The Darkwave Thread

Cocteau Twins - "Head Over Heals" (1983)

I've returned to this excellent sophomore album from Scottish ethereal wave/ gothic rock outfit a couple of times over the last year as I've had a real soft spot for it since the mid-1990's when I used to frequent goth clubs every weekend with the rest of the Sydney extreme metal scene. Each time I hear it I'm reminded of just how similar Elizabeth Frazer's vocals are to my all-time favourite metal front woman in The Gathering's Anneke van Giersbergen, so much so that I can't help but feel that she was a total worshipper of records like this one. The dark opening track "When Mama Was Moth" is quite frankly one of the best pieces of music ever written while the rest of the ten-song tracklisting includes a string of very strong efforts, none of them living up to the thrill of the opener but still flexing their creative muscles nicely nonetheless. There are a couple of flat moments here though in the disappointing "Glass Candle Grenades" & "Multifoiled" but the wins easily outweigh the losses to make for a highly compelling listen & one that would put the new darkwave genre on the map.

For fans of Lowlife, Slowdive & early Dead Can Dance.

4/5

Cocteau Twins - "Sunburst & Snowblind" E.P. (1983)

This short four-song E.P. makes for an excellent accompaniment to the Scottish dream pop/ethereal wave acts "Head Over Heels" album from the same year & shares its excellent opening track "Sugar Hiccup" with that release. The other three songs are all worth hearing too though, particularly the very solid "Hitherto" which utilizes Elizabeth Fraser's powerful vocals really well. "Sunburst & Snowblind" comes highly recommended for metalheads who fancy themselves as a closet goth.

For fans of This Mortal Coil, Dead Can Dance & early Slowdive.

4/5