Industrial Metal and its development

Industrial Metal GIF

One of the most extreme and fringe heavy metal branch, totally not sufficient musically explored is what is called Industrial Metal. 

The fist band we can thing about regarding the industrial (rock) music, must be the British post-punk band Killing Joke.

Which is surely one of the pioneers to start exploring and playing with indus-like riffs.

The second exponent, here, must be the American Ministry band.

After a first excellent New-Wave album called "With Sympathy" they released "Twitch" where they started to experience with industrial sounds, repetitive musical formulas and a more aggressive, dark and twisted songs building up an interesting assembly found through albums like "The Land of Rape and Honey" ; "The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste" ; "Psalm 69" ; "Filth Pig" ; "Rio Grande Blood" and so on.

Featuring Justin Broaderick, as drummer, the British band Head of David it's a must in this gearing. A total underrated act, if you like, not to be ignored and quite inspiring for other, bigger bands within the genre.

Justin Broaderick of Godflesh must be a pivotal name in the whole development for this genre. 

First of all, he played with a project called Final before joining Napalm Death as guitar player, where he was invited just because the guys in the band admired his previous work with Final. 

Apparently, he was kind of terrified while playing the songs from the first part of the "Scum" album and that happened, especially when the ultra-rapid grindcore passages set in, as he was more into the long, crushing, type of riffs.

Albums like "Streetcleaner" ; "Pure" ; "Selfless" ; "Us and Them" must be the pin-points from the Godflesh very special and unique catalog to get into.

The french band Treponem Pal must be mentioned, as another great example of Industrial Metal, heavily influenced by Ministry, The Young Gods and Godflesh with works like "Treponem Pal" (1989) ; Aggravation (1991) ; "Excess & Overdrive" (1993) ; "Higher" (1997) or "Weird Machine" (2008) they cemented their status as an important player in the scene.

The American band Prong should be, also took as pioneers for the Industrial Metal subgenre, here, especially with their mid albums of their discography.

First of all, they started like a Thrash-Crossover Metal band and then developed their style adding more and more industrial sonorities and groovy riff-work, later on.

"Soul of A New Machine" the first Fear Factory LP created such a great sonic replica for metalheads worldwide, being an assembly of death metal meets industrial, growl meets clean voicals and an outstanding, original riff signature delivered by Dino Cazares. 

The albums that followed incorporated more mainstream metal elements, but still remaining at the same level of creativity and authenticity and not altering their own musical identity.

We, also have to take in consideration Pitchshifter, the British combo, responsible for memorable albums like "Industrial" ; "Desensitized" or "Infotainment?".

Sadly, later on, their music moved more into the Alternative style of rock music.

Dead World band hailing from Colorado U.S.A. built an enjoyable Industrial Death Metal sound through albums like 1992 "Collusion" ; "The Machine" from 1993 and "Thanatos Descends" output on 1996, heavily influenced by Godflesh' music.

Nailbomb project is an interesting industrial project consisting of Max Cavalera and Alex Newport of Fudge Tunnel.

They released an album called "Point Blank" which was sustained live, also at Dynamo Festival in Eindhoven back in 1995.

As, for the German Rammstein band, could it be called the AC/DC of Industrial Metal? 

Their music is simple, straight to the point, memorable and effective combining Industrial Metal with Neue Deutsche Härte, just like their co-nationals from Eisbrecher, for example.

From the 1995 "Herzeleid" to their last "Zeit" the band managed to capture attention with unforgettable tunes despite the German language used on most of their music.

The band gained international success from their second "Sehnsucht" issued in 1997. 

This album was certified with platinum by the RIAA in the U.S. The single "Du Hast" hitting like a thunderstruck in the hearts of the metalheads worldwide, at that time.

Peter Tägtgren's project Pain must be counted here as well, as an original mix of Industrial Metal-Rock and Electro outputs that created a strong fan-base, starting from the second part of the 90's from the first self titled disc to the last "Coming Home" dated in 2016.

The classic Napalm Death line-up from the first part of the "Scum" album with Mick Harris, Justin Broadrick and Nic Bullen reunited in 1992 under the banner of Scorn in order to issue "Vae Solis" 

Later on, the band moved to a more experimental music and becoming one of the first dub-step acts out there.

However, their first album is definitively an 100 percent Industrial Metal effort.

The german band Die Krupps plays, also a pioneering and significant role in the general mechanism of the early industrial gearing. Their catalog stretch from the 1981's "Stahlwerksinfonie" to the last "Songs from the Dark side of Heaven" dated back in 2021.

Their heydays are represented by albums like "II - The Final Option" released in 1993 "III - Odyssey of the Mind" 1995 or 1997's "Paradise Now". Their best received products at that time.

The swiss band Samael started to experiment with electro-metal admixture added to their basic groove Black Metal background. 

Albums like "Eternal" or "Reign of Light" made them the Rammstein of Black Metal, so to speak. 

Other Black Metal bands were experiencing with this kind of musical approach, such as the Italian Aborym, The Kovenant or Thorns from Norway, but that's another story and it belongs more to a Black Metal article.

Another stand out product is for sure "Embedded" issued in 1993 by the project Meathook Seed formed by Napalm Death's Shane Embury - bass, Mitch Harris - guitar plus the Obituary's Donald Tardy - drums and Trevor Peres as a front man. 

A quite creative musical approach filled with interesting riffs. Their second opus called B.I.B.L.E. (basic instructions before leaving earth) has a more industrial rock direction, but still recommended for a listen, although.

Speaking about Napalm Death, they were inevitably influenced by this kind of sounds and contributed with industrial tunes from time to time within their quite rich discography they have. 

The much praise "Fear,Emptiness,Despair" output is suspected to host indus-like riffage throughout its entire display,also tracks like "Morale" ; "Contemptuous" ; "The Lifeless Alarm" or "Inside the Torn Apart" and, of course the main riff from  Greed Killing video are more than obvious examples, in that respect.

Fleshing some industrial samples to a Doom-Thrash Metal skeleton the swedish band Misery Loves Co. released some interesting albums like the eponymous from 1994, "Not like Them" in 1997 and "Your vision was never mine to share" by 2000.

The well known musician Devin Townsend the main composer and mastermind of Strapping Young Lad combined Thrash with Death Metal with industrial influences through "Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing" dated 1995 to "The New Black" album released in 2006 with such a corrosive and obnoxious atmosphere,very dynamic at times and obviously experimental and equal as unexpected, surprisingly good Industrial Metal to get into.

Up fronted by Jörgen Sandström founder of the legendary band Grave, the swedish The Project Hate MCMXCIX band produced an interesting and original mix of industrial, Death Metal and Gothic inflences throughout its very rich discography starting with 2000 "Cybersonic Superchrist" to the last "Spewing Venom into the Eyes of Deities" dated as of 2021.

The Floridian band Schnitt Acht, who was active in the first half of the 90's released two albums "Subhuman Minds" (1991) being more into EBM-electronic music, but their second effort "Slash and Burn" (1993) added a more metal substance and riffs to the general concept, resulting into an original and excellent album.

The music in this video being absolutely fantastic in terms of creativity and inspiration!

The contribution of bands like Nine Inch Nails, Rob Zombie and his band White Zombie, Front Line Assembly, Oomph!, Swans, The Young Gods, KMFDM, Revolting Cocks and Skinny Puppy or even Marylin Manson are surely the main Industrial acts, but they cannot be overviewed in this history, although, their music reach metal at times, all these well known and appeciated bands, balanced their musical content from rock to electronic, even electronic body music and they are not exactly anchored, so to speak, in the Heavy Metal musical spectrum, per say.

Black Sabbath and the birth of Heavy Metal - A dive into the main motifs used in the first metal album

Black Sabbath - 1970 - Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath GIF

"What is this that stands before me,a figure in black which points at me". 

That mysterious dark silhouette appeard in a dream "Geezer" Bulter had was, probably Satan and it might have been inspired by the occult stories that he red at that time,  according to what he told in some of his interiews, later on.

Also, it might symbolize the materialization of a
new rock genre, demanding you to follow into the most exciting, creative, imaginative and energetic music of all times - HEAVY METAL!

Later being revealed the genre was baptized by the Steppenwolf song "Born to be Wild" where the term heavy metal thunder coined this new, unexpected, explosive, yet heavy musical approach on which, back in those days, the Sabbath crew was reffering, in their interviews, when asked, with the term of "heavy-rock"!

 

What we call metal music today emerged from the early murky waters of blues, rock, psychedelic and the so called acid/dirty rock.

Once the flower power movement gained its momentum and started to slowly fade away there was a need for a new artistic expression for the disillusioned youth. 

Something to mirror and exorcise their deep concerns, fear and unrest towards this unforgiving sick society.

The end of an era for sure and the beginning of the metalhead "breed" so much well described by Henry Rollins in an interview when he pictured the typical Black Sabbath fans' behavior in the mid 70's.

Musically and conceptually speaking Heavy Metal inherited elements from the venomous blues such like the Howling Wolf, Chuck Berry's rebel musical groundbreaking rock'n'roll attitude and the Steve Johnson's dark satanic vibe added upon the above mentioned blues skeleton.

Besides their counterparts Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple who fully developed the Hard Rock scene, Black Sabbath managed to contribute by introducing the riff, via the riff master himself - Tony Iommi.

On the other hand, the dramatic overtones of classical music inspired in years to come, according to the musical analysts, by Wagner, Beethoven or the Paganini's mad virtuosity. 

All in order to create its own magical and unique universe...

Let's see what happens behind curtain of pouring rain and the sinister bell chimes...

First of all, what differentiates this album from their future works is the undeniable underground and occult attitude of the music, here, accentuated by the baritonal tone used by Ozzy in order to fit the overall riff-tone display.

The album begins with a journey to the witches' sabbath accompanied with a crushing and the most memorable riff of all, devilish tritones and an almost dancing groove in the end, the much praised Black Sabbath track created both heavy metal and doom metal at once  greeted with a smile from the dark one as the flames got higher and higher. Nothing more to add about this classic.

As a second card in this pack, the harmonica blues-influenced The Wizard balanced the previous evil deed with his determination to dissipate evil by spreading his magic. "Never talking,just keep walking". 

The music itself suggesting the mission developing and galloping in order to accomplish the compelling quest.

Behind the Wall of Sleep transports you to a mid-paced doomy work, a great landscape added at the lyrical section, genius bass lines and brilliant guitar licks provided by the riff master Tony Iommi. 

The backbone of the album for sure and the Sabbath's creativity in full display. There's no question about it!
 

With the N.I.B. we get a quite strange riff following now-the-well-known bass introduction ,judging by today standards, and the groove provided here can be considered catchy and fun for a listener back in those days.

As for the overall atmosphere, the obsession for the occult and the love affair with Lucifer must be the main deliverer here.

What follows is a very enjoyable tune. A cover version from the band Crow called "Evil woman,Don't you play your games with me". Again,the more baritone tone of Ozzy's voice stands out on this one.

Sleeping Village could be considered as the second back bone of the album matching perfectly with the art cover,like a soundtrack of the mysterious picture. A crescendo solo ends the song in the same bluesy fashion.

The last chapter for the trip Warning (Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation Cover) it's a monument of guitar virtuosity.

Besides the first part of the song, being some of pure blues awesomeness interpretation, Iommi builds up a bridge showing off and let loose his soloing cascade at the end, before the final closing chorus.
 

Just to summarize the ingredients for the overall occult climax of the album we have :

 - The pouring Rain

 - Bell chimes

 - The Figure in Black

 - The Wizard

 - Lucifer

 - Countryside Village

 - The evil woman and her deeds

 OFFICIAL VIDEO : Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

Jungle Rot - 2015 - Order Shall Prevail

Wisconsin deathsters Jungle Rot managed to release a new 10 pieces of fury gathered under "Order Shall Prevail" name.

Starting with a memorable "Doomsday" overture their groove based death metal hooks your ears from the first short guitar-solo-scream to the last.
"Nuclear Superiority" which is a perfect OSDM to close a retro death metal sound for this modern age if you like.
The band will not prove something else than their previous works but seems to be enjoyable as it didn't lack any dynamic variation.

With every track there is enough contrast and variety to keep your interest grinning and our head banging.
The most stand out tracks must be :"The Dread Pestilence";"E.F.K.";"I Cast The First Stone";"Trench Tactics" and the one set up to promote the album on youtube

 Jungle Rot - Paralyzed Prey  

 

Jungle Rot - Order Shall Prevail 

                                       https://www.amazon.com/Jungle-Rot/dp/B07D51Y7RT

My Dying Bride's new opus and first track revealed

My Dying Bride's "Feel The Misery" opus sees a return from the Academy Studios in Dewsbury West Yorkshire marking the 12th full studio album for these gothic doom heroes which will be released on September 18th via Peaceville Records.

The new 8 track set filled with crushing epic doom spanning in about an hour time frame was recorded, where all of My Dying Bride's classic early albums were produced. Mixing once more
takes place at Futureworks in Manchester UK with the band's long-time studio engineer/producer, Mags.

The new issue featuring the return of original guitarist Calvin Robertshaw to the second guitar is being described as "undoubtedly amongst the band's heaviest, darkest, and most majestic works to date, along with My Dying Bride's 25th anniversary on the doom metal barricade.


The band's assessments on the themes of Feel The Misery: "Contained within are all the grandeur and mastery of the melancholic one would expect to find on a recording from this group of musicians. The crushing of hearts and the solemn farewells to friends and lovers twinned with the destruction of flesh and the
passions of cruelty are laid neatly for the listener to devour and savor. 

Eight new compositions detailing the path of life through dark doors and the burdens we all must endure simply to make it to the end, My Dying Bride have returned with a foreboding new album which may enlighten, delight and consume the soul in one epic sitting."

A new track was published from the upcoming 2015 album:

My Dying Bride - And My Father Left Forever 

Shape Of Despair - Monotony Fields 2015

We have a new collection of Funeral Doom tunes here, gathered under the "Monotony Fields" title published by Season Of Mist records.

Hailing from the Finland's one of the most
significant acts for this genre.

Yes,we are talking about the super project Shape of Despair .

Consisting with members from Finntroll , Impaled Nazarene , Korpiklaani , Clouds ,
Barathrum , The Mist and the Mourning Dew and so on.
Their new effort brings up an immeasurable bleak soundscape of sonic desolation powered by strong synth and haunted with soaring female vocals featuring Natalie Koskinen.

This dark journey starts by "Reaching the Innermost" to guide you through the "Monotony Fields" . The "Descending Inner Night " might
makes you wander along the nightmarish demons from the subconscious terrors until you get "Withdrawn" to the end of this trip ending "Written In My Scars"
which is a brilliant re-recording of a much older black pearl.
All in all, this album will appeal to the ones who seek shadows and musical coolness for this upcoming summer.

OFFICIAL SITE :  http://www.shapeofdespair.com/

FACEBOOK :   https://www.facebook.com/shapeofdespairofficial?fref=ts

THE METAL ARCHIVES :  http://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Shape_of_Despair/1194

Gothic Metal II.

Regarded as Extreme Gothic Metal the british band Cradle Of Filth added from album to album dark gothic atmospheres to a general Black Metal skeleton leaving black metal legions in a hallucinating argue of what is or isn't real or true Black Metal.

Although, they cannot be ignored here, especially for the fact that they brought memorable releases in the nineties. Albums like "Dusk And Her Embrace - 1996" ; "Cruelty And The Beast - 1998" or the much praised and successful "Midian - 1999".

Those albums manage to seduce the listener into a bleak vampiric world with a thick atmosphere still accompanied by their original Black-Metal fury along with awesome, Byron inspired poetry at the lyrical section.
 

Much at the same musical area we can include the Greek band Rotting Christ, for their middle, late 90's, releases from their catalog, the Italian band Graveworm and the German band Agathodaimon.

On the other hand Sweden plays the third spot in order to sustain a hypothetical general plan of an imaginary Gothic Metal map.

Tiamat must be the first band to be known on this dark, cold northern web. If their first album "Sumerian Cry" was, for the most part anchored in the Death Metal style, their second effort entitled "The Astral Sleep - 1992 has already much to offer on the up-growing scene with their surprisingly melodic interludes added besides the general riffwork.

"Clouds - 1993" consolidates this style mixed with its gloomy-doomy approach, then on the superb "Wildhoney - 1994" confirmed they were a true force, even if the album has it's own Pink Floyd-ish touch, that created a heavy, yet truly atmospheric and powerful sonic display accompanied with an out-of this-world vocal delivery.
 

Starting with "A Deeper Kind Of Slumber - 1997" Tiamat's music moved more towards Gothic Rock leaving behind their dramatic atmosphere along with their Doom-Death Metal structured songs.

Therion is another big exponent of the Swedish Gothic Metal scene. 

Their musical journey started as a Melodic Death Metal band with "...Of Darkness - 1991" and "Beyond Sanctorum - 1992" Gothic Death Metal on "Symphony Masses: Ho Drakon Ho Megas - 1993" and "Lepaca Kliffoth - 1995" reaching Symphonic / Operatic Metal from "Theli - 1996". The most important contribution for Gothic Metal was on "Lepaca Kliffoth - 1995" with all its arrangements and general style, seems like a Therion version of Celtic Frost's - "Into The Pandemonium".

Cemetary and Lake Of Tears continued somehow what Paradise Lost did on Shades Of God and Icon albums releasing memorable musical jams in the Swedish extreme metal like Cemetary: "Godless Beauty - 1993" ; "Black Vanity - 1994" ; "Sundown - 1996" or Lake Of Tears: "Greater Art - 1994" ; "Headstones - 1995" ; "A Crimson Cosmos - 1997".

Later on, Mathias Lodmalm, the vocalist, guitar player and main composer of Cemetary formed the band Sundown and placed, on the Gothic Metal table, an interesting album, named "Design 19" dated 1997 which is, somehow, a continuation of Cemetary.

The memorable song "Sinergy" being a great example in order to sustain that.

This collection of songs are filled with waves of Metal and Gothic-Rock, Depeche Mode-ish vibes and old school sonic traits placed here and there, on the overall work, making it a fresh and a very enjoyable record. 

Their catalog, also includes albums like : Aluminium EP as of 1997 ; "Halo" - 1999 and "Glimmer" from the same year 1999.

Again, coming from the Swedish metal scene Beseech played an important role on the whole development of the Swedish Gothic Metal scene. Heavily influenced by Type O Negative there is no doubt regarding the evolution to an original and consistent musical discourse through "...from a Bleeding Heart -
1998' ; "Black Emotions - 2000" and "Souls Highway - 2002" outputs.
 

Paradise Lost GIF

Starting, like most of the bands, here, as a based Doom / Death Metal act, the Swedish band Katatonia delivered on their first EPs "Jhva Elohim Meth... the Revival - 1993" ; "For Funerals to Come... - 1995", but "moving" towards "Dance of December Souls - 1993"LP they reached Gothic Metal ground and international esteem, especially after releasing "Tonight's Decision - 1998".

An album which was highly appreciated and recommended even by Gregor Mackintosh of Paradise Lost.

Their musical journey continued and despite the fact that they are regarded as Depressive Rock, now, Katatonia remains an important piece in the whole Gothic Metal game.
 

There is no doubt that Draconian is one of the most representative band in that scene, not only in Sweden, but worldwide. They must be the archetypal crossover female voice / growl voice even it wasn't the first band to use it, but many think this is the perfect match by providing a perfect balance to sustain that.

From "Frozen Features - 2002"EP ; "Where Lovers Mourn - 2003" ; "Arcane Rain Fell - 2005" and "Turning Season Within - 2007" their reputation, respect and fan-base growth exponentially making Draconian a must listen in the general Gothic puzzle.

On the Finnish metal scene we remark the contribution of the band Amorphis starting, as usually as a typical Death Metal combo. Their music is not exactly gothic metal, but mostly  Doom / Death Melodic Metal they had, also an impact at the right moment in the developing scene with their melodic approach on "The Karelian Isthmus - 1992" then on the "Tales From The Thousand Lakes - 1994" they manage to bring to attention an absolutely original combination of Death Metal, melodic gothic riffs folkish-inspired riff lines and divine keyboard work resulting an outstanding and totally memorable LP's throughout their entire discography, deeply drenched in the frozen northern atmosphere and a perfect soundtrack for the Karelian mythos.

A more gothic metal approach in their musical composition could be heard here and there,  starting with the Tuonela album.

 

The next ones incorporates more melodic clean voices and folkish elements making Amorphis an important voice in general metal movement.
As Gothic Heavy Metal on the Finnish barricade can be enumerate Sentenced , The Black League, Charon or Poisonblack.

The most fulminant band of this triade must be Sentenced, who released two Death Metal historical albums on the vein of Death (band) versus European Death Metal influenced style as "Shadows of Past - 1991" and "North from Here - 1993" went to Melodic Death Metal and on "Down - 1996" totally jumped onto the Gothic Metal wagon, creating a very personal sound and releasing  definitive Gothic tunes to be remembered by fans from here to eternity. The crue disbanded in 2006 and frontman Ville Laihiala continues with Poisonblack, up to this day, placed kind on the same musical coordinates.
 

Charon must be the third band in that vein, with albums like "Sorrowburn - 1998" ; "Tearstained - 2000" ; "Downhearted - 2002" containing the sound and style paved by fellow's Sentenced years before, but definitely a standout on terms of music quality.

It is not deniable the role of female-fronted vocalist bands in the whole general development of Gothic Metal. 

Bands like the above mentioned veterans The Gathering, Evanescence , Nightwish , Lacuna Coil or Within Temptation, as mentioned before that goes mostly for their first releases.

Their follow-up albums diversified the musical and sonic take, changing through atmospheric, or symphonic metal, progressive rock or even pop-rock and they have some kind of an ambiguous position in a history of Gothic Metal, per say, as their song structure totally lack the needed ingredients in order to strictly place those bands in the Gothic-Rock/Metal style.

Evanescence, par example is just a Nu-Metal band, nothing more, nothing less.

As on "the looks" side, we cannot say how to spot an authentic gothic metal fan down the street, because they look just like a typical, normal metalhead (if they're not wearing a t-shirt to point it out, of course!). 

However, some of them used to dress just like Paradise Lost or My Dying Bride were dressed in their promo photos published in the media at the beginning of the '90's with black leather boots, black jeans or black leather pants and occasionally black long (leather) coats.

As for the girls, many of them adopted the "standard" so to speak, Gothic-Rock look or they just look normal.

VIDEO OVERVIEW:

Paradise Lost - As I Die
                       - Pity The Sadness
                       - Embers Fire
                       - True Belief
                       - The Last Time

Anathema - Sweet Tears
                 - Mine Is Yours To Drown In
                 - The Silent Enigma

My Dying Bride - Symphonaire Infernus Et Spera Empyrium
                           - The Thrash Of The Nacked Limbs
                           - The Songless Bird
                           - The Cry Of Mankind
 

Type O Negative - Christian Woman
                            - Black No.1
                            - My Girlfriend's Girlfriend
                            - Love You To Death 

 Crematory - Eyes of Suffering
                  - Shadows Of Mine
                  - Tears Of Time
                  - ...For Love

  Cradle Of Filth - From The Cradle To Enslave
                          - Her Ghost In The Fog
                          - Nymphetamine

Lacrimosa - Copycat
Moonspell - Opium
Therion - The Beauty In Black

Tiamat - The Sleeping Beauty
            - Whatever That Hurts
            - Gaia
 

Cemetary - Sweet Tragedy
Lake Of Tears - Ravenland
Amorphis - Black Winter Day
The Gathering - Leaves

Sentenced - Nepenthe
                 - Noose
                 - No One There
                 - Killing Me,Killing You

Charon - Little Angel
Beseech - Innerlane

Gothic Metal I.

Gothic Metal GIF

By the year of 1991 the underground metal scene, especially in Europe,  was populated, mostly, with endless death metal bands, many of them copying what the leaders in charge, already have done or copying each other.

...And then a "weird" album arrived on the stores' shelves...

Published by Peaceville Records, it was named "Gothic" and released by the now-known band Paradise Lost.

This album was the first one to inflame fans' and other bands' imagination worldwide.

A game-changer,for sure!

The album "goes" into the opposite direction as their contemporaries, so to speak, in terms of speed, mood and the overall melodic delivery.

An experimental album trying to add and encapsulate the Gothic-Rock atmosphere into their traditional Death Metal roots.

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 Doom / Death Metal style and introducing the "beauty and the beast" vocal duality, just one album earlier, on "Lost Paradise - 1990" with the song "Breeding Fear" being the first attempt in this category.

Prior to that, the idea of Gothic-Rock came from the Punk-Gothic band The Damned who's vocalist Dave Vanian used to dress like Dracula during their live performancies.

Later on, acts known as New-Wave, Gothic-Rock, Synth-Pop 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 experimence with a more dark, bleak touch, somehow, inspired and paved the way for the most of the Gothic Metal bands, with their melodic, and or melancholic song structures, dark attitude and the specific baritonal 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 description of nature, personal drama ,religious issues here and there or sentimental issues, but rarely social troubles, per say.

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. 

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" 

  Paradise Lost - Icon GIF

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. 

For example, by the year of 1995 the band was called "the european Metallica" as they dethroned them throughout the scandinavian metal tops published at that time.

My Dying Bride must be the second band who cemented the Doom / Death Metal genre through "As The Flower Withers" from 1992, then on the second one they were also experimenting with gothic bleak atmospheres throughout the entire album. Especially at the vocal delivery.

"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. 

Their musical core consists in a very Sabbath-ish riffage mixed with The Sisters of Mercy dark-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.

Sadly, the only one band alike to be remembered from the States, but their "Bloody Kisses - 1993" is a memorable and classic LP to get into.

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 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 northern 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 keyboards.

 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.

Pyogenesis will be remembered with "Ignis Creatio - 1992 EP","Underneath - 1992 EP" ; "Waves of Erotasia - 1994 EP" and "Sweet X-Rated Nothings - 1994 LP"...sadly the next records moved their music towards alternative-pop music leaving the goth-metal legions in confusion.

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. 

At the lyrical section, the band chose to focus around gory dark humor, which can be easily guessed by the way their song titles are named, unlike the contemporaries within this genre.

Lacrimosa the Swiss duo led by Tilo Wolff and Anne Nurmi mixes Gothic Rock with Heavy Metal accompanied by classical instruments and electronica. Originally,on their first album it was more on the Dark Wave style,but as the music evolved metal and classical elements were added gradually to the concept. Their third "Inferno - 1995" album gained international success despite the German language mostly used in their lyrics.

On the next albums Lacrimosa added more and more classical instrumentation in partnership with London a Symphony Orchestra,the Rosenberg Ensemble and the Hamburg State Opera, moving their style to Symphonic Gothic Metal collage.

In the mid '90s from the dark side of Portugal came Moonspell with a quite Black Metal-ish debut "Wolfheart - 1995" that includes, also substantial Gothic vibes and seriously fantastic songwriting, this album is an instant success! The second incarnation as beeing "Irreligious - 1996" totally they totally jumped in the goth-metal wagon delivering a strong ,powerful and representative product.

In years to come metal community was somehow disappointed by their appetite for experimentation, but their last LP's demonstrates that Moonspell is an undeniable force, able to reinvent themselves and to rise again from the ashes, bringing great albums and keeping Gothic Metal fans around their scene.

The second portugese Gothic Metal act, in terms of popularity should be the band Heavenwood.

Their music "goes" more into the Cemetary, Lake of Tears 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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