Well I know there are many fans of Black Metal on this board, which is great.
Some of you have expressed a love of more experimental bands like Lifelover and Circle of Ouroborus, and lovers of Burzum will also be aware that Varg Vikernes had a love of dance music, and darker 80s pop music, which I believe did influence his music more than we may see at face value.
(Personally I'd love to see bands like Lifelover take the 80s pop and Black Metal fusion even further, and combine the primitive electronics of 80s synthpop with Burzumic Black Metal.)
So this brings me to this new thread: are there any fans of darker 80s pop, dream pop, synth pop, or post-punk on this board? Do you feel your taste for these styles relate to Black Metal in any way, or your taste for darker arts in general? Recommendations? Etc?
I'll kick off with two of the more important bands:
Joy Division: need no introduction. Perhaps it's Ian Curtis' suicide which strongly influences the dark and melancholy nature of their music, but nevertheless, few bands since have been able to equal Joy Divisions unique style of brilliance, save perhaps earlier New Order. For a fan of Black Metal who also appreciates other non-metal darker forms, the first two albums, Unknown Pleasures, and Closer are an absolute must.
Cocteau Twins: Cocteau Twins, themselves influenced by Joy Division (brilliantly evidenced on the 1983 Head Over Heels album), are an indie band from Scotland, whose greatest characteristic is the at times barely decipherable & haunting voice of singer Elizabeth Fraser, who grips the listener with frozen awe. This, combined with almost cold electro beats, some beautifully arpeggiated clean guitar (and also quite heavily effected guitars at times too) and moving keyboard sequences. One of the first Dream Pop bands, they would influence the Shoegaze movement in Oxford, UK, a decade later. Their third album, Head Over Heels, is a MUST for any lover of darker pop, as this album starts the formation of the signature Cocteau Twins sound.
Some of you have expressed a love of more experimental bands like Lifelover and Circle of Ouroborus, and lovers of Burzum will also be aware that Varg Vikernes had a love of dance music, and darker 80s pop music, which I believe did influence his music more than we may see at face value.
(Personally I'd love to see bands like Lifelover take the 80s pop and Black Metal fusion even further, and combine the primitive electronics of 80s synthpop with Burzumic Black Metal.)
So this brings me to this new thread: are there any fans of darker 80s pop, dream pop, synth pop, or post-punk on this board? Do you feel your taste for these styles relate to Black Metal in any way, or your taste for darker arts in general? Recommendations? Etc?
I'll kick off with two of the more important bands:
Joy Division: need no introduction. Perhaps it's Ian Curtis' suicide which strongly influences the dark and melancholy nature of their music, but nevertheless, few bands since have been able to equal Joy Divisions unique style of brilliance, save perhaps earlier New Order. For a fan of Black Metal who also appreciates other non-metal darker forms, the first two albums, Unknown Pleasures, and Closer are an absolute must.
Cocteau Twins: Cocteau Twins, themselves influenced by Joy Division (brilliantly evidenced on the 1983 Head Over Heels album), are an indie band from Scotland, whose greatest characteristic is the at times barely decipherable & haunting voice of singer Elizabeth Fraser, who grips the listener with frozen awe. This, combined with almost cold electro beats, some beautifully arpeggiated clean guitar (and also quite heavily effected guitars at times too) and moving keyboard sequences. One of the first Dream Pop bands, they would influence the Shoegaze movement in Oxford, UK, a decade later. Their third album, Head Over Heels, is a MUST for any lover of darker pop, as this album starts the formation of the signature Cocteau Twins sound.
