GOTHIC ERA

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The Hystorical Invasion of Gothic Music

Post-punk youth in Europe and their brothers everywhere else are into a dark wave which they give many names: Gothic Metal/ Doom, Dark Wave, Industrial, Electrogoth, and Ethereal. A style post-punk very dark, a guitar sound more than influential, riffs irresistible and magical, a phenomenal singer voicing with frightful intensity, a hypnotic music that crosses the time without problem, unbelievable melodies, surprising experimentations always, and an excessive melancholy that give shivers. That is dark wave music.

This is not far from gothic art... paint, photos, sculpture, etc. Gothic is a powerful music and vibrating. Gothic music translates internal sadness. It translates also sensitiveness. It is a sensual and mysterious music, sometimes gruesome but also very melodious. Since the end of the seventies, these kinds of music showed themselves successively. Groups as Bauhaus, Dead Can Dance, and Sisters of Mercy have left an important spot that does not stop influencing recent groups. Here, the three amazing groups Clan of Xymox, Fields of the Nephilim, and After Forever are put in value.

Clan of Xymox

Since their formation in their native Holland, back in 1984, their music has been constantly changing, always challenging and often quite breathtaking. Clan of Xymox was founded in Amsterdam. 1985 saw the release of their debut album, which was full of tumbling electro beats, throbbing sequencers and moody vocals. The second album was very different: 1987's "Medusa" was mostly a dark record, in places a chilling exercise in atmospherics and modern pop dynamics. Aided by the impressive 12 inch single "A Million Things" the band really started to create a buzz. Clan of Xymox were now not only inhabiting the art houses but also filling dance floors in the more discerning clubs. The band shortened their name to Xymox and gave the world 1989's "Twist of Shadows" album. It was in many ways a bold record and it showed that being signed to a major concern wasn't going to stifle a natural sense of musical adventure. "Twist of Shadows" had sold in excess of 300,000 copies. Later came the album "Phoenix" in 1991. Early 1997, and again under the name 'Clan Of Xymox' a new album "Hidden Faces" was released. It was a classic Goth album with echoes of the Sisters. In 1999, "Creatures" was born. And with tracks like "All I Have", this album went deeper into the darkest sounds of Gothic. Many critics proclaimed it was a real masterpiece. Then, "Notes from the Underground" is released in 2001, a great sign that the clan is still alive in the new millennium. "Farewell" appeared in September 2003, always intense just as 18 years ago. It feels like there is no real farewell for the clan, in 2006, Clan of Xymox released probably their best album ever "Breaking Point".

Fields of the Nephilim

The first incarnation of the Fields of the Nephilim appeared in 1984. Five men, Carl McCoy (vocals), Tony Pettit (bass), Paul Wright (guitar), Gary Whisker (sax) and Nod Wright (drums) formed a powerful British unit, which produced some of the most beautiful spiritual music in my experience, armed with a unique sound and an unsurpassed visionary presence. An astonishing, deeply arcane Fields of the Nephilim defined themselves from the start as a guitar band and they've never been swayed by fads or trends. Their dark focus was strongly refining and purifying their primal foundation of guitar-and-drums. And that foundation's sound, built on dense and intricate layers of guitar simply demands more room, pushing out the walls. The first album "Dawnrazor" came in 1987. It was a powerful tour de force that complemented the live shows, gave intimations of what was to come. The rich, plangent sounds evoked a landscape of inner hope combined with primal terror. The album had considerable impact on the scene, forcing the pace of development within the scene such that very few could keep up. Reinforcing the impact of Dawnrazer, two singles released subsequently went to Number One in the independent charts in the UK: Blue Water, and Moonchild. This was consolidated by "The Nephilim" album, adding an ethereal quality to the band's sound, and bringing out a new dimension. Greatness emerged with songs like "Last Exit of the Lost", "The Watchman", and "Love Under Will". The voice of McCoy has moved every little bone in the bodies of gothic fans around the world. This voice later came to its peak in 1989 with the song "Psychonaut": clear, resonant and virtually polished clean of the old throttled growl, full of authority and drama. However, when the Fields disbanded in 1991, singer and songwriter McCoy resurfaced five years later with a reincarnation called the Nefilim. Their only album, "Zoon", was a challenging and deeply rewarding ride. The other members formed Rubicon in 1992, and, later, the Last Rites in 2001. The latter was a lot of beat of relief for the lusting fans. Lastly, a project by Tony Pettit named NFD hit the scene in 2003 with the song "Break the Silence". Something long-awaited. And finally the year 2005 is the Come-back year for the FOTN where "mourning sun" shines its requiems towards the year 2525.

After Forever

The Dutch formation After Forever has created quite a stir in the Gothic Metal scene with their debut album "Prison of Desire" in February 2000, balancing heaviness and atmosphere, using a complete choir to reach this. The new millennium was privileged with an exceptional strong gothic establishment based on the peculiar style of what is called "Beauty & the Beast" metal. It drives you toward your karma amongst numerous European bands who tried this genre in the late nineties. Thus, the After Forever style is aptly named because of the dual vocalists that the bands front, one being an operatic female with beautiful cords, and the other a screamer that complements the softness of the female voice of Floor Jansen, which is one of the most powerful and charming female voices. This peculiar style consists of brilliantly layered symphonic, gothic, crunching guitar and metal driven by visualized theatrical sceneries. Songs like "Beyond Me", and "Leaden Legacy" have been smashed hits for those visualizers. The same feeling but at a somewhat higher caliber was blown out of their second album "Decipher" in 2001. After Forever's power was growing. The meandering vocal lines were again quite distinctive with a slightly Arabic touch, as in "My Pledge of Allegiance". The fast paced church organ and fast heavy bass give the music urgency, while the fast intermezzos have strongly classical leanings. Lots of thematic variations are enjoyed, with recurring themes and passages throughout. Slow gloomy vs. aggressively fast paced, classical vs. metal, soprano vs. grunt, lots of contrasts by After Forever, but all in line with the Gothic metal spirit. Their mini CD "Exordium" was released in 2003, followed by their third full album "Invisible Circles" released in March 2004. However, their one of their best works appeared in September 2005 with their new album "Remagine" full of unexpected beats. This album proves that After Forever were here to rock for long. In April 2007, a self-titled album was released along with the single "Energize Me".

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