To read the original list of “Five Colorado Goth, Industrial & Darkwave Albums That Should Be On Every Playlist,” click here.

 

The goth scene in Colorado has been on my radar ever since I was a teenage baby bat living in the goth clubs of Salt Lake City during the late 90s darkwave renaissance that hit the mainstream. For us, Colorado (and Denver in particular) was kind of a “goth Mecca” due to the quality of art and music coming from the Centennial State.

I’m glad to report that after spending many hours immersing myself in the music of this alternative community subdivision for the last month or so, Colorado still bears the mark of quality material.

Below is a list of five songs from five artists who have released material that is familiar, yet revolutionary. For my money, these songs not only exemplify the best of what Colorado has to offer, but they will surely wind up on any goth/industrial playlist that is currently on repeat through whatever streaming service you use.

And, in no particular order:

 

Whoreticulture; “Faust”—

“Faust” by Whorteculture has what I consider to be the most “familiar” goth sound out of any of the bands present. Musically, it’s like Depeche Mode and Marilyn Manson melded together in this track and was given a remix by a cybergoth DJ. The vocals also lend credence to this reference as they bounce from a more baritone Dave Gahan to a Manson-esque screech. A pounding rhythm kicks in the highly-danceable beat before the matching vocal/guitar screeches kick the song up to another level. Between the vibe and song structure, “Faust” is a track that should get multiple spins at any reputable goth night in a club somewhere.

 

Fiction 8; “Persephone”—

“Persephone” by Fiction 8 was nothing I had expected to find, yet it was everything I found I wanted. With a melody designed to lift the listener to a higher sense of self and lyrics that are on the complete opposite end of the spectrum—being equally as dark—the artistic counterbalance provided by “Persephone” is second-to-none. The music reminds me of something that would work perfectly on David Bowie’s “Outside”; there are some jazz piano influences over a robotic-industrial backbone with lyrics that mean nothing, and yet everything, to the listener all at once. With the emotive delivery given by vocalist Mardi Salazar, each line can be interpreted a myriad of ways. This is a song that requires multiple listenings to be fully absorbed.

 

Neuro-Sentence; “The Edict”—

“The Edict” by Neuro-Sentence is THICK. With an incredibly dense mix between the keyboards and soundscapes in the background to kick things off, when the drums and rhythm keys come in, it’s a complete wall of sound. With that said, the song itself has a good ebb-and-flow to it that’s provided by a complete drop-out of the beat at times; this allows for the music itself to breathe. And the music is akin to a guitar-less mashup of KMFDM and Parasite Of God with a vocal style that is a cross between Peter Steele and the deep-throated growlings from Shagrath. Though it never fully traverses into the realm of black metal, “The Edict” is one of the heaviest darkwave cuts out there.

 

Seraphim Shock; “Future Flesh”—

It’s important to note that while their song “We Bleed” is melodically impeccable, and the chorus for “Savannah’s Bones” will be stuck in your head for a very long time after the track has ended, I’m going with “Future Flesh” by Seraphim Shock as the track you cannot ignore. “Future Flesh” begins with looped samples and heavy synth, setting a sinister mood immediately. This darkness is broken by the sound of music that combines the best elements of London After Midnight and early Gothminister, all layered with a haunting vocal style that hearkens back to many of the goth bands from the 90s. With that said, though some of the components of the Seraphim Shock sound come from another era, the occasional scream vocals and soundscapes definitely give the track enough of a modern feel to where I believe it will be on repeat for quite some time.

 

Clockwork Echo; “Hallowed Be Thy Pain”—

“Hallowed Be Thy Pain” by Clockwork Echo is everything you would imagine coming from a band who claims to perform “Next-Wave Aggrotech”—a more appropriate descriptor I could not create. From start-to-finish the track drips with the sounds of heavily distorted synth and drums, each pulsating at an aggressive tempo that forces your body to move. The electronics become even more saturated when the distorted vocals in the realm of En Esch explode to the forefront; the ONLY vocal style I could see carrying the intensity found in the rest of the mix. Other than imploring you to hear this track post-haste, the only other request I have is that this song be played at the next KINK Fetish Ball; I cannot imagine a better soundtrack.