the misery ballads of neofolk. I won’t be hitting up the military surplus store anytime soon, but I just might join you at the next <strong>Death In June</strong> show.</p><p><strong>Litanic Mask – Leather Mask</strong></p><p><strong>Cult of Youth – New West</strong></p><p>Now we move on to the more modern side of sinister sounds. A lot of this stuff is being spawned at the unholy pop vats of Tri Angle, a melting pot of sable sounds with undeniable Top 40 influence. <strong><a href="http://soundcloud.com/holyother" target="_blank">Holy Other</a></strong>‘s gorgeous <em>With U</em> EP was a favorite for many (myself included) but it was <strong><a href="http://soundcloud.com/water-borders" target="_blank">Water Borders</a></strong> who blew me away with their debut LP <em>Harbored Mantras</em>. An array of influences ranging from <strong>Coil</strong> to <strong>The Virgin Prunes</strong> are given hip-hop production and touches of post-dubstep to create what is possibly the finest goth album in the last 20 years. <strong><a href="http://www.officialcreep.com/" target="_blank">CREEP</a></strong> steadily released the beautiful, R&B-soaked dark pop singles ‘Days’, ‘You’ and ‘Animals’, along with gorgeous accompanying videos. <strong>Modern Witch</strong> released more many splits and singles than I can remember, but their remake of their early track ‘In Your Eyes’ stands out as a true future classic.</p><p><strong>CREEP – You</strong></p><p><strong>Modern Witch – In Your Eyes</strong></p><p><strong>White Ring</strong> released both the remix-heavy <em>CHAIND VOL. 1</em> and the excellent ‘Hey Hey My My’ single, while fellow 808ers <strong>CRIM3S</strong> put me off for a while; the whole ‘band name with number/symbol’ thing is usually another way of saying ‘don’t waste your time listening to this’ but seeing them live was seriously fun, a vibe that’s usually missing from the witchy set. Dudes put the ghetto in gothic. On that note, <strong><a href="http://darksister.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Dark Sister</a></strong> proved capabley interesting enough to drop the sable thug vibe I love, washing away the stains of <strong>Gvcci Hvcci</strong> and thereby making the world just a tiny bit better. As for <strong>Salem</strong>…well, they were Salem. Equal parts annoying and entrancing, they shat out a smattering of forgettable remixes before releasing their latest EP <em>I’m Still In The Night</em>. While it wasn’t <a href="http://soundcloud.com/salem-official/king-night" target="_blank">kingly</a> by any means, it was proof the trio can still grab our attention when they really want to. Let’s hope 2012 yields more effort and less drags.</p><p><strong>CRIM3S – Breed</strong></p><p><strong>Salem – Krawl</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.galakthorroe.de/" target="_blank">Galakthorrö</a> is a label that always satisfies my hunger for industrial sounds with none of the god-awful cybershit and terrorcrud that makes the more ‘mainstream’ version of that scene a complete joke to anyone with a post-pubescent mentality. Both <strong>Maska Genetik</strong> and <strong>Haus Arafna</strong> put out unique releases, the former even more surprising considering the project was completed some time ago. Even though <em>Strada</em> is made up of old, unreleased material, it’s still some of the best experimental angstpop around. <strong>Angels In America</strong>‘s <em>Narrow Road To The Interior</em> evoked the ghosts of dusty western roads and melded them with echoes from ancient <strong>Throbbing Gristle</strong> shows, while <strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Micachu/10361552241" target="_blank">Micachu</a></strong>‘s surprising (and vastly overlooked) live album <em>Chopped and Screwed</em> was the very essence of experimental: shattered glass and vaccums combine with the strings and woodwinds of the London Sinfonietta to make a thick, drugged-out experience. On the opposite side of the spectrum, <strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/TENSE/103169403053195" target="_blank">TENSE</a></strong> have continued to make EBM that you can actually feel proud to be a fan of…and if you’ve ever been to an EBM club, you know that’s something not said lightly. Finally, <strong><a href="http://prurient.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Prurient</a></strong>‘s <em>Bermuda Drain</em> is the best industrial album of the year. Nothing more to say on that; just get it.</p><p><strong>Angels In America – Follow Me Out</strong></p><p><strong>Prurient – Watch Silently</strong></p><p>It’s impossible to do a list of the year’s best dark material without including that most grim of genres: METAL. Fortunately I’ll be steering away from the dire, overly serious bullshit and focusing more on the experimental and the raw. Let’s begin with genre-bending darlings <strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/liturgynybm?sk=wall" target="_blank">Liturgy</a></strong>, who’ve taken massive amounts of shit from the black metal community for allegedly killing black metal by incorporating other elements. Of course, the only people who ever proclaim the death of any genre are the purists, and who cares what they think. <em>Aesthethica</em> redefines the way we think about black metal, and it’s one of the most trve releases you’ll hear all year. <strong><a href="http://www.gnawtheirtongues.com/" target="_blank">Gnaw Their Tongues</a></strong> latest LP <em>Per Flagellum Sanguemque, Tenebras Veneramus</em> may not be anything new, but it’s everything he does best: shrieks and distortion, grand and filthy symphonics and ridiculous song titles like ‘Bone Dust On Dead Genitals’…all the things I want out of this kind of music. <strong><a href="http://atriarch.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Atriach</a></strong> (post-<strong>Antioch Arrow</strong>, so PAY ATTENTION!) put out the undeniably epic <em>Forever The End</em>, and <strong><a href="http://www.dev01ded.com/?page_id=535" target="_blank">Reliq</a></strong>‘s self-titled debut EP is equally entrancing, even if it can never come close to the soul-shattering fury of their live show. It’s California quartet <strong><a href="http://www.ash-borer.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Ash Borer</a></strong>, however, who put out the finest slab of black metal wax this year. Three tracks of sprawling, beautiful doom that stretches on into bleak infinity, it’s simply beautiful in the way that only shrieking angels can be.</p><p><strong>Gnaw Their Tongues – Bone Dust On Dead Genitals</strong></p><p><strong>Ash Borer – Rest, You Are The Lightning</strong></p><p>So that’s your essential primer for all things evil, black, grim, doomy, gloomy, gothy, or just plain <strong>dark</strong> in 2011. There’s loads more out there, of course; I’m not an encyclopedia, and some stuff I glossed over because it was slightly outside what is blatantly ‘dark’ (<strong>Balam Acab, Austra</strong>, and <strong>Deathface</strong> even though that dude’s music is sick as hell), unnecessary (most of the current witch house scene) or just plain shitty (most of what you’d hear amongst the actual goth scene) as well as hip-hop in general just because there’s so much dirty and evil southern stuff that it’s impossible to pick favorites. Hopefully, however, this will give you a few places to start, and a lot to look forward to in 2012. It’s the end of the world, after all, so prepare your soundtrack now.</p>'
---
Chunk #1 (Position: 0)
# 2011 in Darkness I'm so sick of hearing and reading the word 'dark'. I truly wish we'd come up with something new to describe this sort of music without using equally annoying words like *grave, witch* or (a sure sign of CRAP AHOY!) the dreaded *nu*. 'Goth-without-goth' is too clumsy; 'advance...
Chunk #2 (Position: 1)
There was plenty of it this year, to be sure: from the shimmering whispers coming out of **Tri Angle** to the experimental pulse of **Galakthorrö**. To cover it all would take way more time than I have (really busy with [tumblr][1]{: target="_blank"}) but the following is probably the best anyway...
Chunk #3 (Position: 2)
Parisian [Johnny Teardrop][7]{: target="_blank"} made some heavy waves of his own in Berlin at the best dark art-music festival in the world, Drop Dead. If you've been craving more punk in your goth, these were unmissable shows. **Bestial Mouths -- Small Prey** **Sewn Leather -- Sikknastafari Sl...
Chunk #4 (Position: 3)
If you've been craving more punk in your goth, these were unmissable shows. **Bestial Mouths -- Small Prey** **Sewn Leather -- Sikknastafari Slash Crasstafari (Preview)** . Speaking of goth, there was quite lot of stuff released this year that was undeniably drenched in that doddering subcultur...
Chunk #5 (Position: 4)
If their single 'Dreams Are Gone' isn't already making mopey kids prance through fog-shrouded dancefloors, this world is a corrupt one indeed. **Chelsea Wolfe -- Mer** **Kloaks -- Dreams Are Gone** . **[The Soft Moon][14]** put out one of the best post-punk EPs I've heard in ages, and even bett...
Chunk #6 (Position: 5)
I won't be hitting up the military surplus store anytime soon, but I just might join you at the next **Death In June** show. **Litanic Mask -- Leather Mask** **Cult of Youth -- New West** . Now we move on to the more modern side of sinister sounds. A lot of this stuff is being spawned at the un...
Chunk #7 (Position: 6)
**Modern Witch** released more many splits and singles than I can remember, but their remake of their early track 'In Your Eyes' stands out as a true future classic. **CREEP -- You** **Modern Witch -- In Your Eyes** . **White Ring** released both the remix-heavy *CHAIND VOL. 1* and the excellen...
Chunk #8 (Position: 7)
Let's hope 2012 yields more effort and less drags. **CRIM3S -- Breed** **Salem -- Krawl** . [Galakthorrö][25]{: target="_blank"} is a label that always satisfies my hunger for industrial sounds with none of the god-awful cybershit and terrorcrud that makes the more 'mainstream' version of that ...
Chunk #9 (Position: 8)
Finally, **[Prurient][28]{: target="_blank"}**'s *Bermuda Drain* is the best industrial album of the year. Nothing more to say on that; just get it. **Angels In America -- Follow Me Out** **Prurient -- Watch Silently**
Chunk #10 (Position: 9)
Nothing more to say on that; just get it. **Angels In America -- Follow Me Out** **Prurient -- Watch Silently** . It's impossible to do a list of the year's best dark material without including that most grim of genres: METAL. Fortunately I'll be steering away from the dire, overly serious bull...
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