/r/goth
Reddit's Goth Community, for goth music and subculture!
Please check out our Wiki which features the rules and FAQ, and our sidebar which features many resources on goth music, (including recommendations and playlists) fashion, history, and scene.
Anything relating to fashion when it's not Fashion Friday, please post in r/GothFashion and if you are looking for a subreddit which encompasses anything dark and spooky, please visit r/DarklyInclined. We have r/gothclub for any alternative tunes.
Welcome to reddit's hangout for all things goth, subculture, and community! Please be sure to check out our Wiki, rules and FAQ for further information!
What is goth?
Goth is a subculture which began in the late 70s/early 80s, developed and based around a specific style of arty and experimental post-punk, turned down gloomier avenues, now known as "goth rock".
The subculture itself consists of a group of music genres, sub-genres, and counterparts like goth rock, deathrock, darkwave, ethereal wave, and coldwave; fashion, which takes inspiration from a number of fashions such as punk and glam, cultures, iconographies such as Egyptian, and religions like Christianity; and a borrowed aesthetic which usually focuses on death, the dark, supernatural, mysterious, and occult.
A goth is generally someone who listens to and supports their favourite goth bands, by buying merchandise, and if they are able, partaking in their local scene by attending concerts and gigs, festivals, etc. or the wider online goth scene by watching DJs stream or engaging in groups or forums.
They may or may not wear goth fashion, which could include anything from the traditional goth and deathrock dress to adopted and borrowed styles such as period fashion (namely Victorian, Edwardian, etc.) and tribal, and Western.
The scene itself is built around a social community, music, DJs, fanzines, events & meet-ups, concerts, festivals, thrifting & a DIY ethos, nightclubs, and gigs; goth would not exist without this, nor can goth become entirely separate from music. Goth is the music.
Goth History & Background
Late 70s - Early 80s
The very early post-punk goth bands took inspiration from an array of glam, punk, and psychedelic rock bands, namely David Bowie, Roxy Music, The Sex Pistols, The Doors, The Velvet Underground, and so on. These bands today are known as either proto-goth icons or heavy influences, which are evident through the classic and iconic goth bands' music.
Post-punk itself was born when, towards the end of the 70s, artists had grown tired of the raw, traditionalism punk rock, and adopted avant-garde sensibilities and non-rock influences, including but not limited to, funk, electronic, jazz, and dance - in their music. Besides goth rock, post-punk gave birth to many other styles of music in the years following - synthpunk, indie pop, neo-psychedelia, and avant-funk roots can all be traced back to post-punk origins.
By 1979, punk was turning down gloomier avenues, with bands growing tired of the 3-chord thrash. Siouxsie and the Banshees’ second LP Join Hands made use of the flanger, a sound which would become the staple for future goth and dark punk bands, and Bauhaus’ August 1979 dub-influenced single ”Bela Lugosi’s Dead” would become a widely accepted beginning of the goth rock genre, due to the darker lyrical themes and audience misunderstanding.
With many more developments underway, such as the release of Killing Joke’s first EP, Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures, and The Damned’s “Plan 9 Channel 7”, journalist Dave Thompson wrote “Dave Vanian [The Damned vocalist] provided the look, the Banshees supplied the menace, and Joy Division the angst. Now Bauhaus provided the intellectual discipline, and the spore from which a new culture could be spawned.”
"The Goth tag was a bit of a joke," insists Ian Astbury. "One of the groups coming up at the same time as [Southern Death Cult] was Sex Gang Children, and Andi -- he used to dress like a Banshees fan, and I used to call him the Gothic Goblin because he was a little guy, and he's dark. He used to like Edith Piaf and this macabre music, and he lived in a building in Brixton called Visigoth Towers. So he was the little Gothic Goblin, and his followers were Goths. That's where Goth came from."
Establishment of the Subculture
The opening of the iconic Batcave in ‘81 or early ‘82 in Soho, London, ran by founder and band member of Specimen, Olli Wisdom (March 8, 1958 – August 23, 2021), is regarded as the beginning of the goth subculture and where all the aspects of the scene came together, consisting of the music, style and aesthetic. With its cobweb lined ceilings, black bin lined walls, and (real) coffin decorated door, the glam club is a heavy example of goths’ creativity, artistic expression, and DIY ethos. The club was a popular destination for many notable and recognisably post-punk and goth artists such as Nick Cave, Robert Smith, Nik Fiend.
Mid-80s
Heading into the mid-80s, Leeds-based The Sisters of Mercy arrived at on the scene at the forefront of the second wave, building their reputation up with EPs and singles and mixing the post-punk elements of Siouxsie & the Banshees and The Cure into hard rock, creating goth rock. Other bands playing a similar style, including Fields of the Nephilim, The Mission, Ghost Dance, The March Violets, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, and The Merry Thoughts either formed around the same time or played in a similar style.
90s & Onwards
Towards, the end of the 80s going into the 90s, however, electronic industrial music, namely bands playing genres like electronic body music (EBM) and later on, electro-industrial, started taking over the nightclubs, forcing post-punk and goth rock to retreat underground.
Goth, however, still lives on with many new bands establishing themselves throughout the decades.
The 90s saw bands such as Rosetta Stone, Nosferatu, Inkubus Sukkubus, Corpus Delicti, and Mephisto Walz carry the torch.
The 00s saw bands such as Pretentious Moi, Voices of Masada, Solemn Novena, Dr. Arthur Krause lead the scene.
Now some of the most well-known names from 2010s include Angels of Liberty, Sweet Ermengarde, Masquerade, Ritual Howls, and Merciful Nuns.
In the early 2020s, goth is now lead by post-punk/synthpop band Molchat Doma, post-punk/darkwave "gothwave" band She Past Away, and coldwave Lebanon Hanover. Russian/Ukrainian post-punk is especially booming right now, with many record labels releasing several albums a month.
Themed Days
Themed day submissions must be relevant to the subculture, music or history. Please do not use the themed day flairs if it isn't that day. If you wish to partake, please make sure your submission is posted after the bot has posted their mega thread.
The themed days are:
Music Mondays
Event Tuesdays
DIY Wednesdays
Review Thursdays
Fashion Fridays
Spooky Saturdays
Soothing Sundays
Gothy Discord
Rules
Goth Event Locations
Looking for new music? 2021 Upcoming and Recent Goth Releases
Goth Genres Guide
Post-Punk / Goth: Arty post-punk bands which developed a darker sound. Examples include Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Cure, etc.
Goth Rock: Bands which incorporated hard rock elements into post-punk groundwork of the first-wave bands: The Sisters of Mercy, The Mission, Fields of the Nephilim, etc.
Darkwave: Goth incorporating synth elements, which may include influence from synth-pop/new wave: includes Clan of Xymox, Lycia, London After Midnight and Diva Destruction, etc.
Deathrock: Goths' American counterpart, a spookier and more atmospheric version of punk. Bands include Christian Death, 45 Grave and Bloody Dead and Sexy.
Ethereal Wave: Mainly supported by 4AD bands, and described as being "romantic", "otherworldly" and "gothic". Bands include early Dead Can Dance, Cocteau Twins and early This Mortal Coil.
Coldwave: French/Belgian post-punk, with a more stripped/mechanical sound. Bands include Asylum Party, Norma Loy, and Little Nemo. Minimal/Electronic Coldwave: Lebanon Hanover, Sexual Purity, and Church Group.
Grey Rock: Portuguese goth rock. Bands include Morituri, Dead Dream Factory and Jardim do Enforcado.
Afterpunk: Spanish post-punk/goth. Bands include Décima Víctima, Malefixio and Cristales Goticos.
Goth Friendly Subreddits
There are also a couple other humble gothy subreddits hanging around. Go give them a shot! I'm sure they'd appreciate more activity.
And some more general/dark alt. subreddits that might interest you:
This subreddit uses /r/naut
/r/goth
178,640 Subscribers
Whats the best goth band you’ve seen live?
For me personally, Sisters of Mercy, and She Wants Revenge were both fantastic live. Forever wishing I got the chance to see Bauhaus !!!!!
I’m seeing lebanon hanover later this month and am super stoked for it. Anyone seen them here and can confirm they’re brilliant ?!
11:55 UTC
What pedals must I use to play goth music and why? (including deathrock, gothibilly and darkwave)
So I’ve heard that you need to have chorus, delay, flanger and reverb, however I don’t know if this is true or not and if so why must I have these pedals or like give me example of songs that use those pedals in the songs, other than that, why must I use them? Including the other genres like darkwave, deathrock and gothibilly
09:04 UTC
/r/Goth's Modern Music Mondays!
Post your links to new releases from 2000 or later, let's give some focus to new music. In the list below, you'll find some new releases from the past few weeks!
Here's some great new releases:
- The Cold Field - "All Alone" [Post-Punk] [Single] (Australia) [Released March 29, 2024] (FFO: Joy Division)
- Delirium Mask - "Sacramentinos" [Dark Punk/Deathrock] [Single] (Chile) [Released March 29, 2024]
- Квартира номер 6 - "Спесь" [Sovietwave] [EP] (Ukraine) [Released on March 29, 2024]
- Past Self, Haunt Me - "Sinner (Pecador/죄인)" [Darkwave] [Single] (NV, USA) [Released March 31, 2024]
- KAARST - "The Blinding Black" [Darkwave] [Single] (Australia) [Releases April 2, 2024]
- Cabaret Grey - "Cold Calculations" [Coldwave] [Album] (Poland) [Releases April 22, 2024]
Want more? Check out our other spreadsheets:
Don't forget about our ever-growing list of post-punk, goth rock, darkwave, deathrock, etc. releasing labels!
If you want to post music you'd most likely hear in a goth club, please subscribe to r/gothclub.
07:00 UTC
What do you want to hear more of in new goth music
Hey all, I know we all have our classic go-to bands.. but what about new music? What sounds would you be thrilled to hear in new artists coming up? More ethereal, more beat driven? Synths galore?
Genuinely curious.
06:29 UTC
/r/goth's Weekly Discussion Thread
Want to chat about something which doesn't need it's own thread? Do it here!
Feel free to discuss music, fashion, events, DIY projects, etc. and anything relating to goth as long as it's in line with the subreddit rules.
06:01 UTC
Are there any bands similar to Cinema Strange?
Simply the title. I’ve heard a few bands like Strange Dolls Cult and Nietzsche’s Bitch but other than that it seems that CS is a very unique band in this scene. If you have anything I’d love to check it out.
05:13 UTC
Instrumental Goth Playlist
I was thinking it would be nice to have a playlist of instrumental tracks by goth artists for relaxation/working etc. there’s only 50 or so tracks but I hope some of you enjoy it, and I’m more than happy to add recs if anyone has any.
Also, there are some tracks with vocalizations and quiet whispering so it’s not purely instrumental, but it’s pretty close ha
02:33 UTC
Rozz Magazine Edition Three
Third edition of Rozz Magazine featuring bands like Mood of a Sinner, Whispering Sons, DD Island, and many more
22:51 UTC
Ghosting WGT 2023
Last year at the WGT 2023, Ghosting performed their first gig in 20 years (and last one). Here’s a little expert of them performing Das Model by Kraftwerk. BTW, this year, Diva Destruction will have their first Europe gig 20 years. A nice pattern 😌
22:45 UTC
Artists with deep, existential, poetic lyrics?
Something similar to Twin Tribes (preferebly with their super melanchonic, depressing vibe too), but not mostly based on romantic love.
17:58 UTC
The Saviours-Dying Breed (Sweden,Gothic Rock)
12:44 UTC
Inhuman Liberty - Dr. Arthur Krause
12:13 UTC
question about radio werewolf (and their politics)
everybody on TikTok has been loving the song Buried Alive by Radio Werewolf but I feel like I haven't seen anyone speak on the politics which from what I've seen little bits of seems to be pretty bad.
I was wondering though to what extend did they believe what they did (I don't know much about them). I was wondering this because we have seen artists such as Rozz Williams and Siouxsie Sioux display nazi imagery for the shock value to get some idea off although through a bit of a weird, twisted and backward way. Or were these guys full-on white nationalists
just wondering cus I really liked the song before finding any of this out and was wondering if they just used some fascist imagery to be annoying and controversial or if they are actual attrotious human beings. also if they had these beliefs do they still have them.
thanks in advance 🙏
(also sorry if this is the wrong flair I wasn't sure what to put so I put this cus its a question about the history)
11:37 UTC
Unofficial Seething Sunday
This week was covered in "meh". No highs, no lows, no complaints.
But my week may not have been like your week. So complain away! Bonus points for goth related content as always.
08:07 UTC
Trying to find albums/songs that sound similar to this album. Anyone care to help? XD
I really LOVE all of the songs in this album and was just wondering if I could get some more of this. I don't care from which time period the music comes from, as long as it's good ofc! <3 (I don't really know if this album is really goth, sorry if it isn't). :P
Caifanes Vol 1. (Aka El Disco Negro).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyo9zQvtKbE&list=PLMHdstVG5Oyr7aNWEhrRBORLbctdN8-d5
Link to playlist! <3 ^
08:00 UTC
/r/Goth's Soothing Sundays!
What happened this week that made you happy?
Maybe you found a great new album or just an album you hadn't heard about before? Maybe you found a new cuddly kitten that now is a part of your family?
Share it with us!
07:00 UTC
Corruption-TGTB
A song that makes you feel the pain of letting that special someone down.
Or a song that makes you dance.
Your choice :)
06:35 UTC
Gothabet (Best/Your Favourite Goth Albums from A-Z) Round 24: X
There were a couple of ties so I used a spinning wheel.
I don't know if there is anything that starts with X. I'll skip this if there isn't any.
Current list:
A - Adrenaline by Rosetta Stone
B - Body and Soul by The Sisters of Mercy
C - Closer by Joy Division
D - Disintegration by The Cure
E - Elizium by Fields of the Nephilim
F - Fetisch by Xmal Deutschland
G - Garlands by Cocteau Twins
H - Heaven is Waiting by The Danse Society
I - In the Flat Field by Bauhaus
J - Juju by Siouxsie and the Banshees
K - Killing Joke by Killing Joke
L - Lesbian Vampyres from Outer Space by Scary Bitches
M - Medusa by Clan of Xymox
N - Nox Novacula by Nox Novacula
O - Only Theatre of Pain by Christian Death
P - Phantasmagoria by The Damned
Q - Quatorze exemples authentiques du triomphe de la musique décorative by Cinema Strange
R - Rise by Nosferatu
S - Serpentine Gallery by Switchblade Symphony
T - Talk About the Weather by Red Lorry Yellow Lorry
U - Undir köldum norðurljósum by Kælan Mikla
V - Voodoo Church by Voodoo Church
W - Who's Been Sleeping in My Brain by Alien Sex Fiend
Rules/explanations
One band per letter. Any attempt to nominate a band already featured will be ignored.
Doesn't have to strictly be am album. Could be an EP for bands who've never released any albums.
Please post only one album per comment. It's less confusing. You can comment multiple times, though.
Each round ends after 24 hours. (Way more than 24 hours at this point. Very inconsistent schedule.)
Articles could count or be ignored for the next word.
03:32 UTC
What kind of reaction are people looking for?
Hi! First time poster here!
Maybe this has been discussed before, sorry in that case.
Just now I was following my very "normie"-looking friend to the bus after some drinks at my house. So we were standing at the bus stop, when this car full of drunk dudes drove down the street, and when passing they pulled the window down to scream "fucking emo!!", very clearly at me.
Maybe I'm too autistic to understand, or I'm just overthinking it, but what do you think their intentions are? Are they looking for conflict? Do they think I'm supposed to get angry and, like, throw rocks after them? Or get sad? For them, is it a fun, spur of the moment-thing? Kinda like a "I showed them!"-moment? I mean, I am standing there, in my big bomber jacket, vinyl pants, stompy goth shoes, and with an undercut. Not typically emo looking, just amused that people still think that is an insult.
I get that these dudes were drunk, and probably young, and it's definitely not the first time I'm getting yelled at, or worse, since I guess I count as an elder goth nowadays. People very obviously trying to start a fight when face to face, upset about my style or whatever, I get. But when just driving by?
Meh, I don't know. Trying to figure out random drunk dudes train of thought is maybe not that constructive. Mostly some late night wonderings for me, but I would very much like to hear your take on the "drive by" approach though.
Thank you, and have a nice evening 🖤
00:05 UTC
Ethereal Wave Band List
Hey I've been noticing a lot of people have been requesting Ethereal wave or Romantic Ethereal Goth Music. I was hoping if I can make a central post where people can find Ethereal Wave easily. (Comments are open for corrections. Also for more bands.)
Here's the Ethereal Wave Band Dump
Lovespirals Downwards, Eden, Violet Tears, This Ascension, Trance To The Sun, Solemn Meant Walk, Twelfth Of Never, Møaa, Scarlet Leaves, Mirror of Haze, Pleasure symbol, Black Tape for Blue Girl, Black Mare, Mellonta Tauta, Lycia, Dead Serpent, Bella Luna, The Neuro Farm, The Moon Seven Times, The Machine In the Garden, Sophya, Scarlet Slipping, Spirits of Leo, The Palace Of Tears, Speaking Silence, Numeralia,The Box and Twins, Trance to the Moon, and Autumn Grey Solace.
23:55 UTC
Have you ever disliked a song at the first listening then liked it when coming back a second time?
Why does this happen to me sometimes? Some weeks ago I clicked on the first song from She Past Away that came up searching the band on youtube, I skipped randomly in the middle, listened for a short time and I disliked it. Last day I actually listened to it again and immediately became one of my favourite songs ever. Why is it like that?
23:41 UTC
Hirudidae - Spring
19:17 UTC
Darkened Depravity - Days Away (song in progress. hope you like it)
18:32 UTC
Midnight Psychic - new video / song release
Hi Friends,
Just wanted to share Midnight Psychic's new music video / single "suburbination": Midnight Psychic - Suburbination (Music Video) (youtube.com)
We're a Connecticut-based duo creating dark-wave / goth rock / postpunk type stuff
If you're in the Boston area, you can catch us and a bunch of incredible bands at this year's Dark Spring Boston Festival on April 13. (Bill includes Korine, House of Harm, Widow Rings, Hemlock for Socrates, Allie Frost, us, and The Spearmint Sea).
Cheers!
17:24 UTC
Local goth bands in the DMV
Any goth bands either active or retired from DC, Maryland, or Virginia? Death rock, dark wave, post punk, doesn’t matter, I love them all. I already know L’avenir and Curse.
16:32 UTC