Analysis of goth: Part 3, Goth in industrial music

I can hear you all now: “Hey, Atma. Industrial is a subgenre of electronic music. Why didn’t you discuss it in the previous article?” Well, my little abiders, there is a very good reason for that. Industrial, as it is widely understood today, is not as clearly defined as many other genres popular in the gothic subculture. There is much confusion as to the identity of the genre;  who is and who is not considered to be part of the movement is fuzzy to many as well. Luckily, it is easy to trace industrial back to its humble origins in 1970s Hull, England.

Throbbing Gristle and the Origins of Industrial Music

While some acts (namely American acts Pere Ubu and Devo) (1) had once seized the word “industrial” to describe their respective sounds, it was not until the formation of Throbbing Gristle that the term truly held significance. COUM Transmissions, officially founded in 1969 in England, was an amateur traveling performance art troupe who specialized in happenings that involved music around the Yorkshire area. There they made a name by embracing taboos and engaging in controversial and socially transgressive themes and imagery (murder, sexual abuse, child pornography, etc.). COUM Transmissions’ Genesis P-Orridge points to The Velvet Underground’s tendency to dissect the darker side of human behavior as an influence for COUM Transmissions’ lyrics. (2)

In 1975, the members of COUM Transmissions became interested in forming a “band” in a more traditional sense of the word, and Throbbing Gristle was formed as a result. As none of the members were familiar with playing instruments, they began to employ a classic philosophy of 20th century avant-garde composer John Cage: any sound can be music. (2) Throbbing Gristle took this idea and applied it to the newly emerging British punk rock aesthetic of the time and created a sound that relied heavily on improvisation with raw materials and homemade electronics. It is also important to note the stark lack of melody in favor of atonality and noise.

(For reference: “We Hate You (Little Girls)” by Throbbing Gristle)

The sound, approach to lyricism, and philosophy were all in place. Throbbing Gristle were certainly on the verge of founding a revolutionary form of music, but they needed a name. Monte Cazazza, an avant-garde artist from California and friend of Genesis P-Orridge dubbed the then developing sound “industrial music” on September 3rd, 1975 by describing Throbbing Gristle’s music as “industrial music for industrial people.” This phrase quickly became their tagline. P-Orridge said that they were “making music for the post-industrial age.” (2) Throbbing Gristle named their practice in Hackney, London “The Death Factory.” It was in close proximity to the noises of British workshops’ circular saws, railways, and many other sounds of the “post-industrial age.”

In 1976, the members of Throbbing Gristle founded Industrial Records, under which they would release all of their own material. Soon, other like-minded groups would be signed to this record label. Cabaret Voltaire’s 1974-1976 and Clock DVA’s White Souls in Black Suits were both released on the label in 1980. Other British acts not signed to the label (Nurse With Wound, Coil, Current 93, Test Dept, SPK) would soon emerge, contributing their own unique takes on the industrial genre.

(For reference, “Six Buttons of Sex Appeal” by Nurse With Wound)

Three crucial acts formed outside of Britain in the early ‘80s that left a sizable impact on the future of industrial music: Einstürzende Neubauten from Germany in 1980, Ministry from America in 1981, and Skinny Puppy from Canada in 1982.

Ministry, Wax Trax! and American Industrial

Cazazza was at least partially to blame for the migration of Industrial music from Europe to America. He brought word of the original British Industrial scene to his friends involved in music and avant-garde art in California. (2) Several bands (Factrix, NON, Minimal Man) formed thereafter. This interpretation of the then still undeveloped take on industrial music changed drastically after it had some time to evolve on American soil. Chicago’s Wax Trax! Records label, which began as a new wave and punk rock label, became the hub for alternative American electronic music (darkwave, futurepop, EBM, industrial, etc. had representation). Among the American industrial bands on the label, the most important were the likes of KMFDM, My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, and Front Line Assembly, but no one had the realm of influence quite like Ministry.

Ministry, Cuban-born multi-instrumentalist Al Jourgensen’s most successful project, had roots in both industrial music and punk music. Ministry and old school British industrial shared many musical traits, but it was clear that Ministry was much more rhythmically-driven. Where Throbbing Gristle was freeform, there was an undeniable rigidity to Ministry’s music. Although, due to pressures administered by Arista Records, Inc., Jourgensen recorded the synthpop album With Sympathy under the Ministry name. Following the release, Jourgensen participated in several heavier projects (1000 Homo DJs, Pailhead, Revolting Cocks) that facilitated Ministry’s trajectory into more aggressive, industrial-influenced music. (3) By the two albums that followed, Twitch (’86) and The Land of Rape and Honey (’88), Jourgensen began incorporating more of his industrial influences again, and when he released Psalm 69 in ’92, he had effectively fused industrial and metal in a commercially successful way.

(For reference, “Everyday is Halloween” by Ministry)

Skinny Puppy and Electro-Industrial

In the early ‘80s, before the non-British industrial landscape was cultivated, the Canadian act Skinny Puppy formed and interpreted industrial music to suit their environment. Although still very much inspired by the iconoclastic vigor of Throbbing Gristle, the result was a much more conventional and consonant take on industrial music. The synth patches were glossy and refined, the distinct downbeats made it easy for the listener to tap his or her foot, and memorable melodies were not uncommon. Because of these changes, Skinny Puppy gave birth to the electro-industrial genre. (4) My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, KMFDM, Velvet Acid Christ, Leæther Strip, and :wumpscut: are among the most important contemporary electro-industrial bands. 

(For reference, “Assimilate” by Skinny Puppy and “Kooler Than Jesus” by My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult)

Nine Inch Nails and the Industrial Crossover

In 1988, an avid young fan of Skinny Puppy, Ministry, Gary Numan and Test Dept from Ohio named Trent Reznor tried his hand at industrial music the only way he knew how: a pop format. (5) The release of his project, Nine Inch Nails’ first full-length album Pretty Hate Machine (1989) became the most important occurrence in bringing industrial to a pop demographic. Reznor caused what was once a minor underground movement in England to become a global phenomenon throughout his career. The name “Nine Inch Nails” became synonymous with “industrial” to the point that Throbbing Gristle, Skinny Puppy, Coil, and the lot were overshadowed by Reznor’s success. His following two albums Broken (1992) and The Downward Spiral (1994) included a larger focus on rock instrumentation, which helped to further bridge industrial and rock and became a staple of Nine Inch Nails’ signature sound.

(For reference, “The Only Time” by Nine Inch Nails)

Industrial Metal

Ministry and Nine Inch Nails’ experimentation in the nebulous grey area between industrial and rock gave birth to two novel genres: industrial metal and industrial rock. The late ‘80s saw the fusion of industrial with metal when the term “industrial” was securely defined. Industrial metal was pioneered by Broken-era Nine Inch Nails, mid-late Ministry and ex-Napalm Death guitarist Justin Broadrick’s project Godflesh. (6) What gave industrial metal its personality was a loyal adherence to square, definite rhythms of the Wax Trax! bands and a focus on a cold, unapologetic worship of atonality (similarly, a rejection of gloss and melody). The industrial metal sound was introduced to several alternative metal and nü metal bands in the ‘90s, such as Fear Factory and Static-X.

(For reference: “Crush My Soul” by Godflesh and “Martyr” by Fear Factory)

Industrial Rock

In a similar vein, industrial rock bands, who take a bigger influence from electro-industrial produced music that was more prone to garner a wider audience. The industrial rock scene (which more or less melded with the flourishing ‘90s electro-industrial scene) found its home in American clubs and the now well-established gothic subculture. The likes of Orgy, Deadstar Assembly, KMFDM, and Zeromancer saw their own respective successes in the industrial rock and electro-industrial underground.

(For reference, “Fiction (Dreams in Digital)” by Orgy)

Post-industrial

A curious term that gets thrown around in industrial circles is “post-industrial.” This is a term that doesn’t signify a genre, but is rather a descriptor word that serves to elaborate on developments made on the old school British industrial scene of the late ‘70s and its immediate evolutions in general. SPK, for instance, took the noise aspect of industrial and brought it to new heights. SPK’s innovations in particular became important to musicians that eventually became part of the yet-to-be-established noise scene relevant in England and latterly the harsh noise scenes in Japan and America (particularly Portland, OR). (7) Japanoise (a portmanteau of the words “Japanese” and “noise”) was a subgenre of harsh noise that sprouted from industrial shortly after its origins that also had roots in free improvisation, avant-garde jazz, and experimental American rock. (8) Japanoise artists (Merzbow, Masonna, Incapacitants, C.C.C.C.) typically push the industrial convention of the acceptance of static and feedback to an oft nearly unbearable limit and are adept in the art of sensory overload. 

(For reference, “Wars of Islam” by SPK and “Ananga-Ranga” by Merzbow)

A sister genre to Japanese noise music is power electronics, which came into fruition in early-mid ‘80s England with the formation of the band Whitehouse. Power electronics is unique in that it is fascinated more by industrial’s politics and lyrical freedom rather than its sonics. It delves more deeply into the depravity of human nature, as lyrics take the reins as the crux of the music. Fueled by profanity and filth, power electronics acts (Sutcliffe Jügend, Brighter Death Now) rely on industrial noise and experimental electronics as a backdrop to their sordid displays of the psyche and exhibitions of lurid behavioral deviance.

(For reference, “Why You Never Became A Dancer” by Whitehouse)

Two post-industrial styles that grew from electro-industrial are aggrotech and dark electro. The two were both inspired by Skinny Puppy and their contemporaries. Aggrotech had a much larger staying presence in goth and industrial club scenes, as it has a large focus on rhythm, giving it a very danceable quality. It is so named due to aggrotech acts’ (Suicide Commando, Funker Vogt, Combichrist) penchant for incorporating noise in their music (as well as on the vocals). Dark electro is a style of music that is more freeform than aggrotech rhythmically and had leanings toward horror soundscapes and dark ambient music.

(For reference, “Bind, Torture and Kill” by Suicide Commando and “Curse” by yelworC)

And so my three-part study of music relevant in the gothic subculture comes to a close. All good things must come to an end, one should suppose. Unpleasant dreams, my darlings.

-Thus spake the Atma

Suggested listening (Industrial):

Throbbing Gristle - D.o.A: Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle (’78)

Cabaret Voltaire - Red Mecca (’81)

Einstürzende Neubauten - 1/2 Mensch (’85)

Foetus - Nail (’85)

Coil - Horse Rotorvator (’86)

Test Dept - Unacceptable Face of Freedom (’86)

Ministry - Twitch (’86)

Godflesh - Streetcleaner (’89)

Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine (’89)

Skinny Puppy - Too Dark Park (’90)

Suggested listening (post-industrial):

Merzbow - Pulse Demon (Japanoise) (’96)

Hocico - Signos de aberración (aggrotech) (’02)

Whitehouse - Bird Seed (power electronics) (’03)

Prurient - And Still, Wanting (harsh noise) (’08)

Sources

1 Reynolds, Simon. "Uncontrollable Urge: The Industrial Grotesquerie of Pere Ubu and Devo." In Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978-1984. New York: Penguin Books, 2006.

2 “Genesis P-Orridge,” YouTube video, posted by “prismfilms1,” June 7, 2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V40VSWWqXho

3 "Ministry FAQ: Ministry History - Everything You Wanted to Know About Ministry... And Now You Don't Have to Ask." 13th Planet Records. http://www.thirteenthplanet.com/press/tls/files/a05_ministry_faq.pdf.

4 Adem Tepedelen, "Skinny Puppy Bark Back", Rolling Stone, May 20, 2004.

5 Doran, Trent Reznor. "Trent Reznor On Coil & Nine Inch Nails, Plus Recoiled Review." . : The Quietus, . . 

6 Prato, Greg. "Godflesh Biography." AllMusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/godflesh-mn0000561715/biography.

7 People Who Do Noise. YouTube. Directed by Adam Cornelius. Portland: VHX, 2008.

8 Novak, David. "Noise Is Dead, Long Live Noise." In Japanoise: Music at the Edge of Circulation, 15. Duke University Press Books, 2013.

Analysis of goth: Part 2, Goth in electronic music

The second installment of the goth saga will be addressing subgenres of electronic music that are popular within the gothic subculture. There is a lot to cover today, so I’ll cut to the chase.

The term “electronic body music” was coined by Ralf Hütter of Kraftwerk and popularized by DAF, Front 242, and Nitzer Ebb in the late '70s. Acts like Leæther Strip, Front Line Assembly, and Pouppée Fabrikk continued to use this label for their music. By the 80’s, it became somewhat of a buzzword in the early electronic scene due to its snappy name. Because EBM comes directly from Kraftwerk, there is a large emphasis placed on melody, minimalism, and clarity, as opposed to the industrial music occurring at the time, which was similar, but much darker and more complex. The most important distinction between EBM and old school industrial (besides the fact you can you can dance to EBM easily without looking like a maniac) is that it had enough melodic potential to grow and branch out into many genres, including being the mother genre for trance as a whole, which is a whole different proverbial can of worms.

(For reference: “Europe Endless” by Kraftwerk and “No Shuffle” by Front 242)

The awe-inspiring brilliance of synthpop lies within its very namesake. It was a revolution in contemporary music history in which synthesizer-driven music was not only accepted, but embraced by popular culture. With almost entirely English roots, synthpop’s success was a turning point in the history of electronic music. Although Karlheinz Stockhausen, Pierre Schaeffer, and Kraftwerk all saw their respective share of success (or accosting attention at the very least), it was not until the synthpop revolution that electronic music became the fresh, hip, new thing. Being involved in the British electronic scene of the ‘70s was a crapshoot at first, as all parties involved were exploring an uninhabited landscape. It was not until The Tubeway Army released Replicas in 1979 with their smash hit “Are Friends Electric?” that synthpop really began to be pop. And when Gary Numan released "Cars" under his own name later that year, it is not difficult to understand the causation of the fixation on synth-driven music that followed. Soft Cell, Orchestral Manoeuevres in the Dark, and The Human League broke into the charts after Numan’s commercial success. Additionally, the likes of Culture Club, Depeche Mode, and New Order all assisted in their own rights to establish synthpop as the British phenomenon that it was.

(For reference: “Are Friends Electric?” by The Tubeway Army)

In 1983, a man named Sam Rosenthal founded his own record label out of Portland, Oregon called Projekt Records. Rosenthal used this as a vehicle to release his own music through his band Black Tape for a Blue Girl. As Black Tape for a Blue Girl’s popularity grew, so did Projekt Records. Other acts became part of Projekt’s roster, including Lycia and Attrition. In a short amount of time, the sound that these bands had projected became known as “darkwave.” This vast and sonically distant style of music, taking influence from ambient music in order to create spacious, otherworldly soundscapes. Projekt began accepting other acts in genres similar to darkwave, be it ethereal wave, dream pop, or shoegaze. 

(For reference: “Left, Unsaid” by Black Tape for a Blue Girl)

Historically, it would be appropriate to use the term “darkwave” as an umbrella for the ambient, effect-laden, post-punk-influenced styles of music coming out of the US (particularly from Projekt Records) during the ‘80s, but the dilution or evolution (which is unclear) of darkwave afterwards complicates matters. Darkwave groups began taking much more influence from EBM, synthpop, as well as electronic music as a whole, and acts like Clan of Xymox, Girls Under Glass, and Psyche dominated the “darkwave” scene. At present, it is difficult to distinguish what a pure darkwave sound is, as cross-pollinations of darkwave with trance, world music, neofolk, dark ambient, and many other genres have been prevalent with successful artists.

(For reference: “Just Like You” by In My Rosary)

Pioneered by ethereal wave group Dead Can Dance and film music duo In the Nursey, in the mid-‘80s, another flavorful convergence of styles is that of neoclassical and darkwave. Neoclassical darkwave artists generally take the old school Projekt-era darkwave sound and throw classical instrumentation, songwriting, and vocalization into the mix for either ambience or a grand, cinematic sound achievable only with classical, baroque, or chamber music timbres. This genre of music shares much common sonic ground with neofolk (Sopor Æternus & the Ensemble of Shadows) and martial industrial (Death in June) and there is often some overlap therein. 

(For reference: “Oxeia” by Love Is Colder Than Death)

Stylistically sandwiched between post-punk and Projekt-era darkwave, there sat a small movement in the late ‘70s French and Belgian underground called coldwave. The term “coldwave” was first used to describe Kraftwerk, Joy Division, and Siouxsie and the Banshees. Some French groups like Asylum Party and Marquis de Sade adopted this dark atmospheric approach of production and performance (especially deriving influence from Siouxsie Sioux vocally) and released their brand of post-punk with a moody personality unique unto itself. This spread to Belgium where it was picked up by the likes of Siglo XX, Polyphonic Size, and many others. By the mid-‘80s many of the French and Belgian coldwave bands had broken up, and those who hadn’t broken through into the mainstream by then (the majority) were largely forgotten about until 2006, when painter Pieter Schoolwerth founded Wierd Records in NYC, which focused on releasing industrial, noise, EBM, post-punk, and coldwave records. The formation of this label was instrumental in the preservation of numerous French and Belgian coldwave bands and songs that would have otherwise been lost. Minimal electronics/minimal wave, a contemporary synth-driven post-punk/post-industrial musical movement with minimalist leanings is also widely associated with the coldwave scene. KaS Product and Twilight Ritual are two important acts in the genre.

(For reference, “Allez Allez” by Allez Allez and "Never Come Back" by KaS Product)

Taking root in trance and synthpop, futurepop was developed in late ‘90s Europe and had a clear, upbeat, techno-inspired sheen with an enormous sense of melody and chord progression. It took EBM’s place in the public eye during the time of futurepop’s inception. Apoptygma Berzerk, Covenant, Icon of Coil, VNV Nation, and several other groups broke into the European club scene with highly successful singles released at the time. Even as futurepop’s relevance was on the wane, the artists retained a loyal fanbase.

(For reference: “The Bomb” by Neuroticfish)

Keep watch for an article on industrial to come out before the end of this summer.

-Thus spake the Atma

Author’s note:

It is important to note that until the late ‘80s/early ‘90s, the inclusion of electronics in music was not a commonly held practice. As such, the distinctions between synthpop, industrial, EBM, etc. were made in hindsight - not while it was happening. At the time, it was all electronic music, and it would not be all that unusual to namedrop Einstürzende Neubauten and Depeche Mode in the same breath. In the BBC documentary Synth Britannia, Andy McCluskey of OMD is quoted saying, “People like ourselves and Cabaret Voltaire and the Human League all just got used to the fact that we existed.” It is striking that McCluskey groups the Human League (scribes of the sweeter-than-sugar synthpop hit “Don’t You Want Me”) with Cabaret Voltaire (who released their numbing seminal old school industrial powerhouse Red Mecca the same year) without flinching.

(For reference (and contrast): “Don’t You Want Me” by the Human League and “Split Second Feeling” by Cabaret Voltaire)

Suggested listening:

Kraftwerk - The Man Machine (’78)

The Tubeway Army - Replicas (’79)

Dead Can Dance - Spleen and Ideal (’85)

Clan of Xymox - Medusa (’86)

Death in June - But, What Ends When the Symbols Shatter? (’92)

The Frozen Autumn - Pale Awakening (’95)

Black Tape for a Blue Girl - Remnants of a Deeper Purity (’96)

Depeche Mode - Violator (’99)

Sopor Æternus & the Ensemble of Shadows - Dead Lovers’ Sarabande (Face One) (’99)

Assemblage 23 - Failure (’01)

Various Artists - Cold Waves and Minimal Electronics, Vol. 1 (Wierd Records compilation) (’10)

Analysis of goth: Part 1, Goth in rock music

I hold goth in a special place in my heart. It is often wrongfully accused of many harsh criticisms found only in mainstream media. I sympathize with goth. It is not as easy as it appears to refer to a band or artist as “goth,” however. The term “goth” alone refers to a subculture in this day and age - not a style of music. I have heard everyone from The Velvet Underground to PJ Harvey to Soft Cell to Portishead being called goth. This is madness. It just has to stop.

To celebrate the beginning of the summer, I’m interested in doing a project to analyze all genres and subgenres typically championed by those in the gothic subculture. This article will focus on goth in rock music, the second will be about goth in electronic music, and the third and final installment will detail the history of industrial music, which I feel needs its own article altogether. So, goth, right?

The term “gothic” goes back quite some time. It first appeared in 12th century France to describe a form of church architecture, which was an elaboration of Romanesque architecture. Fast forward several centuries and the 19th century public began showing an interest in horror novels. Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein in 1818, Bram Stoker wrote Dracula in 1897, and Edgar Allen Poe wrote poems, short stories, and other depressing works in the early 1800s. In 1967, music critic John Stickney called The Doors’ single “The End” gothic rock. The most important usage of this word for our purposes, however, was when Joy Division’s manager Tony Wilson used it to describe their music, contrasting it from what was occurring in the mainstream.

England had a “post-punk landscape” in the late ‘70s, as gothic rock historian Pete Scathe describes it. Inspired also by the DIY attitude encapsulated by the Sex Pistols during the brink of the punk rock revolution, Joy Division’s sound mimicked Manchester, England’s bleak surroundings prevalent in the late ‘70s. Joy Division released the post-punk classic Unknown Pleasures in ’79 and followed it up the following year with a record filled with more mood, gloom, doom, and brood, Closer, which was by and large a blueprint for many gothic rock bands to come, who often borrowed from Ian Curtis’ unique vocal delivery (The Sisters of Mercy, She Wants Revenge, etc.).

(For reference: “Twenty Four Hours” by Joy Division)

In August of 1979, the Cure toured as Siouxsie & the Banshees’ opening act for their second album Join Hands. The Banshees' Steven Severin claims that the Cure's Robert Smith donned his signature look after playing with Siouxsie Sioux every night. In this way, these two acts helped to define the what came to be known as “goth” in the aesthetic sense, as both Smith and Sioux performed with their respective makeup-heavy fashion senses. The image at this time was equal parts punk rock and glam rock.

(For reference: “One Hundred Years” by the Cure)

Although Joy Division, the Cure, and the Banshees were probably the three bands most commercially successful that had any bearing on the yet-to-emerge goth scene, there were a handful of acts hugely important that gained most of their notoriety in the 1980s. Post-punk/proto-noise rock giants The Birthday Party revealed their B-movie gothic horror anthem “Release the Bats” in 1981 (with lyrics like “Damn that horror bat/Sex vampire,” what else but goth could they possibly be anticipating?). Killing Joke was another British proto-goth act that helped pave the way thanks to their minimal, bass-heavy style of post-punk. Their 1980 self-titled album yielded a handful of singles crucial  to gothic rock’s history.

(For reference: “Release the Bats” by the Birthday Party and “Requiem” by Killing Joke)

It is nearly unarguable, however, that there is no single band that helped sculpt and solidify the gothic rock sound quite like Bauhaus. By the time their debut single “Bela Lugosi’s Dead,” dropped a few months before 1980, they had secured their place as the most important gothic rock act to date. They held a self-aware aloofness, tongue-in-cheek taste for the macabre, minimalist interest in gloomy atmosphere, and punk rock ethos in their arsenal. Perhaps the most extraordinary feat Bauhaus accomplished was to tie up any loose ends Joy Division, the Banshees, or anyone else had left. They had created gothic rock proper. 

(For reference: “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” by Bauhaus)

It is no surprise that Bauhaus’ and their progenitors’ actions had sparked a bit of a revolution in England in the early-mid ‘80s. Several other bands began to follow suit in image, attitude, and the rapidly developing sound that can be characterized by nothing other than “gothic rock.” Other groups to play in this style are the Sisters of Mercy (latterly the Sisterhood and the Mission), Theatre of Hate, and Southern Death Cult. By this time, the term “gothic” was not in common circulation. In the February 1983 issue of NME, journalist Richard North described the developing movement as “positive punk” or “posi-punk,” which denoted gothic rock’s tendency to not incite riotous behaviors in listeners. Many gothic rock musicians detested the label, and the term “goth” became relevant shortly thereafter.

(For reference: “Black Planet” by The Sisters of Mercy)

The most iconic nightclub in the gothic subculture is none other than the Batcave in London, England. It was opened in July of 1982 by a man named Olli Wisdom to be a club that specializes in new wave and glam rock. Wisdom had formed a London deathrock band in 1980 called Specimen. Just as readily as Wisdom opened the Batcave, Specimen became the house band. Attention quickly shifted from new wave to deathrock and gothic rock, and the Batcave became the place to be for British goths and deathrockers. Other notable bands that frequently played the Batcave include Alien Sex Fiend, The Virgin Prunes, and Sex Gang Children. Not only was the “goth” look solidified by this point, it had become a cultural phenomenon.

(For reference: “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” by Specimen)

*Fun fact: Johnny Slut of Specimen is generally credited as the inventor of the deathhawk.

Simultaneously, there was a similar movement happening on the other side of the Atlantic. Los Angeles, California’s deathrock scene had been flourishing just as the London scene had. LA deathrock was more hardcore than post-punk, more shock rock than glam rock. The majority took influence from American punk rock and hardcore bands that had an affinity for the gruesome, such as the Misfits (pioneers of horrorpunk) and the Cramps (pioneers of psychobilly*) and darker British punk bands like the Damned. The aesthetic in LA deathrock bands took even more influence from horror camp and less from punk rock. Some of the more important bands from this scene (45 Grave, Christian Death, Kommunity FK), indulged in an Alice Cooper brand of morbid theatricalism, which fans of this style mirrored in their fashion.

(For reference: “Evil” by 45 Grave)

Taking root from darkwave (which will be covered in the following article), a particularly unusual gothic rock derivative began developing in the early 1980s: ethereal wave. Ethereal wave took inspiration from not only the usual suspects of punk rock and post-punk, but also ambient music, art rock, progressive rock, and psychedelic rock. This gave the traditional ethereal wave sound an expansive, dreamy, oft exultant tonality that was entirely unique until dream pop, shoegaze, and ethereal wave itself began stepping on each others’ toes in the second have of the decade. Dead Can Dance, Faith & the Muse, and the Cocteau Twins are important acts in this genre.

(For reference: “Will You Fade” by Love Spirals Downwards)

A problematic development in the history of goth in rock music was the conception of gothic metal proper. It is a blurry genre that can get entangled with the likes of doom metal, pop music, black metal, and darkwave. Nonetheless, there are some metal bands that have an undeniably gothic feel to their music. Type O Negative, Tiamat, Saviour Machine, and Moonspell are all deserving of the aforementioned title. Death/doom metal was pioneered by the Peaceville Three (Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride, and Anathema), three British groups that all signed to Peaceville Records in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s that had a similar, emotional style of death/doom. This became a huge inspiration for bands like Type O Negative, and even the gothic-kissed rock band HIM. The gothic metal style is often seen as a subgenre of doom metal, and therefore tends to be slow, dirge-like, and massive. Influences from death metal, epic doom metal, and symphonic metal are also common.

(For reference: “White Slavery” by Type O Negative)

Stay tuned for Part 2, Goth in electronic music.

-Thus spake the Atma

*I chose to not make mention of the gothabilly genre, as the scene is so small, it is nearly insignificant.

Author’s note:

New Romanticism was a type of fashion and music popular in the ‘80s, wrongfully often associated with the gothic subculture. Although, both subcultures take influence from glam, they go about it in entirely disparate ways. One needs to look no further than a Google Image search of Boy George or Adam Ant to see the blaring dissimilarity. 

Suggested listening:

Joy Division - Closer (1980)

Siouxsie & the Banshees - Juju (1981)

Christian Death - Only Theatre of Pain (1982)

Alien Sex Fiend - Who’s Been Sleeping in My Brain? (1983)

Specimen - Batastrophe (1983)

Red Lorry Yellow Lorry - Talk About the Weather (1985)

The Mission - Gods Own Medicine (1986)

Cocteau Twins - Victorialand (1986)

The Sisters of Mercy - Floodland (1987)

Type O Negative - Bloody Kisses (1993)

The history and nuances of powerviolence

An oft unsung chapter of late twentieth century American hardcore began in the early ‘90s, and for many, ended later in that decade. This style, known as powerviolence, can be best described as an amplified brand of hardcore - one that embraces every challenging or offensive aspect of the genre and raises each to a deafening height. The speed, volume, aggression, noise, short song length, and contemptuous outlook found in your typical Black Flag-style hardcore was just the beginning for these powerviolence bands (it was also not uncommon for bands in this genre also incorporate sludge metal style breakdowns). Those involved in the scene will tell you that it came into fruition as a reaction to radio play-centric punk and pop punk that held the attention of the public of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Many felt that the essence of hardcore was lost at that time, which cause several significantly more intense individuals to dutifully set out to reclaim punk rock on their own terms.

A very important band in the creation of powerviolence formed in Valencia, California in the late ‘80s. This band was Infest. Although, the term “powerviolence” had not been croined until the early ‘90s (by Matt Domino of Infest, himself), Infest began pioneering the style in a groundbreaking way, and served as an influence for the vast majority of powerviolence bands to come. Infest was influenced by hardcore (Negative FX) and thrashcore groups (Siege, Lärm).

(For reference: “Which Side” by Infest)

By the early ‘90s it had become clear that there was a new hardcore movement that was developing in California. Similar to that of the late ‘80s shoegaze scene in England, all the bands were aware of each other’s existence and supported each other. The likes of Crossed Out, Capitalist Casualties, No Comment, Spazz, and Neanderthal all formed within a few years of each other, played the same shows, and many of whom even played in each other’s bands. This came to be known as the West Coast Powerviolence (WCPV) scene.

(For reference: “Crown of Thorns” by Crossed Out)

Something had to be done to catalogue this unique influx of California hardcore. Luckily, Chris Dodge of No Use for a Name, Stikky, Despise You, Lack of Interest and (arguably most importantly) Spazz was motivated to begin his own record label called Slap-a-Ham Records. He created this label in order to “put out releases by the bands [he] really liked, who weren’t getting recognition.” It was a record label that focused primarily on powerviolence, hardcore, and grindcore bands (although there were a few releases by sludge metal bands Burning Witch, Noothgrush, and Eyehategod, as well). The likes of Capitalist Casualties, Spazz, Crossed Out, and many more WCPV bands released albums on this label. 

Perhaps the most important band in the WCPV scene is Man Is the Bastard from Claremont, California. Man Is the Bastard became a kind of powerviolence collective, many members therein having performed with other groups of the same style. Parts of Pissed Happy Children, Neanderthal, Crossed Out, and No Comment made the crux of the group. The aspect that set them apart from other bands in the genre was Henry Barnes’ (Amps for Christ) guitar reconfigurations (the apparatuses themselves known as his “boxes”) that added a whole new dimension of Merzbow-influenced noise to this already intense subgenre of hardcore. Man Is the Bastard’s lyricism and message personified powerviolence’s ideals perfectly. They practiced Crass-ian anarchistic tendencies and preached that man is a reprehensible animal and a scourge to this earth. This was all succinctly summarized by their name and logo (a picture of the earlier recorded human skull. Interpret that as you will). Man Is the Bastard’s ethos embody the spirit of powerviolence, insofar that they believed we as a species need to take the initiative (perhaps a violent one?) for a necessary anti-capitalist, sociopolitical change or revolution to occur. What is crucial to note is the dynamic Barnes’ boxes added to Man Is the Bastard’s sound, yet warm inclusion to the WCPV scene suggested that powerviolence’s ideals were more important than the sonic similarity to other bands in the scene. Eric Wood of Man Is the Bastard went on to form the harsh noise/hardcore project Bastard Noise.

(For reference: “Tyke” by Man Is the Bastard)

As previously discussed in this article, there was a marriage of powerviolence and emotive hardcore sounds in the ‘90s called emo violence. This style was pioneered by South Carolina hardcore band In/Humanity and was popularized by the likes of Orchid and pg. 99.

There has been a revitalization in powerviolence since the mid-‘00s thanks to the new wave of contemporary American hardcore, as well as the formation of a few notable groups, such as Nails, Weekend Nachos, Trash Talk and Bucket Full of Teeth (Will Killingsworth and Brad Wallace played in Orchid before Bucket Full of Teeth’s inception in 2001). There are some (particularly Eric Wood) who deny that any powerviolence groups exist outside of the original WCPV scene at all and that any bands who claim to be powerviolence are a different genre entirely. 

(For reference: “Traitor” by Nails)

While still very underground, the powerviolence scene, if there truly is a scene for it at all, remains a micro cult interest or perhaps even a novel curiosity within the larger American grindcore and crust punk scenes. Although it does not seem likely that the genre will garner any sort of commercial following, its relevance as a part of hardcore’s history is undeniable.

-Thus spake the Atma

Author’s note: 

There is a prevalent air of incertitude for many when making the aural distinction between powerviolence and crossover thrash. When bands like DRI, Corrosion of Conformity, and Cryptic Slaughter began making a name for themselves in the mid-late ‘80s, many groups took the idea of the hardcore/thrash metal crossover and ran with it (which gave rise to the advent of metalcore from NYHC and grindcore from British crust and anarcho-punk). However, there were still some that dismissed the crossover entirely. Thrashcore groups (from whence powerviolence was derived) decided to keep the spirit of hardcore alive and untainted by the crossover. In short, the chief distinction of powerviolence from other subgenres of hardcore is that it did not use the crossover to evolve its sound, but was instead what the bands found to be the natural progression of hardcore itself.

Suggested listening:

Infest - Slave ('88)

No Comment - Downsided ('92)

Man Is the Bastard - Thoughtless... ('95)

Dropdead - 2nd LP ('98)

Spazz - Crush Kill Destroy ('99)

Orchid - Chaos Is Me ('99)

Bucket Full of Teeth - IV  ('05)

Iron Lung - Sexless//No Sex ('07)

Nails - Unsilent Death ('10)

Noise rock: grunge's roots

Grunge. Everybody knows Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Many people recognize this style of music as a subgenre of alternative rock. Not too much of a stretch, taking into account how many grunge groups took influence from Neil Young and R.E.M. I mean, golly. Green River gets their name from a Creedence Clearwater Revival song for goodness’s sake. Not as clear, however, is the influence from the less cohesive side of the underground. Today, I’ll be focusing on the more dissonant forms of the American noise rock underground that gave rise to the Seattle sound in the late ‘80s and ‘90s.

Although grunge can be traced back to 1960s garage rock groups like the Stooges and the Sonics (garage rock’s influence on punk rock could be made into its own article entirely), the real development in this lineage can be traced to the late ‘70s San Francisco bay area hardcore scene. Notable names include MDC and D.R.I., not to mention the infamous Dead Kennedys. Without expending too much brain power, one can assume the scene was dominated by a sound largely characterized by high energy and speed. In the early ‘80s, the height of US hardcore (Black Flag’s Damaged was released in 1981 and Bad Brains’ self-titled album was released in 1982), the San Francisco hardcore group Flipper released Album - Generic Flipper. The drastic sonic divergence cannot go unacknowledged. The vocals are nonchalantly delivered, whereas hardcore vocals of the are fiery and passionate. The playing is slow and sloppy, whereas the hardcore dynamic was fast-paced and... well, still sloppy. Flipper was hated for their unique style that incorporated noise, slow to mid tempos, and an ironic lack of concern for their image.

(For reference (and contrast): “Nazi Punks Fuck Off” by Dead Kennedys and “(I Saw You) Shine” by Flipper)

It is safe to say that Flipper’s impact on hardcore was far-reaching. The early to mid ‘80s saw the formation of several bands that could more or less constitute the first traditional wave of noise rock. Some groups took influence from actual harsh noise music (Big Black, the Butthole Surfers), some were involved in the New York no wave scene (Swans, Sonic Youth), but others still were seemingly devout Flipper followers (Scratch Acid, Killdozer, the Melvins). Each aforementioned band contributed significantly to the early Seattle grunge scene. The Flipper devotees were grouped by a common sound: a slower, trudgy aesthetic and a cynical, sarcastic perception of lyricism, which took punk rock and hardcore into an entirely new place.

(For reference: “Man Vs. Nature” by Killdozer)

There were a few notable occurrences in the ‘80s that molded the noise rock insurgence into something distinct. Alternative rock bands like Skin Yard and Soundgarden formed and gained prominence, influential bands like the U-Men and Bundle of Hiss performed hardcore in a noisy way, Black Flag released My War in ’84 (their change of style was a death knell of traditional hardcore to many), and perhaps most importantly, Green River formed in ’84. Seattle natives Green River played in a style that was equal parts Flipper-inspired noise rock, garage rock, and alternative rock. It was in this way that they beckoned the emergence of grunge as an underground punk rock movement. Green River would later break up to form parts of what would become Pearl Jam and Mudhoney, two of the most important Seattle grunge bands (the latter being one of the only groups to remain faithful to their noise rock roots). 

(For reference: “New God” by Green River)

Late into the decade, a few groups (Unsane, The Jesus Lizard, Rapeman, etc.) would form and continue to embrace noise rock as a substantial genre, but what garnered much more attention was the blossoming the Seattle sound. Nirvana, Alice in Chains, and Mudhoney all formed within a year or two of each other. This solidified grunge as a genre. Some groups shirked their noise rock sound completely. Still others ardently sported this influence. 

(For reference: “Floyd the Barber” by Nirvana and “Pretty on the Inside” by Hole)

Enter September of 1991: Nirvana has just swept the nation with the release of their single of “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” and secured grunge as a mainstream movement, intentional or not. Kurt Coabin reveals to the Rolling Stone in 1994 that he was “trying to write the ultimate pop song.” From the release of Nevermind onward, grunge was regarded as an alternative rock movement. The scratches and scrapes of Big Black evolved into pristine, clean, and calculated instrumentation of Mad Season.

(For reference: “Nearly Lost You” by the Screaming Trees)

Lest we forget grunge’s roots.

-Thus spake the Atma

The history and present state of emo

As I’m writing this, it’s November, 2013. You know what term you haven’t heard tossed around in mainstream media in the past ten years? Emo. And good riddance, right? Why should you even care about that self-indulgent excuse for a punk rock derivative? Well I can give you two reasons right now:

1. Now, more than any time in the past twenty years, emo is gaining headway as an underground phenomenon. 
2. Because listen.

Emo’s History

In Chicago, Illinois in the early ‘80s, a movement retrospectively called “post-hardcore” began taking formation, with bands like The Effigies, Naked Raygun, and Big Black heading the early scene. This up-and-coming sound (as well as the release of Hüsker Dü’s 1984 release Zen Arcade) appealed to certain key figures in the Washington, D.C. hardcore (or harDCore) scene, namely Guy Picciotto, who wanted to prevent the perpetuation of the violence that inevitably occurred at hardcore shows in D.C. Picciotto and some fellow harDCore musicians formed Rites of Spring in 1984. Rites of Spring put a unique spin on Chicago’s post-hardcore sound, using D.C. hardcore as a base. Many traditional-minded D.C. punks scoffed at Rites of Spring’s emotionally-driven and introspective lyrics. Since it was the norm for punk lyrics to be either socially or politically conscious, it definitely turned some heads when they began writing this way. So much so that it was rumored that some of Rites of Spring’s aggressors labelled them as “emotional hardcore” (which shortened to “emocore” and finally “emo”), a term which they did not care for. A year later (1985), another band formed in a similar style. That band was Ian MacKaye’s (Minor Threat, Teen Idles) Embrace, whose lyrics were arguably more personal than that of Rites of Spring. These two contemporary bands were the only first wave emo bands that got any notable recognition. There were a handful of less influential bands that existed however, such as Dag Nasty, Beefeater, and Grey Matter. After Embrace’s demise, MacKaye went on to form hugely influential post-hardcore band Fugazi, which Picciotto later joined.

(For reference, “For Want Of” by Rites of Spring and “Give Me Back” by Embrace)

In the mid-‘90s, a second wave of emo bands began to appear that had a post-hardcore sound, but also utilized an indie rock sensibility. The group that pioneered this scene more than any other was Sunny Day Real Estate and with their 1994 release of Diary, the indie emo scene had become somewhat firmly established. Many of the following bands came from the Midwestern United States, such as Braid, The Promise Ring, and Cap’n Jazz, although there were several other bands from other areas, such as New York’s Texas is the Reason and Texas’ Mineral. Regardless of geographic origin, all of these bands became known as either indie emo or Midwest emo.

(For reference: “Seven” by Sunny Day Real Estate and “Gloria” by Mineral)

Meanwhile, bands such as Jimmy Eat World and Dashboard Confessional began to craft a sound that incorporated both emo and pop. To everyone’s surprise, this became known later on as “emo-pop”. This style did not catch on in the mainstream until the early 2000’s when Jimmy Eat World began to release several singles successful on the chart (2001’s “The Middle” and “Sweetness” and 2004’s “Pain”) and when other bands like Brand New, My Chemical Romance, and Circa Survive formed that took the genre to another level. These bands garnered massive mainstream success by the mid-‘00s, and by 2008, you’d be hard-pressed to find an American who wasn’t familiar with the term “emo”.

(For reference: “Screaming Infidelities” by Dashboard Confessional and “Jesus” by Brand New)

Screamo’s History

Backtracking a tad to late ‘80s/early ‘90s San Diego, there was a venue there called Ché Café. This venue was home to what would be the first split in the emo movement- a genre called “screamo”. This genre, fronted by Heroin, and later, bands like Portraits of Past and Antioch Arrow, would prove to be an embellishment on the previously established post-hardcore and first wave emo styles, incorporating a more aggressive, more dissonant sound, while maintaining the same introspective and personal lyricism. The term “screamo”, just as with “emo”, holds baggage, which many practitioners of the genre had disdain for. 

(For reference: “Hasbeen” by Heroin)

A powerviolence band called In/Humanity formed in 1991 in South Carolina that incorporated some emo sensibilities into their music. They created the portmanteau “emo violence” in a tongue-in-cheek fashion that seemingly predicted the formation of bands that adhered to this style in the late ‘90s like Orchid and pg. 99 that were also influenced by the early San Diego screamo scene. There were many other influential screamo bands that began to appear at this time, less influenced by powerviolence such as Saetia, Funeral Diner, and Circle Takes the Square.

(For reference: “Aesthetic Dialectic” by Orchid and “In The Nervous Light of Sunday” by Circle Takes the Square)

In 1997, a band formed that changed the course of screamo forever. This band was New Brunswick, NJ’s Thursday. Thursday had a unique sound, as they fused their Fugazi-inspired foundation with the melodic post-punk influences derived from bands like the Smiths, Joy Division, and the Cure. Seemingly all at once, screamo took the world by storm. Bands such as Thrice, Finch, Silverstein, Alexisonfire, The Used, and Hawthorne Heights appeared, creating a clearly marketable scene. There were many fans of early ‘90s screamo who were averse to the new direction the genre began to go in. People started to refer to the earlier generations of screamo as “real screamo” or even “skramz” to provide distinction to the two different sounds. 

(For reference: “Understanding in a Car Crash” by Thursday and “What It Is To Burn” by Finch)

The present state of emo

The late 2000‘s more or less saw the demise of emo as it came to be known, and just as emo and screamo were leaving the public eye, a handful of bands formed that gave a new spin on the genre. Groups like Algernon Cadwallader, Snowing, Dads, and William Bonney incorporating math rock influences as well as the light, twinkly clean guitars from early indie emo bands like Cap’n Jazz and American Football. This addition of sound earned them the term “math emo”, or the somewhat condescending term “twinkly emo”. 

(For reference: “Shit Twins” by Dads)

Since the arrival of math emo, it’s become more and more apparent that there’s an emo revival going on in. Many bands are looking back to the 1990’s Midwest bands for influence (don’t worry everyone- present day emo still twinkles), and have formed such acts as Crash of Rhinos, Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate), Dikembe, Touché Amoré (more influenced by screamo than indie emo), and perhaps most notably, The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die. 

(For reference: “Heartbeat in the Brain” by The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die)

In the wake of said revival, some are even referring to the revivalists as “Twinkle daddies”. In an age of absurd genre names, let’s hope this one doesn’t stick.

-Thus spake the Atma