The Goth/Post-Punk Revival Blog Top 50 of 2020 - final part of the countdown, the top 5

 

The identity of this year’s Goth/Post-Punk Revival Blog Top 5 of 2020 will come as little surprise to regular readers, as all five projects have consistently hit the heights with each release and gradually grown their fanbases as a result. All five have released outstanding tracks this year which will surely stand the test of time, and lead the genre ever forward as both new, younger fans and elder goths returning to the scene continue to be attracted to the worldwide gothic renaissance. 2020 has been a uniquely challenging year, but the music of these five artists in particular has seen many of us through the darker days, with hopefully a return to some kind of normality now on the horizon.

 

 

5 Stranger and Lovers – Spiritual f. Succubus.

Mexico City (CDMX) band Stranger and Lovers have continued to plot their careful route to the top by releasing their 2019 debut on more platforms and signing a distribution deal with Young and Cold to release their forthcoming 2021 album to a wider public. This year saw the band release just three tracks, but all showed the band’s unique appeal: creating a new darkwave strand played on vintage instruments but embracing all that digital studio technology has to offer, with the vocals (apparently in English) used as an extra instrument in the way that the first-generation bands like The Sisters of Mercy and Fields of The Nephilim did. Fans of The Sisters and The Nephs will particularly appreciate the chugging rock of most recent teaser track Necro Love, whilst Spiritual f. Succubus had a more nightmarish fairground swirl that added an extra claustrophobic layer to their already thrilling sound, with first single The Snoop having a softer, more dancefloor friendly focus which will appeal more to fans of Xymox or She Past Away.

4 Black Angel – Kiss of Death

Matt Vowles’ Black Angel project goes from strength to strength: having released debut album The Widow at the end of 2019, Vowles returned with follow-up Kiss of Death barely six months later, an equally strong set of musical earworms that effortlessly recreate the most popular elements of 80’s goth. Haunting guitar lines, classic chord progressions, multi-layered vocals and fantastic state-of-the-art production combine to create an album which,  like its title track, brings to mind Steinman-era Sisters tinged with the gothbilly sounds of Shadow of Love-era Damned. Vowles always baulks at any comparison to Billy Idol, but the strong focus on melody and the superb production makes this a worthy compliment rather than a detraction for what is arguably the most potentially commercially viable of all the projects featured in this Top 50, and a great gateway act for new fans of the scene. A barely-discernible change of vocalist – Robert Steffen’s more operatic approach replaced with the more authentically alternative tones of Corey Landis – has left the band stronger as a unit and although the pandemic put paid to plans for more live work, Black Angel will deservedly be a name on most promoters’ wishlists for 2021 after two stunning albums of perfect modern gothic rock.

3 Sonsombre – Highgate

Brandon Pybus must be one of the hardest working guys on the goth scene, whether maintaining a strong social media presence to boost the Sonsombre fanbase, writing and recording new material, or collaborating with other artists from around the world. Sonsombre’s latest album One Thousand Graves was their best yet, moving ever away from their sources (Fields of The Nephilim, The Wake, Nosferatu etc) to showcase their own distinctive sound. Now clearly more a band than a one-man project, Sonsombre’s lockdown live stream sets were always high quality and featured tracks from their three album career but focusing on the darker, heavier and more innovative material which subtly drew more on Pybus’ own death metal past. Highgate was an excellent case in point, starting with a spooky church organ and music box intro, with jagged, discordant guitar riffs taking over before exploding into minor key malevolence with more classic gothic rock overtones. Song dynamics and structure remain a key strength, with anthemic choruses and dramatic atmosphere essential elements of any Sonsombre song. With a new album Revival ready for release in 2021, Sonsombre look set to make the Goth/Post-Punk Revival Blog top 10 for a fourth successive year!

2 The Kentucky Vampires – Moon Rays

2020 album Crimson Curse moved The Kentucky Vampires from the ranks of deathrock prospects to major league gothic contenders, showcasing an expanded sonic range and depth which resulted in an album to return to again and again. A couple of the tracks featured on their EP released at the end of 2019 (and made our Top 10 last year), but the new tracks were a judicious mix of the up-tempo melodic graveyard deathrock of the first album (eg Saint Vincent) and a slower, more resonant and lyrical sound with a fuller gothic sound. The addition of Motuvius Rex’s bass had fleshed out what was a slightly trebly mix, and its rich sonorous tone, reminiscent of vintage The Cure, enhances the lullabylike Moon Rays, with Zac Campbell’s shimmering guitar lines and Abbas Marler’s wonderfully lilting vocal creating a perfect gothic fusion which was typical of the album’s best tracks.

1 Then Comes Silence – Devil

Swedish captains of post-punk Then Comes Silence blew away all other contenders with a stunning 2020, releasing a superbly accomplished and polished album in Machine, releasing a couple of online quarantine covers and putting on a string of beautifully shot live performances. Machine ran the gamut of post-punk musical styles but always with Alex’s honeyed baritone, Jonas’ syncopated drumming and the twin guitar duelling of the highly experienced newcomers Hugo and Mattias to the fore, as on this featured track, Devil. Pretty much every track on the album could be released as a single, always the sign of a classic album, from singalong darkwave songs like Apocalypse Flare to the epic soundscapes of Kill It. Then Comes Silence certainly killed it in 2020, and are the Goth/Post-Punk Revival Blog band of the year.