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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