September 16th, 2020
Gothic Metal
When the Fang of the Bat Bites the Horn of the Goat
Preface
Throughout my time while enjoying several channels on GothTube, I couldn’t help but notice the subject of gothic metal being constantly brought up and discussed between viewers and content creators. People have asked about its sound, whether or not it belongs in the goth subculture or the metal one, which bands classify as gothic metal, whether it has been a gateway for baby bats into goth, its origins, and all things of that sort. After participating in some of those discussions which resulted in me correcting several misconceptions and people’s misinformation, I, Adem Can Vaner, have proudly decided to write this article for Obscura Undead to answer those questions and debates once and for all by providing a deeper understanding of gothic metal, particularly for goths and metalheads, by pointing out the goth elements in the subgenre, where it belongs, as well as the mislabelling of bands which happens far more often than not. I hope that by clearing the misconceptions and by providing a better understanding, more people will be able to appreciate and have a deeper understanding of gothic metal.
From the get-go, it’s important to consider the adage: Punks listen to punk, metalheads listen to metal, and goths listen to goth. And, the music is not going anywhere. I learnt by watching GothTube that there are people who debate that listening to gothic metal makes a person goth; I am not a believer in this misconception. That’s partially because gothic metal is rooted in doom metal, and also because it wasn’t around during the time of any sort of positive punk movement such as The Batcave, post-punk and cold wave, or deathrock. Gothic metal came way after, and it is a metal subgenre that happens to extrapolate from goth either by mixing in some of its elements or mimicking them. Goth, as in the genre, is consisted of gothic rock, dark wave (including neo-classical dark wave), ethereal wave, deathrock, post-punk, and cold wave. If a person doesn’t listen to any of that, especially if they demonstrate a total lack of interest, they are not goth and nor are they part of the subculture. Even when looking at the term gothic metal linguistically, the second word is metal, a noun that’s being described by a preceding word, just like the case with the other metal subgenres. If gothic metal did originate as a goth subgenre that merely took influence from metal, we more likely would have called it something like metal wave, and the pioneering bands wouldn’t have such obvious roots in metal. Therefore, this debate is closed.
However, some people, particularly goths, do have another misconception that gothic metal has absolutely no connection to the goth genre, whatsoever. This is not true, either. Many gothic metal bands have released several albums that, sound-wise, are worthy of being considered goth-adjacent. I think this misconception is minor, and it deserves some entertaining unlike the frivolous, goth-but-without-the-music notion.
It’s important to also note that this is not the gothic metal testament. As much as I value veracity and accurate information, readers ought to understand that I am merely a fan of this style of music. These are my interpretations on the topic as a listener, and I do encourage constructive discussions that will help people better understand the realm of gothic metal. Because I don’t play any instruments, unfortunately, my interpretations are based on the sounds that I hear, and therefore I won’t be mentioning guitar tuning, riffs, and notes. (I would appreciate for someone to provide that knowledge.)
Who I am, and My Observations in the Underground
Two things make me the right candidate for this article. One of them is my years of love, passion, and deep understanding of gothic metal. The second one is my unique personality of living the hybrid life as both a goth and a metalhead in one person and in accordance with the adage. Both genres bleed out of me; I listen to them frequently and I love them the same. I collect CDs and vinyl records by bands from both genres, I go to metal and goth concerts, I support several content creators on GothTube and on MetalTube, and I am familiar to some of them. In fact, I have written for Obscura Undead in the past, and I have been on their live-stream.
My love of the two genres and my years of involvement in their underground subcultures has taught me so much about music to the point where I have been correcting one demographic about the other on a regular basis after observing the two for so long. For example, I’ve noticed that when someone mentions metal amongst goths, many of them think that an average metalhead is a big fan of KoRn and Slipknot, basically someone who just likes music that is loud and angry. And, visually, they imagine someone with makeup, similar to a mallcore kid. I’ve had to correct several goths that those two bands play nu metal which is under the alternative category, and not the metal genre. Therefore, that has always led me to explain that an average metalhead doesn’t look like that, and that most of metal doesn’t sound that way. And, most goths get metal subgenres mixed up (not that I don’t battle this with some metalheads).
The metalheads’ misconception about goth is no different from that of the normies, and I also find that the individual’s gender has an impact on their misconception. The males typically seem to think that a goth girl is one of the girls seen at Nightwish and Marilyn Manson concerts who wears black makeup, fishnets, and enjoys listening to bands such as Cradle of Filth, Within Temptation, and Evanescence.
As for the females, many of them, also, seem to have a similar notion that goth is an aesthetic based on makeup and boots; meaning, they think that listening to underground metal (or some alternative rock) while dressed that way makes them a goth girl or a goth princess—I’ve blocked several of them on Instagram. And I find this vacuous, goth princess fantasy utterly ridiculous because it’s a façade that is a result of the heteronormativity that the metal subculture suffers. In fact, when one looks carefully at those girls’ pictures, it is very obvious that, firstly, there is no gender-bending in their style, and thus they look like a typical long-haired metalhead, only with makeup, which, secondly, separates them from their male counterparts. Having the females experiment with this sort of fashion and not the males is extremely un-goth—compare them to deathrockers and trad-goths, and then you’ll see my point.
I also noticed that they usually have the same body type, they’re mostly white women, and all of them are heterosexual. Clearly, their style and mindset do not resemble that of a deathrocker, trad-goth, ethereal-inspired goth, or even a nu goth. And that is unsurprising because how can one foolishly think that these girls have any goth influence reflected in their style when no form of goth or even punk music is influential on them in the first place? I’ve burst several mealheads’ bubbles over the years by explaining that goth is actually a genre and not a fashion-style that’s meant for girls to live out their darkly-inclined fantasies. I don’t know why this leaves many people dumbfounded, but that usually leaves me amused. Lastly, the correct slang term for those “metal goth” girls is trophy chick, and the origin of the trophy chicks’ role is rooted in rock ‘n’ roll groupies culture of the 1980s, NOT anywhere in the goth subculture.
Another thing that causes me to laugh about some people within the two demographics is the fear that some of them seem to possess. Amongst goths, it’s seeing those who cringe after hearing the words gothic metal placed next to each other, and causing them to run away from entertaining the notion of the two genres blending. As for metalheads, the males, I find it very amusing when many of them refuse to delve into the world of gothic metal, or even symphonic metal. It’s as if the siren-ian voices of female singers, the atmosphere of keyboards, the melancholy of the emotional lyrics, and the lack of speed in those songs threaten one’s (toxic) masculinity—if not puts his entire manhood in question…
Although, I admit that I do quite understand this fear that causes people to run the other way. An average goth is always going to go back to the tunes of The Batcave. The punky guitars of deathrock, the scything in gothic rock, the dwelling lyrics in post-punk songs, or the electronics of dark wave, a goth will always go back to the music that makes them goth.
(Goth and goth-adjacent bands represented: Virgin in Veil, The Wake, The Frozen Autumn, Switchblade Symphony, Two Witches, Suspiria, Rosegarden Funeral Party, The Cure, The Sisters of Mercy, Fields of the Nephilim, Faith & Disease, London After Midnight, She Past Away, Xmal Deutschland , The Mission, Specimen, Merciful Nuns, Sopor Aeternus & the Ensemble of Shadows, Dead Can Dance, Rosetta Stone, Alien Sex Fiend, Christian Death, Faith and the Muse, Corpus Delicti, Pink Turns Blue, Bauhaus, Nosferatu, Clan of Xymox, Die Form, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Sonsombre, Lycia, The Crüxshadows, Twin Tribes, Cinema Strange, and Angels of Liberty.)
And, so is the case for a metalhead. The cold riffs of Scandinavian black metal, the dragons and crusades of power metal tales, the bikes on stage of scolding, heavy metal bands, the growl known as the cookie monster in death metal, and even the polyrhythms commonly played in progressive metal. A metalhead will always go back to the music that makes them a metalhead. Therefore, I’m certain that this is one of the reasons why gothic metal is not popular amongst the two demographics. It doesn’t contain the core feel of neither genres to satisfy an average goth nor metalhead.
However, as much as some goths and metalheads dislike gothic metal, I think that both demographics should have some basic understanding of it, and know how to converse about the subgenre rather than refute it like divorced parents hoping that the other one will claim it. After all, it’s clearly relevant to both subcultures in some shape or form.
Particularly with goths, I also understand that many like to refute the notion of the two genres intertwining due to stereotypes, people bastardising the subculture by associating it with the wrong music, the misuse of the term goth, and so on. However, as much as I agree with this sentiment, my philosophy is you can’t fight misinformation with more misinformation. Indeed, gothic metal has a slightly different sound, it doesn’t belong in the goth genre, and it didn’t shape the subculture. But, to say that goth elements aren’t present at all is extremely biased. After all, the underground is connected in some shape or form. When metal crosses with some aspects of punk (and grunge, to some extent), that becomes sludge metal. When punk crosses with goth, that’s deathrock. And when goth crosses with metal, well… that’s gothic metal. However, one has to know where within the subgenre to look for the goth elements.
Thankfully, I don’t have this unnecessary fear of gothic metal, issues with its existence, or lack of interest in its sound. Being a two-in-one, and not the average goth nor metalhead in either crowds, I choose to embrace it. I see it as complex, beautiful, and diverse. Its boundaries are so vague and intricate, yet it has so much to offer. I also see it as a marriage between my two favourite genres where the masculine, heavy, and aggressive aspects of one romantically embraces the otherworldly, feminine, angelic, and gentle aspects of the other. This sort of takes me back to the lyric from the dark wave band, She Past Away, “Yarı melek, yarı canavar” (half angel, half beast). I find that gothic metal combines the dark beauty of goth with the aggressive angst of metal into one cacophony.
Misunderstandings and Misinterpretations
To say that gothic metal is misunderstood is a major understatement. There are constant misunderstandings of the terms goth and gothic, which is rather blinding, to say the least. In the mainstream, for example, goth music is misinterpreted to be bands such as Evanescence and Marilyn Manson, and gothic people are misinterpreted as people who dress in black and listen to such bands. Meanwhile, in metal, bands that are basically melodic, romantic, atmospheric, emotional, and often have the presence of a female vocalist which gives their sound a feminine feel, frequently get mislabelled gothic metal. Such examples include the symphonic metal acts, Epica, Within Temptation, Therion, and Nightwish. The irony of how the word goth gets misused all the time and everywhere always makes me wonder about the mystery behind the word’s etymology.
As much as I find this ironic, I believe that part of this misinterpretation is related directly to the vocals. Looking at the different subgenres of metal, most of them are traditionally sung by men. For example, the different styles of screaming in death metal, black metal, and thrash metal (including groove metal). All the pioneering bands have had lineups that were consisted of only men. Similar is the case with the pioneering, traditional heavy metal and speed/power metal bands. The new wave of British heavy metal had its spotlight on mainly bands such as Judas Priest, Motorhead, and Iron Maiden. The moaning type of singing often heard in stoner/doom metal and sludge metal by bands such as Black Sabbath, Electric Wizard, and Mastodon was, also, introduced into the genre by male singers. However, the clean female-voice was brought into the spotlight through symphonic metal bands that were either fronted by women, such as Imperia, Nightwish, and Epica, as well as bands that featured secondary female vocals such as Cradle of Filth and Therion. That is not to say that the other styles have never had popular and respected bands with female vocalists. It’s that such bands are a minority in the spotlight, whereas the majority of symphonic metal bands who are, so happen to have female vocalists.
One of the reasons I reckon the female voice is interpreted as a gothic element within the metal genre is due to the way it entered it through gothic doom metal, a style further discussed in more details below. Some of the female vocalists who played a pivotal role in the development of gothic metal went on to front symphonic metal bands, such as the case with Leaves’ Eyes. Or, their bands changed their sound to symphonic metal, such as Within Temptation and Sirenia. Therefore, due to the key presence of female vocals in many aspects of gothic metal, and considering the gothic metal roots of some of those well-known symphonic metal bands, it seems that any time a female’s clean voice is remotely present in metal, it’s immediately interpreted as gothic. (Before someone asks, I am aware that Celtic Frost did similar experiments of featuring female voices in their songs, but I doubt that that ever had an impact on the misinterpretation of female voices as gothic in metal.)
As much as I disagree with this, I find it especially interesting because, contrary to metal, female vocalists have always been relevant to the bigger and smaller names in every subgenre of goth, and since the beginning. Looking back to bands such as Mephisto Walz, Requiem in White, The Frozen Autumn, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Lebanon Hanover, Diva Destruction, 45 Grave, Sopor Aeternus & the Ensemble of Shadows, Die Laughing, Dead Can Dance, Faith and the Muse, Xmal Deutschland, and Switchblade Symphony, it’s clear that female vocalists have never been limited to one aspect of goth the way they are in metal. In fact, male-fronted gothic rock bands such as The Sisters of Mercy, The Mission, Nosferatu, and Canis Lupus have utilised female backing-vocals in some of their songs throughout the decades. Even though some goths commonly associate clean female vocals with ethereal wave and neo-classical dark wave, history proves that they have existed and played essential roles in every aspect of the genre. The numerous female singers in goth could very well be another possibility as to why metal bands with female clean-vocalists get misinterpreted as turning the music gothic.
Evidence of this possibility is present on compilations from throughout the years that have featured goth bands and symphonic/melodic metal bands on the same disc, as well as from compilations that have featured metal bands of various styles while painted with the gothic metal brush. As shown below in two of the examples, Orkus 1 (1997) features songs from goth bands such as Faith and the Muse, London After Midnight, and Christian Death as well as songs from metal bands such as Dimmu Borgir, Theatre of Tragedy, and Therion. Angels’ Delight 2 (2000) does the same by featuring bands such as Eva O, Switchblade Symphony, Lacuna Coil, and Nightwish together. I’m certain that this can mislead listeners into thinking that all of the metal bands featured must be gothic in some way.
The four-CD compilation, Gothic Metal Box (2019), features an array of metal (and possibly alternative) bands including Imperia, Paradise Lost, Epica, Virgin Black, Type O Negative, Samael, Lacuna Coil, The 69 Eyes, and Amorphis all under the title, Gothic Metal. I find this to be especially wrong and misleading because it treats the term gothic metal more as a description than a subgenre. This, in a sense, implies that gothic metal is a genre of its own with several styles under its umbrella. Or, that a little bit of melody and/or female vocals automatically make a band gothic metal. Terms like atmospheric, melodic, or even modern metal would be far more suitable for such compilations.
Another subject that is brought up frequently is lyrical content. Meaning, the argument that a band’s lyrics should emphasise as to under which genre/subgenre the band belongs. People have argued that the lyrical content of many of those bands who’ve been pigeonholed into the gothic metal category does, indeed, make those bands goth or gothic. This can be confusing depending on which side of the spectrum the person is coming from. An average goth would know very well that if the band doesn’t sound goth, they’re not goth. Looking at it from the metal angle, though, this can be divisive.
Poetic, romantic, or literature-based lyrics are certainly not the kind of lyrics that one often finds outside the categories of gothic metal, doom metal, progressive metal, and symphonic metal. And, it’s true that different metal subgenres deal with different concepts. For example, the topic of war in thrash metal. Even though this topic has been sung about in power metal, Viking metal, black metal, and even melodic death metal if one counts Amon Amarth, the topic of war does tend to be quite synonymous with thrash metal the same way hallucinations are synonymous with stoner/doom metal, and the same way that forests and misanthropy are synonymous with black metal. Of course, this is more likely due to the pioneers of each subgenre who paved the way for many other bands to sing about those subjects while playing their corresponding tunes.
Now, as much as I understand and recognise the relevance of lyrics to a subgenre, I also know that they’re not its essential aspect—at least not in goth nor metal. In fact, goth is a perfect example due to having far fewer subgenres. When one reads lyrics from Lebanon Hanover, Pink Turns Blue, London After Midnight, Nosferatu, Christian Death, and Faith & Disease, all of them have lyrical themes in common. Whether they sing about love, gothic literature, vampires, or suffering in solitude, what makes them each a band from every subgenre is, simply, their sound. Same thing goes for metal. Deicide, Belphegor, and Dark Funeral all sing about Satan. But, what makes one band death metal, one black metal, and the other a fusion of the two is, simply, their sound. Thus I dispel the argument that lyrical content makes a band goth or gothic metal; it doesn’t.
The Beginning
Amongst both demographics, I have noticed that when one mentions gothic metal, Type O Negative is usually the first band to be mentioned in response. If one were to ask me of a band that ties goths and metalheads in their fan-base, my response would undoubtedly be: Type O Negative. Many goths and metalheads are bonded with this band in some shape or form. Indeed, they have composed gothic metal music depending on the album or even particular songs. Despite their popular reputation, I don’t place them at the peak of the gothic metal pyramid for various reasons.
One is partially due the lack of consistency in their sound, but also due to them not being particularly efficient with producing gothic metal until Bloody Kisses, their third (arguably second) album. And, that album wasn’t released until 1993. That is why I believe that that spot belongs to Paradise Lost. They are the actual pioneers of the subgenre, as well as one out of the three pioneers of doom death metal. Their second album, Gothic, was released in 1991, and a few months before Type O Negative released their experimental debut album, Slow, Deep and Hard, which is very much a crossover-thrash metal album that heavily explored the realms of doom metal, industrial metal, and possibly sludge metal rather than any style of goth.
On the other hand, even though Gothic is very much a doom death metal album, Paradise Lost incorporated some goth elements that distinguish the album’s sound from its predecessor, Lost Paradise (1990). Goth elements, meaning, the presence of some gothic rock riffs, only heavier, that are similar to those played by Fields of the Nephilim, and a little bit of clean female vocals that are reminiscent of the ethereal wave bands, Cocteau Twins and Dead Can Dance—clean, but dreamy instead of operatic. The female vocals are performed during the presence of keyboards which blend in with the atmosphere that creates the ghostly mood. Due to the mixing of those goth elements with the doom death metal elements that carried on from their debut album, many fans (including myself) argue that gothic metal is derived from doom death metal; it started here, on this album, back in 1991, two years before Type O Negative decided to go in a similar direction.
Also, Paradise Lost fans typically know that Dead Can Dance is one of the band’s influences, hence their cover of “Xavier” in the early 2000s (they have also covered “Walk Away” by The Sisters of Mercy a few years after the release of Gothic). One observation I like to point out is the album cover’s minor similarity to that of Elizium (1990) by Fields of the Nephilim, a band that became influential on some gothic metal acts.
The Sounds
Generally, the ‘90s was a very interesting decade for metal as so many bands formed and developed new sounds which allowed for more subgenres to branch out (contrary to mainstream thinking that it was completely annihilated by grunge). Some of those subgenres continued branching into sub-subgenres; for example, death metal. Aside from its traditional sound, technical death metal emerged, and as did melodic death metal. Some subgenres fused with other subgenres to create more enjoyable and modern sounds, just like the fusion between doom metal and death metal on Paradise Lost’s, My Dying Bride’s, and Anathema’s debut albums. In fact, because all three of those albums were released on Peaceville Records, the three pioneers of the style became known as the Peaceville Three. Funeral doom metal is another example of a style that, also, derived from doom death metal during that decade. Gothic metal was just as subject to those sound-experiments throughout the rest of the ‘90s and much of the 2000s. Consequently, this left a diverse ray of fresh and exciting sounds for young people to learn about and enjoy. After years of delving deep into metal’s subgenres, I noticed that gothic metal seems to divide into four different styles. Three of them I count as being under the gothic metal umbrella, and only one of those three sounds closest to goth. The fourth sound shouldn’t be labelled gothic metal.
Gothic Doom Metal
Similar to how I interpret Paradise Lost’s album, Gothic (1991), as being gothic doom death metal because of its fusion of sounds that originate from the two genres, I interpret Type O Negative’s two albums, Bloody Kisses (1993) and October Rust (1996), as gothic doom metal. Meaning, they blend a style of doom metal with a style of goth. In this case, Type O Negative mix traditional/stoner doom metal elements with elements of gothic rock and ethereal wave. The guitars play some traditional, doom-metal droning, but there is also a lot of atmosphere involved with the slower tempos. Peter Steele’s deep and romantic style of singing completes this fusion that, to my ears, pass those two albums as very unique examples of gothic doom metal.
Although, this experiment goes much further. One style of singing that is very relevant to this fusion is known as beauty and the beast. It consists of a male who sings in the death metal growls to heavier guitars, and a female who sings with her clean vocals. The band who pioneered this style of gothic doom metal in the mid-‘90s was Theatre of Tragedy, from Norway. Throughout the latter half of the ‘90s and into the 2000s, several bands replicated their sound and their beauty and the beast style of singing, which is also used in other subgenres of metal.
I find this particular style of gothic doom metal to be very interesting because it feels like an amplified and more extreme version of ethereal wave and neo-classical dark wave, especially due to the lack of droning that one is used to hearing in traditional/stoner doom metal and doom death metal. Instead, from the metal side, the drums and heavy guitars provide the essential doom death metal (and sometimes funeral doom metal) elements, as well as the aforementioned male vocals—the beast. Together, they put more emphasis on fright and sometimes harmony which breed with goth elements such as keyboards and/or synths that create a ghostly atmosphere, the dreamy, clean female vocals which interchange with the dominant male ones, the occasional whispers that create chills as if being haunted by a muse, and sometimes a violin. Those elements very much mimic Dead Can Dance, Faith and the Muse, and (to some extent) Lycia, but are overshadowed by the beastly and grand metal elements, so one really has to understand both genres to be able to locate their presence and interpret.
Even though I am certain that the male growls are a metal element, I should also mention that some gothic rock bands such as Fields of the Nephilim, Nosferatu, and Merciful Nuns have had their frontmen experiment with this style of singing a little bit. Meaning, this singing style does exist in goth, but to a very small extent.
I find the beauty and the beast version of gothic doom metal to be the most elegant form of music that my ears have ever heard. The four albums that I love very much and would recommend as perfect examples of this style are: Velvet Darkness They Fear (1996) by Theatre of Tragedy, Enter (1997) by Within Temptation (long before they became symphonic metal), Lake of Sorrow (1998) by The Sins of Thy Beloved, and Where Lovers Mourn (2000) by Draconian.
Gothic Metal
Now, this is the aspect of the subgenre that I feel truly unites goth and metal into one sound combination. When I describe a band as gothic metal instead of, for example, gothic doom metal, I literally mean that they are a metal band with very obvious goth elements, usually dark wave or gothic rock. This is quite similar to when obvious goth elements are added to psychobilly which then creates gothabilly. The metal elements are typically the heavier and electric-y guitars, a drummer, sometimes the fast tempos, and the harsh vocals which are mixed with goth baritone-vocals that are typically used in gothic rock—think back to the singers from The Wake, The Sisters of Mercy, and Suspiria—along with gothic rock guitars and/or dark wave electronics. Dreamy, female vocals may, also, be present, either backing the male’s or leading without one.
Even though some of those bands are very experimental with their tunes to the point where they have played other styles of metal throughout their careers, it’s not to say that a fraction of their discographies aren’t a perfect example of gothic metal. Two of those well-known bands are Moonspell, from Portugal, and Tiamat, from Sweden. Irreligious (1996) is an album from Moonspell that focuses a lot on the gothic rock elements, but slightly heavier, whereas A Deeper Kind of Slumber (1997) by Tiamat focuses more on the dark wave and ethereal wave elements through its atmosphere and the dreamy vocals. Of course, there are other albums as examples from both bands’ discographies.
Two well-known gothic metal singles from both bands are Moonspell’s “Opium” and Tiamat’s “Brighter Than the Sun”. They perfectly perform the balance of gothic rock vocals and slightly heavier but melodic guitars. It’s needless to mention that this particular aspect of gothic metal will not sound exactly the same as gothic rock as they are two separate subgenres from two different genres, after all (again, think back to the gothabilly example). Even though it needs to have metal elements in order for it to fall under the metal genre, one would have to be extremely biased to argue that there are no goth elements present. I think it’s important to also mention that some goth bands have stepped into this part of gothic metal territory by amplifying their guitars and adding raspy vocals. The album, Thelema VIII (2016), by Merciful Nuns is one example, but not the only one of everything they’ve released. Another one is Enslaved + Condemned (2000) by Love Like Blood; this album has more than enough elements to pass for a gothic metal album. Another example like that is Divergence (2019), by Ground Nero. Its heavier elements do give the album a slight gothic metal and industrial metal feel. Lastly, a probably better-observed example, similar elements have been noted about Lacrimosa’s music for the past, over twenty years.
A very special and respectable gothic metal album is Aégis (1998), Theatre of Tragedy’s third LP. I find it to be one of the essential albums in gothic metal. From the metal end, it has dominant drums, slightly heavier guitars, and the occasional use of the beauty and the beast style of singing, and from the goth end, it has the atmospheric vocals, scything, and melodic electronics which explore the realms of ethereal wave, dark wave, and gothic rock. When I think of a perfect gothic metal album, my mind immediately goes to Aégis. An album similar to it is Mortal Love’s Forever Will Be Gone (2006). Although I wouldn’t describe this album as being epic nor as great as an example, ethereal wave elements are present along with the metal guitars and some male vocals.
Going further into the subgenre’s electronic side, Diabolique’s last two albums have experimented with some dark wave and electronic elements. They started off as a doom metal band, but went further into gothic metal on The Black Flower (1999) and The Green Goddess (2001). I find their songs similar to that of Moonspell from that time but much more electronic. Two other small, European bands from the 2000s who experimented with the electronic side of gothic metal are UnSun and Catafalque. The latter experimented with this style on their final album, Dialectique (2007), but maintained the beauty and the beast style of singing. UnSun, on the other hand, never used as much male vocals, and had electronic elements define their sound right from their debut album, The End of Life (2008).
I interpret these electronic, gothic metal albums as being reminiscent of dark wave only heavier, for two reasons. One is that dark wave is typically electronic, and the second one is that those gothic metal bands sound so different from each other even though they are playing very much the same style of music. Such is the case with dark wave (think back to London After Midnight, Suspiria, Clan of Xymox, Switchblade Symphony, etc.). Also, the album, Nine Destinies and a Downfall (2007), by Sirenia sounds very much like this, but a little symphonic.
Blackened Gothic Metal
Even though I think that gothic doom metal is the most elegant form of music I’ve ever heard, and that gothic metal has the most gothic rock and dark wave elements than any aspect of metal, here is where the story gets the most interesting.
Back in the ‘90s and 2000s, bands were experimenting with another particular mix of styles. Some people refer to this experiment as gothic black metal. The aim was to combine the gothic metal elements of Moonspell, the atmospheric and feminine elements of Theatre of Tragedy, and the symphonic, third-wave black metal elements of Dimmu Borgir, including the black metal (with sometimes death metal) way of screaming. I was a little torn on what to call this experiment due to the various elements. I prefer blackened gothic metal due to its obvious symphonic black metal elements, however, one can also call it extreme gothic metal for the exact same reason. That is because when a metal band adds black metal, death metal, or thrash metal elements to their music, it makes their style extreme. For example, the Finnish band, Finntroll. Sometime they are described as blackened folk metal or extreme folk metal for blackening their sound. Same is the case with Opeth. They’re a progressive metal band, but due to their death metal growls, they are often described as either extreme progressive metal or progressive death metal (I agree more with the former). The extreme elements are typically more noticeable because they usually overshadow the other style.
The other possible way to describe this experiment is symphonic gothic metal, but I refuse to call it that because the symphonic elements already go hand-in-hand with the third-wave black metal elements since they are naturally melodic (and orchestral at times). In fact, that’s exactly what separates the third wave of black metal from the first and second ones: The use of melody, symphonic keyboards, synths, clean vocals, and sometimes choirs.
So, if the experiment of sound fusions and the blackening of subgenres can happen to any aspect of metal, why would gothic metal be an exception? In fact, it isn’t. Due to the subgenre originally being a fusion between doom metal and goth, I think that it is far from a surprise that bands continued to experiment with its sound by adding other extreme and orchestral elements, especially during a time when black metal was continuing to further develop. However, I wouldn’t say that all of those bands who participated in this experiment successfully achieved the sound that some people describe as gothic black metal. In fact, I think that this wave of bands split the experiment into two. One group I describe as blackened gothic metal, and the other one I describe as blackened symphonic metal. Due to the amount of bands experimenting with the blend of styles which were so new to people, and the constant mislabelling of music which wasn’t less common in the 2000s than it is today, my guess is that all of them seemed too new and similar to distinguish at the time.
Some examples of such bands that got labelled gothic, and still do, are Cradle of Filth, Graveworm, and Theatres des Vampires. The reason I classify them as blackened symphonic metal (depending on the album, of course) and not gothic is that their sound emerged from the third wave of black metal just like with Dimmu Borgir, Rotting Christ, Catamenia, Anorexia Nervosa, Old Man’s Child, Satyricon, Siebenbürgen, and many others. The two groups of bands have similar sounds due to their style’s second-wave black metal roots, except that the former one added more symphonic elements to their later albums which diverged them from black metal, and caused their sound to further evolve and contrast from that of the latter group. Despite them becoming more melodic, their sound is still too blackened to allow them past the door into the category of symphonic metal. Instead, they’re left outside by the doorstep bridging the gap between the two worlds. In fact, that’s exactly how I explain the sound of Cradle of Filth and other blackened symphonic metal bands; I describe them as taking a band like Epica or Leaves’ Eyes, and then mixing a lot of third-wave black metal elements into their music.
As for the second group of this experiment, bands such as Tristania and those who came after them, the story is quite different. And, because their sound is, also, different from that of Cradle of Filth and Theatres des Vampires, I classify them as blackened gothic metal. To goths, their sound is probably still too extreme to be reminiscent of any goth subgenre. I agree with this, but I do hear elements that mimic gothic rock, ethereal wave, and dark wave, only a very miniscule bit, though. To a metalhead, on the other hand, Tristania and black metal would not be said in the same sentence. And, I agree with this sentiment as well for a few reasons.
The first one is that the only element that is obviously rooted in black metal is the male’s style of singing, and even that isn’t always present because the male also sings in other ways. As for the music itself, it’s not black metal—there is a noticeable discrepancy between the sounds of ‘90s-Tristania and Dimmu Borgir.
Secondly, unlike the bands that I describe as blackened symphonic metal, Tristania and their successors did not form as part of any black metal wave, which means that this sound isn’t even derived from black metal! Compare Tristania’s debut album to Cradle of Filth’s, and you will hear the obvious difference. The very unique sound of blackened gothic metal has a balanced blend of male extreme-metal vocals, male gothic-rock-style vocals, minimal use of symphonic keyboards, electronics that somewhat mimic dark wave, experimental guitars, and dreamy female-vocals that mimic ethereal wave. But, a very little bit of each of those things. And, as much as it’s impossible to blend this style with any subgenre of goth, it is also difficult to blend it with symphonic metal (Within Temptation or Epica), or any wave of black metal (Venom, Mayhem, or Dimmu Borgir). It’s certainly gothic metal that happens to incorporate other elements that make it sound unique and extreme.
Tristania’s founding member, Morten Veland, is an important pioneer of this aspect of gothic metal. In the early 2000s, he left Tristania and formed Sirenia, where he continued to play the same style for the first half of the decade. He is significant also because other bands started playing his style which became recognisable. Unfortunately, though, it doesn’t seem to be a style that’s easy to find any more.
Another thing that’s important to discuss is his musical influence. Interestingly, Morten Veland does not take influence from any black metal band despite the extreme elements he composes. When he formed Tristania way back in the ‘90s, his influences were rock and metal bands such as Alice Cooper, Metallica, Iron Maiden, and Guns N’ Roses, as well as goth bands such as Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Fields of the Nephilim, Nosferatu, The Mission, and The Sisters of Mercy. This has been mentioned by him in prior interviews. (Food for thought: Sometimes I wonder if goth classics like “Crysania” by Nosferatu and “Amelia” by The Mission have had any influence on his choice of band names—Tristania, Sirenia, and Mortemia.) There are four albums from four different bands that I highly recommend for listeners who want to fully experience what I describe as blackened gothic metal. Those classics are: Beyond the Veil (1999) by Tristania, Perpetual Desolation (2000) by The Sins of Thy Beloved, At Sixes and Sevens (2002) by Sirenia, and A New Dimension of Might (2002) by Trail of Tears. I wish to see a resurgence of this sound in the future.
The Fourth Sound
This final aspect of gothic metal I don’t consider to be part of the subgenre, and that’s mainly due to the sound, but also because very few goth bands, if any, have been of influence. I describe it as a blend of alternative metal/rock guitars combined with atmosphere and pop-rock female vocals (think Godsmack meets Evanescence). Depending on the band or album, it can lean closer to one more than the other, and some bands may have male vocalists. To me, it’s a bit unclear as to where this sound really started, and I keep thinking that there is a link to symphonic metal, but a bigger one to somewhere outside the metal genre. Delain play this sound even though they are currently described as melodic/symphonic metal on Metal Archives.
When I was growing up in the 2000s, one really well-known band to play this style was Lacuna Coil. And, they are still active, only that their sound has become heavier during the 2010s, especially when compared to their debut, In a Reverie (1999). That being said, it’s clear that Lacuna Coil are one of the pioneers of this sound. In a Loudwire interview during the 2010s, both vocalists have claimed the following gothic metal bands as some of their influencers: Tiamat, Type O Negative, and Paradise Lost. Though I don’t doubt that those bands have been a source of inspiration, I don’t quite hear their influence in any of Lacuna Coil’s songs. Also, there is nothing in them that remind me of goth or gothic metal.
Other bands who play this style and are labelled gothic metal are: Memoira, Ravenscry, Poisonblack, Elysion, HIM, the newer stuff from Theatres des Vampires, and some albums from Katatonia. (Although, I also hear progressive metal elements on the Katatonia ones.) I don’t think that gothic metal is a suitable description for any of those bands and bands alike because they lack all elements of gothic metal except for probably the atmosphere. Even the clean female vocals are very rock-driven rather than ethereal and dreamy—same with the bands who have male vocalists. My mind keeps thinking atmospheric alternative rock might be a suitable way to describe this sound, but I am really unsure.
During an interview in 2008, Poisonblack’s frontman, Ville Laihialla, stated that he never described Poinsonblack’s music as gothic. He also stated that he doesn’t know who decided to sell them as a gothic band. In fact, he described Poisonblack as a rock band with metal influences (which sounds right to me). Reading this from their band member goes to show how marketers will use words as marketing tactics to boost sales even if they don’t know what those bloody words mean.
I also noticed that Evanescence has been insinuated into this aspect of metal during the 2010s. I am sure that their tours with some of those bands, the way they are advertised, and their presence at metal festivals are probably reasons as to why. But, I have no idea how this band got mislabelled goth… I am old enough to remember when their debut came out, and during then in the 2000s, their fan-base was a mixture of emos and normies. Although their music is a gateway for people into discovering the underground, Evanescence is neither a goth nor metal band; they don’t have the sound.
Gothic Metal Today
I’ve always seen gothic metal as a very fragile and somewhat dubious subgenre. Thinking back to all of the pioneers (and the fact that many of them disbanded), I can’t stay on top of their constant sound-changing that caused them to diverge away from it. Theatre of Tragedy played industrial metal before disbanding, Paradise Lost experimented with sounds possibly outside the metal realm, as did Type O Negative, Sirenia went completely symphonic metal since the late 2000s, Moonspell became significantly heavier as the years went by, and the list of examples can go on. I believe that this sabotaged gothic metal, even though I love and appreciate the newer albums of those bands. However, I wouldn’t say that that is the cause of the subgenre’s downfall. Second-wave black metal pioneers such as DarkThrone, Emperor, and Enslaved shifted drastically from the sound of their debut albums, but many bands in that subgenre still play that sound efficiently. Whereas with the various styles of gothic metal, on the other hand, it seems to be the opposite. They don’t seem to be popular choices amongst metalheads, which I am guessing is part of the reason why some bands like Moonspell and Sirenia felt the need to cater to a wider audience by making their music either heavier or more symphonic.
Lack of popularity, pioneers disbanding, and the shifting of sounds, however, didn’t drive the subgenre into extinction. Draconian are still playing their beauty and the beast style of gothic doom metal that is appreciated by their fans. Tiamat is, also, alive and well, and as much as they can be experimental, they still play gothic metal.
One French band that got a lot of recognition during the 2010s, and has released fabulous albums, is Angellore. I describe them as Draconian, meets Moonspell, and meets older Katatonia. Depending on the song, their style is mostly gothic doom metal, but they have dipped their toes in gothic metal. I especially like how they named their band after the Tristania song from their debut album, Widow’s Weeds (1998), a (blackened) gothic metal classic.
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Another band that piqued my interest is America’s heavy metal and gothic metal combo, Idle Hands. Fans have described their debut album, Mana (2019), as: The Sisters of Mercy meets Ozzy Osbourne. I agree with this description. And, I also find that I can hear a fusion from the early, post-punk days of The Cure and the Paul Di’Anno era of Iron Maiden. Their guitars are a mix of traditional heavy metal and gothic rock scything, and the vocals are certainly a bit punky at times. I can also hear some guitar elements that are similar to those on Love (1985) by The Cult. It will be interesting to see toward which style their ankh will guide them in the future.
My Stance
I think it’s safe to say that gothic metal, with all its aspects, is a result of its time from when bands experimented with crossing genres and subgenres probably more than they do nowadays. The ‘90s and the 2000s were crucial decades for the development of doom metal and symphonic black metal, both of which have sometimes been handled by metal musicians who were touched by some goth music and left subtle clues of it in their songs.
Even now, when I reflect upon the sound of Idle Hands, it, too, reflects its time very well. Both the metal and goth genres have experienced a retro-wave of bands who brought back the ‘80s sounds of their pioneers, which is exactly what most of the 2010s was about: resurgence. And, Idle Hands are participating by bringing back more than just one classic sound. Even Paradise Lost’s 2020 release is looking back to the sound of their second album… Lastly, I think that for the rest of time, gothic metal will remain an experimental subgenre that will rely on the status quo of both goth and metal.
My message to baby bats would be that music is for everybody. Even though it is bothersome when people mislabel obscure music, that shouldn’t be a reason for anybody to malign an entire subgenre rather than understand it. Regardless of what one’s favourite genre happens to be, or to whichever music-based subculture they belong, people ought to have an open mind to enjoy other forms of music outside of what they are used to because one never knows what gems are there to be discovered. Besides, goths typically listen to other genres outside their main one, anyways. Such examples include psychobilly, gothabilly, new wave, industrial, and, yes, there are a handful who do enjoy Marilyn Manson. So, if all of that is acceptable, I don’t see why one can’t enjoy gothic metal. The only two things people need to keep in mind are: 1) To learn as much as they can about the music they like so that they don’t mislabel it, and, 2) To not identify with a subculture when they don’t listen to any or a miniscule amount of its core genre.
Even though I agree with goths’ frustration and concern about this subject of gothic metal being misinterpreted as goth music, I also disagree with those who argue that metal and goth are worlds apart. The two genres are connected somewhat, and particularly through this subgenre. Some of its aspects unite some elements of both goth and metal, some aspects are far more metal but mimic some aspects of goth, and other aspects are completely mislabelled. And, it’s also important to recognise that goth music has influenced some of those metal musicians.
I quite dislike the selfish attitude I have encountered over the years from both communities where individuals will constantly mislabel bands from outside their subculture, but will get savage when outsiders mislabel the bands of their subculture and main genre. For example, as I was mentioning earlier, when metalheads describe bands like Marilyn Manson and Nightwish along with their fans as goth, but they get extremely angry when people place Slipknot and other nu metal bands under the metal umbrella. (Thankfully, I notice many younger metalheads seem to be past this, but during my time in the 2000s, mentioning Slipknot and nu metal bands on metal forums used to create cyber-bullying and cyber-threats.) The same thing happens from goths. I find it strange and hypocritical how some will go ballistic when non-goth bands get pigeonholed into our subculture, but they confidently describe bands like Cradle of Filth and Moonspell as straight-forward black metal. This goes back to my other point that there is no reason to fear music. Instead, research it for a better understanding, and use that knowledge to educate others rather than get into fights like teenagers. I find these attitudes childish, especially because they don’t help younger people come into the subcultures. And, going back to my philosophy of not fighting misinformation with more misinformation, I also think that one shouldn’t be stereotyping other underground subcultures if they get angered by those who stereotype theirs. As we used to say back then, if it’s good for the goose, it’s good for the gander.
And, as for those who remain sceptical of my perspective, are elitist enough to believe that gothic metal can never have goth elements, or silly enough to believe that gothic metal is, in fact, goth music, my opinion is that, in both cases, they have much to learn about goth and metal.