The Goth/Post-Punk Revival Blog Top 50 of 2020 - part 3, 40 - 36

 

This third instalment of the Goth/Post-Punk Revival Blog Top 50 of 2020 countdown begins with arguably the most controversial choice of them all, Marilyn Manson. Some will baulk at the suggestion that the 90’s prince of vaudeville industrial glam’s musical output fits into either of the genres under discussion, whilst others, with arguably more justification will state that in 2020 of all years, with the real issues (Covid-19, BLM etc) that the world has had to face, that the mock horror and tired shock tactics of an artist whose star is decidedly on the wane have become so far removed from the zeitgeist that it would be better instead to promote another artist who didn’t quite make the Top 50 this year, like The Birthday Massacre, Pilgrims of Yearning,  Bootblacks, Vlimmer, Orcus Nullify, Twin Tribes or Paranormales. This feeds into the wider argument as to whether one should judge the current output of past goth stars on their merit, place them on a pedestal and give them an automatic pass to the top table regardless of quality, or rule them out of contention on the grounds that they’ve had their time and are unlikely to reach earlier peaks once more. Just for the record, I’m choosing the former path, and a couple of other names familiar to fans of the first two waves of our beloved genre will also appear in this rundown. But for now, on with numbers 40 – 36…

40 Marilyn Manson – Red, Black and Blue

The days when a new Marilyn Manson album was a major musical event are long gone, but the mall goth superstar always has a couple of decent tunes per album up his sleeve and his 2020 release We Are Chaos is no exception. Whilst perhaps not the “masterpiece” which Manson himself claimed, tracks like Red, Black and Blue hinted (after a rambling introduction – I’d advise starting it at 1:15) at the visceral rush that accompanied his seminal releases around the turn of the millennium, with skull-crushing riffs and sleaze-fest lyrics to the fore. Although shunned by most goths (with some justification) as a risible posturing charlatan, the pale emperor still knows his way around a good chorus.

39 Instant Lake – Delicate Obscenity

If any song in this year’s top 50 typifies the post-punk scene sound of the past years, it’s this track from Italians Instant Lake’s sophomore album Dystodream, on the appropriately-named Brazilian label Wave Records. There are hints of coldwave, darkwave, gothgaze, industrial and most other strands of the current broader gothic spectrum, with the classic reverbed simple guitar riff, driving EBM beat, echoing baritone vocal, buzzing descending bassline and an overriding atmosphere of menace, midway between Front 242 and Holygram. Good work.

38 Cliff and Ivy – Will To The Power

Touted as Alaska’s premier goth duo, an accolade for which there is surely not much competition, Cliff and Ivy play a powerful yet tongue-in-cheek brand of drum-machine driven gothic rock, with Cliff’s angled powerchords the perfect backing for Ivy’s effortlessly cool but slightly unhinged vocal. Unashamedly 80’s influenced, Cliff and Ivy have successfully mined the same furrow for the past decade, but this year they really came to greater prominence thanks in part to some excellent live streamed performances during the lockdown.

37 Iamtheshadow – Pitchblack

Pitchblack is the title track from Pedro Code’s Iamtheshadow project’s 2020 album and I expect it to feature towards the very top of end of year lists of those whose preference lies in full-production dancefloor-targeted synth-based coldwave electro-goth. The Portuguese act has produced a strong set of deep-vocal EBM-based dark club tracks with a BPM which will fill alternative club night floors across the globe and enhance Code’s reputation as one the genre’s foremost sonic terrorists.

36 Paar – Modern

A simple, repeated bass riff from the eight-to-the-bar Craig Adams school, fx-drenched guitar reminiscent of Whispering Sons and a strong female vocal drive this wistful track which mixes power and fragility in equal measures. The album from which it’s taken, Die Notwendigkeit der Notwendigkeit hints at a band still in search of a definitive sound, but Modern is an ideal template from which to work in the future.