By the year of 1991 the underground metal scene was populated, mostly, with endless number of death metal bands, many of them doing, more or less, what their contemporary leaders in charge have already done or copying each other.
An experimental album trying to add and encapsulate the Gothic-Rock atmosphere into their traditional Death-Metal roots.
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According to Gregor Mackintosh the album's producer statement at hearing was :
" - You will never go anywhere with this one! It doesn't fit any category!"
Also, Paradise Lost are responsible for creating the Gothic / Death Metal subgenre and introducing the famous "beauty and the beast" vocal duality starting with this album.
One album earlier, on "Lost Paradise - 1990" with the song "Breeding Fear" we can hear the first attempt regarding this vocal style.
At the male voice delivery, it seems that the genre choose to adopt a deeper, stronger outcry than their Death-Metal colleagues, as we can hear on the first LP's from Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride, Anathema, Enchantment or the German band Crematory.
Prior to that, in the 80's, the idea of Gothic-Rock came from the Punk-Gothic band The Damned who's front-man Dave Vanian used to dress like Dracula during their live performances.
Later on, acts labelled by the music press and listeners as New-Wave, Gothic-Rock, Synth-Pop, Darkwave or Death-Rock, well known heroes, like Joy Division , Siouxsie and the Banshees , Bauhaus , Killing Joke , The Cure , The Sisters of Mercy , Fields of the Nephilim , Christian Death or the very avantgardistic Dead Can Dance took the challenge and started to experience with a more dark, bleak touch, inspired and paved the way for the most of the Gothic-Metal bands we enjoy today.
Many believe that the Gothic-Rock genre was created and clearly defined by Bauhaus' - Bela Lugosi's Dead song with its melodic, and / or melancholic song structure, plus the aforementioned dark attitude highlighted (or darklighted) by the specific baritone vocal output.
On the other hand, another big influence for this new genre was 1987 Celtic Frost's "Into The Pandemonium" release.
This LP was a very controversial one at that time, as well, as they left their traditional Black/Thrash/Death roots for a more experimental approach.
The result was a rejection by some fans, but it was fully embraced by others.
It is an album full of new ,fresh and innovative ideas combining industrial tunes with dark melancholic moments, almost a prophetic act if we see how Gothic-Metal developed in years to come.
Actually, it cannot be drawn a strict line between the Death / Doom Metal and Gothic-Metal, as the genres are quite closely intertwined from the very beginning.
The same goes for the lyrical content, as for the both styles includes mostly kind of the same content : philosophical or spiritual subjects, moody descriptions of nature, personal drama ,religious issues here and there or sentimental/psychological issues, and rarely social troubles.
Moving back to the inventors of the genre, the absolutely memorable "As I Die" the last track taken from the "Shades of God" album was an instant blow, sending massive waves through the extreme metal community and being the track that managed to polarize and amaze with its powerful feeling, originality and spontaneity.
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Later on, the song was an inspiration for them,, as well, in terms of song writing for their next "Icon" output released in 1993.
Their next albums as above mentioned "Shades Of God - 1992" ; "Icon - 1993" and the much praised "Draconian Times - 1995" developed the ideas into a more Gothic Heavy Metal approach, building a mountain of melancholy, evolving and still keeping their original style, but moving their music to the highest levels and increasing their popularity among the metal audience.
"Turn Loose The Swans - 1993" is a classic and a very representative album. Their following LP's as: "The Angel And The Dark River - 1995" ; "Like Gods Of The Sun - 1996" and "34.788%... Complete - 1998" put the band on the top of metal listeners.
Anathema surely being the third and the one to complete the-so-called "Peaceville Three" bands
putting, again, British Metal in the top of the well known innovative movement in the general rock/metal picture.
Their slow and crushing, yet very atmospheric metal was a breath of fresh air in the emerging extreme metal scene.
The first two full-lenghts and two EP's are an important reference in that respect.
Another British band that promised a lot with its first album was Enchantment. "Dance of the Marble Nacked - 1994" will please any Paradise Lost listener with their melancholic heaviness.
Sadly, despite the fact that they had a 6 records deal with Century Media, Enchantment disbanded after their much appreciated first full-length album.
On the other side of the ocean, an important pioneering band from the first half of the '90s include Type O Negative from New York.
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Their main musical core consists in a very Sabbath-ish riffage mixed with The Sisters of Mercy's inspired baritone voice singing.
Some Hardcore-punk reprises can be heard here and there, reminiscent of Peter Steele's (R.I.P.)
songwriting for Agnostic Front or hanging out in C.B.G.B's-club area, but their "Bloody Kisses - 1993" is a memorable and classic LP to get into.
Their following catalog cemented the leader status along with Paradise Lost by providing memorable songs for the overall metal hordes.
The Saviour Machine was a christian oriented Gothic Metal band coming from LA, California.
All of their albums are conceptual and they focused their music and lyrical content around the apocalypse chapter from the bible.
Another act coming from the U.S.A. would be The Bronx Casket Co. of Overkill's bassist D.D. Verni. Sadly, the only three bands alike to be remembered from the States.
In Europe the idea wasn't much expected to be explored and it was embraced soon, as the second wave of Death Metal of mid '90's started to change or to fade away.
The Gathering must be the next band to mention, especially with their first albums, being recommended for a best musical trip, rich in romantic and gothic atmospheres.
Their later works started to incorporate more and more atmospheric elements, probably due to admiration for Pink Floyd of the main composers, there, and the general sound moved away from the strictly "Goth" musical identity.
However, they are mostly described as Doom-Death, early and Atmospheric Metal with Prog and Alternative influences added within, on their last albums.
Norway provided with bands like Theatre of Tragedy , Tristania and Mortal Love to the general map, whose full discographies are totally recommended in order to achieve the absolutely dramatic, dreamy and the melancholic experience Scandinavian Gothic Metal has to offer.
The Gothic Metal scene was enriched by Germany with the veteran, by now, band Crematory with his much melodic and romantic Death Metal accompanied by powerful and memorable keyboard lines.
Their music has that typical German "exactness" in terms of execution, but powerful, straight to the point and with such melancholic substance.
From "Transmigration - 1993" to "...Just Dreaming - 1994" and the much appreciated "Illusions - 1995" they built a strong and distinctive style not to be forgotten by fans and the metal music history in general.
Their following catalog continued mostly on the same musical formulas adding, also industrial influences on some releases, or more or less riff content intensity.
Atrocity is a German band who started to incorporate Gothic Metal tunes as they left Death Metal present on their first two albums.
LP's like "Calling the Rain - 1995" Featuring vocalist Alex Krull's sister, Yasmin Krull ; "Die Liebe - 1995 (in collaboration with the Gothic Rock band Das Ich)" ; "Willenskraft - 1996" are the works to turned the tides on goth and metal waves letting the fans of their first two original albums scratching their heads in confusion.
The German band Evereve, also is about to be mentioned with albums like "Seasons - 1997" ; "Stormbirds - 1998" and "Regret - 1999" combining heaviness with powerful melodramatic lines.
The same goes for the band Dark, who contributed with three albums, much appreciated at that time, starting from 1994.
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Another band who plays on the quality music specter is Secret Discovery hanging between Metal and Rock,their songs are pretty much memorable Gothic tunes, in this regard!
One of the most important German acts are Darkseed,as they also begin their adventure with Death Metal rawness,then moving towards Gothic Metal through "Midnight Solemnly Dance - 1996" landing on fertile Gothic Metal ground with "Spellcraft - 1997" ; "Romantic Tales - Re-issued 1998" and "Give Me Light - 1999". On the last albums Darkseed combines metal with electronica and Dark-Wave inherited from the well known German tradition.
The Austrian band Visceral Evisceration made a significant standpoint on their "Incessant Desire for Palatable Flesh" back in 1994.
Heavily influenced by the "Gothic" album, but very much appreciated by the underground fan base of those times.
The second Portuguese Gothic Metal act, in terms of popularity should be the band Heavenwood.
Their musical expression "goes" more closer to the Cemetary, Lake of Tears kind of direction, this time.
The band contributed with "Diva" - 1996 ; "Swallow" - 1998 before splitting up, but managed to reform back in 2008 and, since then they brought to the attention albums like : "Redemption" - 2008 ; "Abyss Masterpiece" and "The Tarot of the Bohemians" - 2016
To be continued here...
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