real goth music

[Xorv]

looking for music that could be considered real goth. Since some people seem to get confused and consider stuff like HIM (and others) goth. So so far I know of On thorns I lay (which i'm not entirely sure is gothic or not?) and Rain fell within which is most likely just doom metal with opera singers.

 

[Orion Crystal Ice]

I guess it depends a little. I consider some Sisters of Mercy to be defining goth rock in technicality, despite Mr. Eldritch's disdain, but I also don't think gothic metal needs to be the exact same thing, only with heavier guitars, to be goth. It's a bit abstract for me, but I hope people will sort of understand what I mean. A lot of 'Rage for Order' by Queensrÿche is some of the most gothic rock I've ever heard, for one example, and a lot of people never look at it that way at all. I would suggest recalling some of those songs, like 'London' is an excellent example. Three really good examples in metal are:

Dark - Seduction (way OOP and rare, but easier to find on teh Interweb)
Sirenia - At Sixes And Sevens
Darkseed - Diving Into Darkness

You'll see agreement with the middle one because it's more well known, but I strongly recommend the other two as well.

Something else which really nails the feeling, that isn't quite metal, is:

Beseech - Black Emotions


I think goth can usually be comprised of..very tragic romanticism, very 'mature' and 'heavy' romanticism (things which are suffocatingly romantic and emotional but veer far away from the typical, less dire trappings of pop culture's many ideas of 'love'), a fascination with pessimism which springs forth from obsessive worldly observation out of the loner's point-of-view, and a bottomless pit of despair (not grief, but despair) that only finds any console or solution in dwelling upon itself. The romanticism does not necessarily have to be confined to any morbid depressive mood either way.

I'm very much going by the gut instinct here, the stuff that sort of fits really well with me and makes sense to be as all being clearly part of this idiom, but others will also be able to help you with more textbook kind of bands to flesh things out.

 

[Vossyrus]

The problem with the terms "goth" and "gothic" is that both are rather ambiguous to begin with. The genre is essentially dead as far as traditional goth rock ("real goth" music) goes - however you can argue that it has evolved into more of a "dark music" scene today with more emphasis on electronics, and generally more darkwave-ish in sound. Nevertheless there are a number of great bands recognized as such.

I can make you a list of stuff to check out, once I get around to it. I do listen to a lot of goth rock, deathrock and darkwave.

 

[Xorv]

k

 

[Omni]

Fields of the Nephilim - Elizium
The Cure - Pornography
The Birthday Party - Prayers on Fire
Joy Division - Closer

 

[Nightmare_Heaven]

I prefer the more post-punk/new wave sounding stuff, but I do enjoy "pure" gothic rock. As such, some of these are more post-punk or new-wavey than others. Others are certified "goth classics"

The Cure - Faith, Pornography, Disintegration

The Sisters of Mercy - First and Last and Always, Floodland, Some Girls Wander By Mistake

Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures, Closer

Siouxsie and the Banshees - Kaleidoscope, Juju, A Kiss in the Dreamhouse

Killing Joke - Night Time, Brighter than a Thousand Suns

Bauhaus - In The Flat Field


Some other bands you might want to look into...The Mission, Christian Death, Alien Sex Fiend, This Empty Flow, The Frozen Autumn, Pink Turns Blue, Katatonia ('98-'99 material mostly, the "depressive rock" period, though their 1994 rarity "Scarlet Heavens" is arguably classic gothic rock styled track), The Chameleons...

As you can see I'm mostly recommending you stuff that falls into the 80s umbrella of classic gothic rock, dark new-wave and pop, post-punk, and darkwave/deathrock stuff, which i'm sure springs to mind most often when the term "real goth music" is brought up.

 

[Xorv]

Been listening to the cure's disintergration. Awesome. I use to like the cure before, but I only heard lullaby, love song, and pictures of you, now I'm addicted to disintegration, and the same deep water as you.

 

[Psychonaut]

Fields of the Nephilim was the first band to pop into my head. They're awesome. Nightmare Heaven hit a lot of other ones. The only other one I can think of off the top of my head is Nosferatu.

 

[Nightmare_Heaven]

Been listening to the cure's disintergration. Awesome. I use to like the cure before, but I only heard lullaby, love song, and pictures of you, now I'm addicted to disintegration, and the same deep water as you.

Nice, that album is awesome, title track, "Pictures of You" and "Plainsong" especially.

 

[Einherjar86]

Virgin Black

 

[DarkBliss]

Tristania-Widow's Weeds

 

[Orion Crystal Ice]

The Mission

awesome.

 

[Ric]

Fields of the Nephilim - Elizium
The Cure - Pornography
The Birthday Party - Prayers on Fire
Joy Division - Closer

This and also take a look at the Earth Inferno from Nephilim.

 

[Psychonaut]

^^ Or The Nephilim, which is my personal favorite.