GOTHIC METAL

Gothic metal or goth metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that combines the aggression of doom metal with the dark melancholy of gothic rock. The music of gothic metal is diverse with bands known to adopt the gothic approach to different styles of heavy metal music. The genre originated during the early 1990s in Europe originally as an outgrowth of doom/death, a fusion of death metal and doom metal. Lyrics are generally melodramatic and mournful with inspiration from gothic fiction as well as personal experiences.

Pioneers of gothic metal (although the bands themselves never claim the title of gothic-metal) include Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride and Anathema, all from the north of England. Other pioneers from the first half of the 1990s include Type O Negative from the United States, Tiamat from Sweden, and The Gathering from the Netherlands. Norwegian band Theatre of Tragedy developed the "beauty and the beast" aesthetic of combining aggressive male vocals with clean female vocals, a contrast that has since been adopted by many gothic metal groups. During the mid-1990s, Moonspell, Theatres des Vampires and Cradle of Filth brought the gothic approach to black metal. By the end of the decade, a symphonic metal variant of gothic metal had been developed by Tristania and Within Temptation.

In the 21st century, gothic metal has moved towards the mainstream in Europe, particularly in Finland where groups such as Entwine, HIM, Lullacry, Poisonblack and Sentenced have released hit singles or chart-topping albums. In the US, however, only a few bands such as HIM,[1] Lacuna Coil,[2] Evanescence[3] and Cradle of Filth[4] have found commercial success.

Music

The music of gothic metal is generally characterised by its dark atmospheres.[10] The adjective "dark" is commonly used to describe gothic music in general while other terms that are less frequently used include deep, depressing, romantic, passionate and intense.[11] Gothic metal has also been described as "a combination of the darkness and melancholy of goth rock with heavy metal".[12] Allmusic defines the genre as a fusion of "the bleak, icy atmospherics of goth rock with the loud guitars and aggression of heavy metal" and further notes that "true goth metal is always directly influenced by goth rock - ethereal synths and spooky textures are just as important as guitar riffs, if not moreso".[13]

Gothic metal is a varied genre with bands pursuing many different directions, from "slow and crushing variations" to "orchestral and bombastic". The doom metal background of early pioneers like Anathema,[14] Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride has been taken up by groups like Artrosis,[15] Ava Inferi[16] and Draconian.[17] The black metal approach of Cradle of Filth, Theatres des Vampires and early Moonspell can be found in such subsequent bands as Graveworm,[18] Drastique and Samsas Traum[19] while the symphonic metal approach of Tristania and Within Temptation can be found in other groups like Epica, Sirenia and After Forever. Other variations include the death metal of Trail of Tears, the folk metal of Midnattsol, the industrial metal of Deathstars, Gothminister and Neon Synthesis and the alternative metal of Katatonia, Lacuna Coil, and Evanescence

Vocals

Lead female vocalists are a common presence in the gothic metal genre. One of the earliest was Anneke van Giersbergen of The Gathering, depicted above.

There is also a diverse range of vocal styles in gothic metal. Male singers in the genre range from the guttural growls and black metal shrieks of Dani Filth[20] and Morten Veland[21] to the clean baritone vocals of Østen Bergøy[21] and the bass range of Peter Steele.[22] For the female singers, the different vocal styles includes the screams and growls of Cadaveria, the "poppy" vocals of Tanja Lainio from Lullacry[23] and the operatic soprano style of Vibeke Stene from Tristania.[21] There are more female singers in gothic metal than there are in any other heavy metal subgenres but female vocals are neither necessary nor synonymous with the genre. Liv Kristine of Theatre of Tragedy and Leaves' Eyes notes that the gothic tag is often misinterpreted and points out that "not every band with female vocals is a gothic band".[24] The genre is also known to attract more female fans relative to other subgenres of heavy metal music.[25]

Lyrics

The lyrics of gothic metal are known to be "epic and melodramatic".[12] For the three English bands that helped to pioneer the genre, their sorrowful and depressive lyrics reflect their background in doom metal.[26] The music of My Dying Bride has been noted as "dripping with treachery and pain" from a "lyrical fascination with deceit and transgressions of every variety".[27] Lyrics that focus on suicide and the meaninglessness of life can be found in Anathema[28] while Paradise Lost too has "never lost their depressive edge".[29]

The Italian gothic black metal band Theatres des Vampires manifests a deep interest in the vampire myth, a common staple of gothic horror fiction.[30]

Gothic fiction, a literary genre that blends horror and romance, has been a source of inspiration for the lyrics of many gothic metal bands like Cadaveria,[31] Cradle of Filth,[32] Moonspell,[33] Theatres des Vampires[34] and Xandria.[35] Critic Eduardo Rivadavia of Allmusic identifies drama and mournful beauty as requisite elements of the genre.[36] For My Dying Bride, the subjects of "death and misery and lost love and romance" has been approached repeatedly from different angles.[37] The common gothic theme of lost love[38] is a subject that has been tackled by such gothic metal bands as Theatre of Tragedy[39] and Leaves' Eyes.[40]

Lyrics based on personal experiences is another common feature of many gothic metal bands such as Anathema,[41] Elis,[42] Tiamat,[43] Midnattsol[44] and The Old Dead Tree.[45] Graveworm moved away from fantasy stories in favor of personal lyrics after finding them more suitable for their style of music.[46] The lyrics of fellow Italians Lacuna Coil also do not feature any "fantasy stuff or something that you cannot find in reality" as their co-vocalist Cristina Scabbia finds it desirable that people can relate themselves to her band's lyrics.[47] Similarly, the band Lullacry features lyrics on the subjects of "love, hate, passion and pain" because a person "can easily connect to a song" with lyrics "about human relationships".[48]

Gothic rock

Gothic rock had emerged as an offshoot of post-punk in the 1980s but by the end of that decade, the genre had splintered into different directions with bands such as The Cure, Mission U.K. and Siouxsie and the Banshees incorporating "more pop and alternative elements" while The Sisters of Mercy, Fields of the Nephilim and Christian Death took on a "heavier, sometimes metal-influenced approach".[62] The Sisters of Mercy was one of the leading goth bands of the 1980s, playing "a slow, gloomy, ponderous hybrid of metal and psychedelia, often incorporating dance beats".[63] The band only released three full length albums with the debut First and Last and Always released in 1985. Their last album Vision Thing arrived in 1990 as one of the earliest attempts to mix gothic music with heavy metal.[64] Fields of the Nephilim had also released only three studio albums before their initial dissolution in 1991.[65] They have since reformed, released more albums and been recognized for their influence on the "glut of metal bands" in the early 21st century "that incorporated obvious elements of goth into their sound - especially detected in their appreciation of symphonic and keyboard sounds (as well as their fashion sense)".[66]

According to Allmusic, "goth metal first emerged during the early to mid-'80s, centered around Los Angeles' so-called 'death-rock' scene headed by Christian Death".[13] Acclaimed as the "founding fathers of American goth rock", Christian Death went through a major personnel change in 1985 with the departure of the band's leader and founder Rozz Williams.[67] Guitarist Valor Kand took over the reins and under his leadership, Christian Death subsequently pursued a more metal-oriented direction.[67][68] In particular, their 1988 album Sex and Drugs and Jesus Christ has been described by critic Steve Huey as "heavy goth-rock bordering on metal".[69]

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APA ITU GOTHIC

Secara nama, Gothic adalah nama kaum barbar Germanic yang menyerang Eropa dan memulai abad kegelapan. Mereka meninggalkan banyak peradaban penting seperti lukisan dan arsitektur.

Namun Subkultur Goth yang berbasis musik yang dikenal hingga kini sebenarnya dimulai di Inggris tahun 1980-an setelah kematian Post-Punk. Diambil dari “abunya”, lahirlah subkultur Goth.  Itulah kenapa baju hitam-hitam, dandanan kelam, sarung tangan jala, sebenarnya masih pengaruh dari post-punk. Subkultur Goth diawali dari lagu Bauhaus “Bela Lugosi’s Dead”, yang dicirikan dengan banyaknya efek reverb gitar dan atmosfer kelam. Mula-mula istilah “Goth” hanyalah olok-olok media terhadap lagu Bauhaus itu, tapi malah dari istilah itu lahirlah subkultur baru yang menggantikan Post-Punk, yaitu Goth.

Beberapa band Goth pioneer selain Bauhaus adalah : Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, Christian Death, Fields of Nephilim, The Damned, dan The Sisters of Mercy.

Dari waktu ke waktu, subkultur Goth mengalami perkembangan. Muncul pemahaman kalau menjadi seorang Goth adalah memiliki mindset menghargai keindahan dalam kematian dan kegelapan di mana orang-orang lain pasti akan menghindarinya, dan menghargai dark aesthetics. Dan satu lagi, Goth bukanlah subkultur yang terdiri dari orang-orang depresi. Orang-orang dalam scene ini justru menikmati hidup dengan cara mereka sendiri. Berpakaian hitam adalah cara mereka mengekspresikan diri, bukan karena mereka ingin bunuh diri, suka membunuh orang, atau depresi. Bahkan kalau Anda mau tahu, Anda nggak mesti berpakaian hitam untuk menjadi seorang Goth. Banyak kaum Goth yang suka berpakaian warna-warni dan itu nggak membuat mereka “dipecat” dari subkultur tersebut. Emilie Autumn contohnya.

Karena Goth adalah subkultur berbasis musik, subkultur ini terbuka bagi semua orang dari setiap kepercayaan baik Kristen, Yahudi, Muslim, Buddha, atheis, sampai agama non-mainstream seperti vampirism, satanis, dan Wiccan. Tapi yang jelas, Gothic nggak identik dengan satu agama tertentu, seperti Kristen doang atau satanic doang. Tidak adak kaitan antara Gothic sama agama, karena Gothic emang bukan agama. Jadi salah mitos kalo Gothic itu vampir, memuja setan, dan minum darah.

Band Band Gothic dan Musik Gothic

“Seseorang tak pernah dianggap Goth sampai mereka mendengarkan musik Goth. Sebab Goth adalah subkultur yang berbasis musik. Anda bisa saja pake baju item satu mall, pake eyeliner sekilo sampe setan pun kabur liat muka Anda, tapi Anda belum jadi Goth kecuali Anda mendengarkan musik Goth yang sebenarnya. Kalau Anda punya Goth mindset, memakai baju Gothic, dan membaca sastranya, itu nilai plus buat Anda.

“Tapi janganlah juga memaksakan diri untuk mendengarkan musik yang tidak Anda sukai. Menjadi Goth berarti juga menikmati hidup. Dengarkan musik apapun yang Anda sukai, kenakan pakaian apapun yang Anda sukai, Gothic dan bukan.”

Pergilah ke setiap website, blog, dan forum Goth dan itulah yang Anda dapatkan. Terkesan aneh, kadang bertentangan atau apapun itu, tapi itulah “norma tak tertulis” yang berlaku dalam subkultur Goth.

Bahkan, sebenarnya tidak ada ketentuan khusus seperti apa musik yang disebut “Gothic” dan masuk subkultur ini. Hanya saja ada beberapa ciri tersendiri, bisa salah satu atau semuanya : banyak memakai efek reverb dalam gitar atau sound effect, memiliki atmosfer musik kelam dan dalam, memiliki lyrics lagu yang kontemplatif dan menghargai keindahan dalam kegelapan, punya lyrics lagu yang berdasarkan cerita pagan atau mitos, dan banyak didengarkan oleh orang-orang subkultur Goth. Kebanyakan musisi Goth di Eropa lahir dari perusahaan rekaman bernama Projekt.

Latar belakang bahasa Gothic Pada paruh pertama milenium pertama, kaum Gothic mengembara ke seluruh benua Eropa.  Mereka berangkat dari Skandinavia sebelum tahun-tahun pertama Masehi dan sampai di sebelah selatan daerah yang sekarang disebut Rusia bagian selatan pada pertengahan abad ke-3. Pada abad ke-4 kaum Gothic seperti banyak suku Jermanik lainnya harus minggir untuk bangsa Hun dan mulai bermigrasi ke barat.

memang belum ada peneliti yang benar benar detail memberikan arti kata Gothic itu sendiri tapi karena aliran musik metal luar biasa berkembang nya apalagi di era tahun 93 band gothic di eropa bagaikan bak jamur di musim hujan. Semoga dalam waktu dekat ada peneliti yang meneliti dengan seksama tentang Gothic mulai dari suku bangsa, arsitektur samapai ke musiknya.

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Sejarah Aliran Musik ‘Gothic’ Metal

ALIRAN musik Gothic sebenarnya pertama kali muncul dari evolusi Punk, dan disebut musik Goth (juga sering disebut Gothic Rock). Musik Gothic berasal dari Inggris, aliran ini dipopulerkan oleh band asal Inggris seperti The Cure, Bauhaus, Fields of Nephilim, dan lainnya, pada awal 80-an.

Isi liriknya adalah tentang dark poetry, dunia khayal, romantisme, misteri, kematian, pemberontakan, kehidupan sehari-hari, solusi untuk keluar dari kesedihan, dsb.

Masuk pertengahan 80-an muncul band-band yang membawakan aliran baru yang terinspirasi dari Goth (masih berasal dari Inggris). Contoh band-band Industrial adalah sebagai berikut: Skinny Puppy, The Neon Judgement, Borghesia, dll. Aliran musik ini ditandai dengan penggunaan alat musik sintesis (synths) seperti drum machine, dan electronic distortion. Serupa dengan musik electronica, namun musik Industrial lebih keras (seperti suasana pabrik) dan menggunakan tema lirik Goth. Dari aliran ini muncul lagi aliran musik lain seperti Electronic Body Music (EBM) dan Darkwave.

Pada akhir 80-an atau masuk era 90-an, muncul aliran Gothic Metal yang juga diperkenalkan oleh band-band asal Inggris seperti Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride dan Anathema. Irama musik Gothic Metal adalah evolusi dari pencampuran musik Death Metal dan Black Metal, dengan mengangkat tema lirik musik Goth dengan sedikit penambahan tema baru: era Gothic (tahun 1700-an), konfrontasi, alam gaib, dsb.

Ciri khas Gothic Metal ditandai dengan penggunaan karakter “Beauty and the Beast”, yaitu penggunaan dua orang vokalis (biasanya terdiri dari satu laki-laki dan satu perempuan). Vokalis perempuan menggunakan karakter suara operatic dan seriousa (Beauty), sedangkan vokalis laki-laki menggunakan karakter suara growl dan scream (The Beast). Tempo aliran musik ini dimainkan dengan tempo yang agak lambat, tidak sekeras dan secepat musik Metal lainnya. Gothic Metal kemudian berkembang di beberapa negara di Eropa (Norwegia, Swedia, Polandia, Jerman, dll), dengan menambahkan ciri khas musiknya sendiri.

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