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

Cocteau Twins - "Victorialand" (1986)

The Twins' fourth full-length saw vocalist Elizabeth Fraser & guitarist Robin Guthrie opting to go for a new & more stripped back sound that completely omitted the rhythm section, predominantly due to the absence of bassist Simon Raymonde who was unavailable due to commitments with This Mortal Coil's sophomore record "Filigree & Shadow". The outcome is nothing short of lovely too, balancing sweet dream pop with dark ethereal wave soundscapes. Fraser is absolutely on fire here as usual, particularly on the more darkwave-driven & folk-infused material like "Throughout the Dark Months of April & May", "Whales Tails" (my personal favourite) & "Feet-Like Fins" which should all be regarded as classic Cocteau Twins tracks.

For fans of Julee Cruise, Love Spirals Downwards & Not Drowning, Waving.

4/5

Dead Can Dance - "Garden of the Arcane Delights" E.P. (1984)

This four-song E.P. was recorded during the same sessions as Dead Can Dance's self-titled debut album from earlier in 1984 &, thankfully, the quality is just as good as the full-length although the E.P. represents somewhat of a transition release between the Melbournites' early gothic rock sound & their later darkwave one with two songs from each category included. "In Power We Entrust the Love Advocated" is an all-time favourite of mine & may be the peak for the entire goth rock genre actually. I used to play & sing it at parties back when I first met my wife. Closer "Flowers of the Sea" is a stunning example of Lisa Gerrard's otherworldly talents too. I can't tell you how much I adore this artist but, if pushed, I slightly favour "Dead Can Dance" over the E.P. which isn't the general consensus these days.

For fans of Lycia, Drab Majesty & Trance to the Sun.

4.5/5