Sabotage

Acoustic Costumes starts off with the nicely mellow “schmerz (pain)”, before continuing with compilation friendly “Goddess.” Most of the rest of the album though is average electro industrial but for fans of cartoon s+m porn the booklet should provide a few cheap thrills.

Drifts towards deep forest territory at times.

Sabotage qcqc

Very mundane electro industrial with a bit of shouting. Lots of bleeps

Sabrina

Everything about this album screams Goth from the title, “Sadness and Life,” to the artwork, very arty to the photo’s and subject matter (nudity and sex) but the music is basically really poor opera. I may be missing something and it might be cutting edge avant-garde and bits of it do remind me of Lemon Kittens but it is for the most part self indulgent bollocks that I am tolerating for fear of being the man who turned down the Beatles but I doubt it as they are truly awful. If they do deserve the G tag then at least that means Athamay or Libertina are not the worst Goth band on the planet.

Sad clown
Ultraviolence inspired industrial

Saft
“Underground/Undantag,” the former being the English language version the latter I suspect Swedish original. Very 80s synth pop almost Depeche Mode. A more contemporary comparison would be Colony 5.

Saints of Eden

Guitary electro industrial in a good way

Saint to Sinner

A bit of a shouty man softer woman singing duo not unlike Evanescence or Lacuna Coil. Rather nice until they get too shouty then I have to say I could take it or leave it.  

Salem Rages

Quite bass heavy damned influenced horror punk as much as or possibly more than it is Goth. Touches of ENDG and early NMA

Salome’s Dance

This Russian lot are quite spiky in a Batcave kind of way and I have a bit of an affinity to the name Lilith so  I’m always going to be a bit soft on a song titled that. All seems a bit desperate by the end though- presumably whilst they try to think how to finish the song.

Salt of Anguish

A slightly more accessible Garden of Delight.

Salvation

One of the 3? Non-Eldritch bands to put out material on Merciful Release [if you count Gangwar and Performance as one] Quickly morphed into a fairly mainstream Ghost Dancey kind of thing that could have been making a play for a slot on a John Hughes soundtrack. A couple of EPs on Karbon were even more reminiscent of their label mates.

“All and More,” is pretty cool though in fact the whole EP is worth a listen although it does begin to remind me of Fleetwood Mac, good in my book but some might find off putting.

A compilation of their early stuff “Hunger Days,” I think was released mid-late 90s (later repackaged as the complete collection and featuring a merciful release track) and is probably worth checking out if you like your Ghost Dance over poppy and does feature the above EP.

Have been known to reform and play around their native Leeds and still seem to be one of the few contemporaries Lord Von will tolerate.

Salvation AMP

These are apparently German so I presume they are no relation to the Salvation of the 80s who were one of Lord Von’s few Goth friends from what I can work out. “Oxygen,” is a pretty good tune that reminds me of an underplayed Mission album track but don’t let that put you off.

Sanguis et Cinis
A real indie pop feel to this lot. Remind me of bands like Scanners.

Sanity Plexus

Bauhaus meets Berlin era Lou Reed or piss poor naff 80s electro – you decide. Some of the instrumentals could have been a huge influence on Voltaire.

Work their way through the Goth cannon style wise with vocals almost mimicking Blue Aeroplanes meets PSB/Lloyd Cole

Satellite, the

The Satellite are in many ways your typical gothapedia band. Anonymous CD single found in a charity shop that just looked the part. “Fat Elvis shoots another TV,” is very much the early 90s successor to the Long March. Very sleazy Zodiacesque guitar-greebo Goth. Track 2 “You,” is by far the better track with a bit of REM, Lloyd Cole and Blue Aeroplanes in the mix but as we know its not uncommon for the single to be the disappointing one. Released on Infectious in what appears to be the early days although I thought they went on to bigger and better things.

Satori
Raison D’etre type music for dungeons

Saturnalia

Machine gun drums, fairly standard synths. Production line electro which if it weren’t for the sample might be Dreadzone.

Satyrian

Brilliant full on epic Gothic metal from Germany  

Savetier, Andre

Dark and moody with almost Wolfsheim vocals. Nice bleepy synths as well.  

Scandacross

Scandacross is one of multiple outlets for SarahJane, another being Faithful Dawn. This particular project is very trad 80s post punk without the polish and production of FD. I possibly prefer it. “Magenta,” could be a long lost Ghost Dance track whilst “Sense II” could be Sunshot.

Scapa Flow

Scandinavian EBM merchants. Feel like they ought to be ace but seem to somehow disappoint

Scarecrow
I presume these are Germans and not to be confused with “the Scarecrows” modern electro industrial with only slightly grunty vocals

Scarecrows (the)

Female fronted fairly typical 80s Goth containing the once popular sax that seems to have lost its position of premier Goth brass instrument. Female vocals on fairly uninspired but not unpleasant Goth clearly of its era although they did introduce an organ that created a sixties Doorsy kind of sound..

At least one EP (Napalm with Silver) released on Swordfish Records circa 1984

track listing Napalm with silver/The birdman of alcohol/Vaudeville/Y'can't hold a light at times sound like they are going to merge into Martha and the Muffins.

Swordfish Records was associated with the record store of the same name in Birmingham, last seen tucked behind the NCP by the law courts but having hopped around the City as frequently as Rockaboom in Leicester. Anyway I digress, I was once chatting with the owner of said Record Shop/label who complained that this lot got lumped in with the Goth movement. I couldn't help thinking it was probable because the dressed like Goths and called themselves the Scarecrows personally. 

Scarelett

Imagine if Zodiac Mindwarp were an Euro electro-Industrial outfit rather than a British sleaze rock pub band. Halfway through “Maggots,” appears to borrow the guitar lick from “Are you gonna go my way.”

Scarlet Life
Sleezy electro of the persuasion you can imagine hearing whilst some vampire strips off during buffy (not that that’s a bad thing.)

Scarling
Imagine an EMO/Goth Sonic Youth/Lush Hybrid and you don’t need to see the band photo’s.  They thank Goth Comic artist extraordinaire Roman Dirge and they have song titles like “The last day I was happy,” and “Baby Dracula.”
Oh your interested in the music? Kind of female fronted American alt-rock, Breeders, Hole, Throwing Muses but with a bit of shoe gaze thrown in so to cement their inclusion we’ll infer they must have been inspired by Ultraviolet era AAE. At times I am reminded of Asobi Seksu one of my favourite bands of the last 5 or so years.

Scary Black

Much of “Secret Sin Records” has a notstalgic 80s vibe about it and frankly that is a very good thing but on “Shadow Dwellers,” there is at least a nod to the late 90s even if it then slinks back into safe 80s fair. Touches of the sort of acts Nightbreed distributed at the turn of the millennium and quite a strong Garden of Delight feel at times

Scene Noir
A bit Nick Cavey in the vocal department. “She Cuts” has almost breakbeat drums

Schadenfreude

Vocals seem really familiar and I’m guessing just after I upload this I’ll remember why

Quite a busy sound but with fairly strong vox- probably why they are standing out. There’s a little bit of the Humann League in their but that’s not it. Electro Goth tastic

Schattenschlag
Capable of sounding pretty ace but a little too wary of straying too far from formula but you suspect if they would they would be fantastic. Quite electro industrial but with a little bit extra

Schlagwerk

Funky shouty guitar Goth.

Schmoof

Not sure they should strictly be classed as Goth but apparently Sarah wears a PVC mini-dress on stage and people have been tarred for significantly less. Anyway by all accounts the Goths love their rudimentary electro-pop and ZX spectrum stylings. A more endearing Robots in Disguise without the annoying Shampooness

For more try http://www.myspace.com/schmoofiness

Sci fi Mafia

Screaming Banshee Aircrew

Typically sleazy 80s pub-rock Goth but with the phaser set to 11. I seem to think this lot are a spin off of someone else but I don’t recall who. 

Have now apparently metamorphosised into “Trash Vogue,” and left the pub scene behind instead repositioning themselves in the post punk wilderness alongside such luminaries as the Chameleons. Check their new output at >http://www.myspace.com/bansheeaircrew

Screaming Dead

In the early 80s before he founded Inkubus Sukkubus Tony Macormack was guitarist in Screaming Dead who produced a bass heavy sound with almost Psychedelic Furs/Chameleons style vocals. Far from surprisingly the Dead also had a saxophonist although where they differed form their contemporary’s they appeared to be modelling themselves on the sax sound of Gerry Rafferty's "Baker Street"

Joined the come back trail along with many of their contemporise in the new millennium. A little more straight on rock than incarnation 1. Most obvious comparison Rose of Avalanche.

(Screaming) Marionettes

One from the good Goth list (see Into a Circle) the Marionettes as they would later become known after they became really rock and released the wonderful “Absolution,” released a handful of excellent singles compiled on Ave Dementia. The most accessible of the class of late 80s, Creaming Jesus, Every New Dead Ghost etc

Screams for Tina

The Bauhaus vocals shoved through a pedal I don’t own and so can’t identify is the overriding element on SFTs contribution to American Gothic, that and an incredibly annoying yet effective two note guitar part that is a little bit like the intro to chasing cars by Snow Patrol.

Their photo is all menacing lighting and spikey hair whilst their logo resembles a really ropey communion card.

Scream Silence
Very Robert Miles infused euro-disco coupled with a Wolfsheim esq crooner on vox.

or

Traditional guitar lead Goth rock in a similar vein to All Living Fear and the like

2^nd Coming of the Sins of the Flesh

Traditionally bands shorten their names as their sound and line up evolves (the Cult, the Lorries etc.) but after failing to set the world alight once as Sins of the Flesh they had another bash as a longer monikored outfit.

Opener to 1^st Aid “Theme from beating the meat,” is relatively trad Goth before they steer into sub-standard Jesus Jones territory before settling for the most part on an ASF blue print.

1^st Aid consists of the same 3 songs over and over again which serves only to demonstrate they only have one good song and however much you remix, re-imagine  or re-arrange the others they’re still pretty shit.

Second Decay

Upbeat poppy dark electro with nice use of arpeggiators

Secret Discovery

“When does it end,” is a little bit Scott Walker and a little bit show tune before the guitars kick in. “Meaningless,” is more trad Goth of a very Garden of Delight vein. 

Decent gothic rock with more than a hint of Type-O in both music and vocals

Secret Sight

Very early 80s Northern English sounding

Section 37

Section 37 seem to go to such great pains to stress that despite releasing records on the label “Aesthetic Death,”  they are not Doom/Satanic Rock that I began to wonder whether they were in fact in denial. Having never heard of said label they would probably been best saying nothing. As it is, it is safe to say that across their three albums there is nothing Doom/Satanic Rock about them at all.

Their debut, “The kudos of serial killing,” is fairly run of the mill electronic industrial. The one odd point of note is there appears to have been a 7 year gestation period between recording and mastering for release.

Sophomore set “Legion,” strays into dark ambient territory at times whilst proclaiming to be a companion piece to its predecessor. There is also a fair to middling nod to John Cooper Clarke on the vocal delivery on a number of tracks

It is on 2016s “Auslander,” though where they really come into their own having developed their sound into something much more sophisticated and interesting. The old influences are still there but also touches of Pet Shop Boys, The XX and White Lies.

Seelenblut
Very atmospheric dark ambient which is probably the closest I have come to a Raison D’etre soundalike. On “Angel’s Suicide,” they even seem to have found Pink Floyd’s “One of these Days,” devil dog sound effect. This one will probably be added to our Halloween party multi-changer to scare the little creatures of the night whilst they play pin the broomstick on the witch. There are even some gothic monks chanting for added effect.

Seers, the

Signed to Cherry Red, have a singer called Spider, release a 12” called “Welcome to Dead Town,” with a photo of a skull on the front. OK maybe I’ve lost my touch, I can normally wade through a pile of 12”s in a charity shop pull out 4 or 5 and two will be undiscovered Gothapedia gems. This batch is so unproductive the best I can fish out is these, kind of like the Wonderstuff if they had had mild aspirations to be a Goth band (and I know Neds started out as one.) So near and yet so far.

Seize
Lunacy is another girl and boy duo originating from the beginning of this millennium with a brand of bleepy techno which at times wouldn’t sound astray on the original Wipeout soundtrack but with some rather more ethereal female vocals. At times show a much softer slightly trip hoppy side

Selwyn Elizabeth

Lemon Kittens box of frogs squealing blended with repetitive electro a la Play it Again Sam’s earlier releases. Nice line in samples thrown in for good measure as well. Named after a film character possibly

Semblant

Gothic metal at the very metal end. In fact strongly encroaching into symphonic metal territory or possibly symphonic metal encroaching into Goth territory. The packaging of “obscura,” seems to reference enough  Gothic motifs to leave me comfortable with their inclusion.

Senex IV

I have to admit I’ve been listening to a bit of Blyth Power recently so might be pre-conditioned but there is something about this lot, the rhythm of the vocals particularly that remind me of BP even if the overall sound is probably more Bauhaus. Part of an interconnected family tree of bands that include 13th Chime and Final Scream this seems to be a more recent incarnation although Senex Records appears to be dusting down the archives to give the whole gang an airing. Touches of the Mekons too who I seem to recall one A Eldritch once expressing quite the admiration for so probably not a bad thing. Tracks like “Blind,” really see the Bauhaus influence come to the fore. One most definitely from the Post Punk stable.

Sensorium

Some link to the Neff.. Signed to Alice in... with a Resurrection UK release. Remind me of a post screaming Marionettes with a little bit of ENDG thrown in.

Sentenced

Sentenced are Gothic Metal albeit with a lead guitarist that wants to be in Iron Maiden which as absolutely fine by me and not dissimilar to One of “Mercy Mile,” fame. Some of the tracks are quite epic in length and wouldn’t be out of place on Nuclear Blast.

Sephiroth
Very big sounding dark neo classical

Sepia, the

Very run of the mill early noughties British electro Goth but with a hint of ENDG vocals and even a touch of Neds (who apparently started out as a Goth band, but you know that as I mentioned it about four bands ago)

Sequential

Somehow remind me of a very synth lead prog act a la Asia

Serie, Geoff/Research

I’m really struggling to work this lot out. They come across as very industrial in an old school 80s kind of way, more experimental electronica than the noise attack the genre became. Although my CD of “Social Systems,” seems to date from 1997 (a very good year) apparently the songs were recorded in 85-86 and eventually released a year later. There’s a Fruitbat on here who plays some synths but there is no way of verifying whether it is the same one of USM fame in later life.  

Serpents
Rather funky electro –industrial in a kind of Play it Again Sam meets Outkast kind of way at times. For the most part very Germanic bleepy stuff but not unpleasant
Some of the more melancholy stuff like “to be with you,” suggests wider influences such as Backworld and even War of the Worlds, World Party and World of Leather (OK I might have been lying about the last two)

Seventeen Years

Quite Chameleons style reverby bass high in the mix.

Seventh Harmonic

This London trio appear to be all female which is quite unusual in Goth circles. Musically they are on the edge of ethereal with vocals reminiscent of Mazzy Star at times. Quite traditional sounding in an almost neo-classical kind of way but with poppier structures and certainly hints of All About Eve.

Seventh Cross, the

On Amazon you can search by Genre. There are about 2000 odd releases flagged as Goth and Scorched by the flames of Vengeance is one of them but I can’t help feeling conned by this derivative black metal.

Severin, Steven

Mr Severin, bass player in the Banshees is not the only one of the clan to pursue side projects but as far as I recall was the first (and only one) to get a mention in my law degree, although the Sex Pistols and the Troggs did as well (funnily I remember the law professor appearing to feel quite hip in knowing that the Troggs had a hit in the 60s with "Any Way that you want me," if you’ve heard of that which seemed an odd example to give as everyone knows Wild Thing and Love is All Around had been at number one for ever when Wet Wet Wet covered it for the four weddings sound track, still maybe he was a Spiritualized fan.) In 1989 he, (Mr Severin not my law professor) first scored the soundtrack to a film “Visions of Ecstasy,” which you won’t have seen because it has been banned for blasphemy but apparently focuses on a nun who has fairly naughty thoughts. Comparisons have been made with the Last Temptation of Christ, which did get released because Martin Scorsese is famous and the film was produced by a major company and the comparison is particularly interesting as musically the closest comparison I can come up with for “Visions,” the re-recorded versions of the tracks originally produced for the film is Peter Gabriel’s “Passion,” the soundtrack to Temptation, albeit without the eastern influences.

When I stumbled across this recently it completely threw me though as I had recalled that in the court case that surrounded the film the judge had dismissed the soundtrack as “heavy metal,” something that had stuck with me given the Siouxsie connection but the released version is far from metal, instead being quite atmospheric albeit with slightly dark tones and very electronic, I had expected lots of over the top crunchy guitars but there is nothing of the sort. Visions isn’t the original soundtrack versions but I find it hard to believe they changed that significantly.

Sex Beat

Sex Beat are apparently incredibly influential. So much so they don’t crop in any of the dozen or so books that proclaim to be the first book to cover the history of Gothic music that I can recall. I believe they had something to do with running the batcave and batcavey is probably a fair description. Clearly inspired by Bauhaus without the darkness or emotion

Sex Gang Children

The name was apparently suggested to Andi Sexgang by Boy George when he decided to go with Culture Club for his own outfit which was remarkably convenient given Andi’s surname.

It is hard to tell whether Karma Chameleon would have been quite so successful if it had been released by Sex Gang Children or indeed whether Culture Club would have been allowed to play the Batcave.

SGC were part of the Batcave set and appeared on the clubs compilation album as well as the seminal “The Whip” LP.

The Children missed out on a major label deal due to Andi’s refusal to compromise over the name leaving them to instead tout their wares predominantly through  Indie label “Illuminated Records,”

Their most prominent early release was the “Beasts” EP which went through a variety of cover designs and made up a fair proportion of the compilation of the same name. Indeed their early output seemed to focus as much on repackaging and re-releasing as original material.

The late 90s saw a proliferation of SGC material but again repackaged and re-released seemed to feature heavily although a significant amount of new material was eventually also released under a range of Sex Gang themed monikers. Highlight being “Veil” released simply by “Sex Gang” a compromise which would probably have attracted a lucrative major label contract back in the early 80s. Bizarrely the tour to promote Veil though billed as Sex Gang featured a SGC t-shirt featuring the skeleton and scythe logo dating back to Beasts. Perhaps they thought the full title would put off promoters whilst the truncated logo would put off fans thirsty for merch.

This flood of material was released through dodgy (predominantly) budget re-release specialists “Dressed to Kill,” who at first glance seemed to have scraped the bottom of the Sex Gang barrel with “Faithful Covers,” the Sex Gang tribute to Marianne Faithful but surprisingly the set works remarkably well.

Musically the Sex Gang sound has always reminded me of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band although early tracks particularly had their fair share of scratchy punk guitar.

For Andi’s website try http://www.andisexgang.com/

Shade Factory

Possibly Finnish! 3 track EP angel was the precursor to an album proper although I’m not sure that ever came to fruition.

Title track “angel,” is one of my favourite Goth tracks with relatively industrial backing and a really grab you chorus. Track 2 is a cover of Ozzie’s “Suicide Solution,” but being unfamiliar with the original I can’t really comment.

Track 3 goes a bit neo-medieval power ballad!

Shades of Grey

An almost soft Depeche Mode

Shadowgarden

Competent Gothic Rock featuring people I haven’t heard of from a band I haven’t heard of. Rock in the lighter sense of metal rather than post punk. Nice artwork on the sleave of “Ashen,” mind a little bit Art Nouveau

Shadowhouse

Guitar Goth.

Shadowland

“Nachtmahr” initially makes me think of Peter Gabriel’s “Passion,” and then things move a bit more trad wailey women.

Shadows Fall
Typical Gothic Metal with nice slow pseudo classical instrumentals before throwing itself in fast shouty bits. On century media

Shadowhispers

Imagine a French Inkubus that are a bit more symphonic metal. That pretty much sums it up

Shallow Graves, the

Another Judith type band. Quite Sisters prior to the sonic explosion of Vision Thing

Shark Taboo
If I were a betting man I would certainly put £10 each way on the fact that Shark Taboo would like to be Ghost Dance.
Come in from the cold released on Plastic Head is certainly a fair stab at the GD style. In the photo on the back John the guitarist looks worryingly like the one in Bad News that wasn't in the young ones!

S-Haters
S-Haters released the white noise 12" through midnight music in 1985. The title track does not sound that far from the Sex Pistols especially the proto-versions of eventual Bollocks tracks that turned up on the infamous Spunk bootleg. "Stranger than Strange Girl" sounds like New York era Lou Reed 4 years before Lou had put guitar to tape until the chorus lets it down.

Sheep on Drugs
Britain’s answer to the early 90s American Industrial onslaught. Compared to Al’s Ministry roadshow with 7 guitarists their 2 men and a Casio approach appeared somewhat week although they did flyer Ministry’s first UK show at the Hammersmith Apollo for a gig at some Camden dive. They did have a couple of reasonably catchy choruses and did a pretty good cover of the Velvet Underground’s “I’m waiting for my man,”
Rebooted in the new millennium but with less ideas and more profanity. If you do want to check them out I suggest “fifteen minutes of fame,” or their Velvets cover.

Shee Retina Stimulants

With a name that sounds like it came from a cryptic crossword I had high hopes for SRS. However if a dark ambient band could be beige these would be the ones

She Made Me Do It
Guitar heavy alternative Goth rock duo

She Past Away

Poppier more modern Bauhaus. Apparently Turkish and owners of both Sisters and ASF t-shirts

Shining Vril

Very much dungeon music with a bit of torture in the serfs fields. “it’s Bad,” is my sons two word review. Nothing is shifting that opinion.

Shiverhead
Sound like they ought to be a Mighty Boosh sketch albeit a very uptempo one

Shock of Reality

One of the Zoth Ommog bands. Dancey electro-industrial.

A mixture of the traditional “full on” vocals with a more considered Wolfensheim meets Apoptygma style.

Shongeist

High quality German sounding guitar Goth with a healthy slice of folk thrown in and a few flirtations with synthesisers and the like

Shoong

Break beats and a chilled out synth vibe

Shotgun Wedding

Shroud, the

The Shroud are a band of many faces. On the one hand near perfect hooky pop to rival Secret Shine at their best on tracks such as “falling dream” or “where the wind goes,” Moonchild copyists on tracks such as Ophelia, a more ethereal Hole on “Green Velvets,” or a female fronted Goth band by numbers.

It’s a matter of fact that the answer to the question which is your favourite song by the Sisters of Mercy is “Alice,” and the Shroud take the opportunity to pay their respects with a very melancholic almost folk rendition on “Long and Far Away.”

Siechtum
“Dunkler Tag,” is a kind of industrial “little fluffy clouds,” another run of the mill electronic driven industrial band but with nothing to dislike

Silence is Sexy

The Neubaten album with the song my wife really likes is called Silence is Sexy but this doesn’t seem to be inspired by that. SiS do nice big sounding 90s style electro Goth with a nice boy girl vocal thing going on. This description is not sufficient to do them the credit they deserve though and there sound is rather appealing.

Silencio

Avent garde noise crap. Where did Trev find this stuff? Early to mid 90s Portugese.

Silent Order

Competent electro Goth with a bit of a computer game/soundtrack feel and touch of the Pet Shop Boys

Silent Scream

Quite punky. A bit Killing Joke perhaps? Could be Therapy? almost, who I recall a friend describing as a British Ministry but he did leave university and join the Navy so you have to question his rationality and judgement.

Silke Bischoff

Soft Depeche Mode style euro dance to the fore. Acoustic numbers channel their inner Lilac Time

Silvery
Nice female vocals that could almost be Evanescence. Musically not too dissimilar albeit less metal, perhaps more like an Evanescence/Inkubus hybrid 

Simon Dreams in Violet

Brilliant name disappointing fast noisy Goth.  I was hoping for something more ethereal a la Projekt rather than something I would expect on a mid 90’s Nightbreed comp.

Simply Dead's

Nice and atmospheric. A bit Beatsy, a bit Trip Goth some rabble rousing samples that sound like they ought to be Martin Luther King or something. Other times its like a slightly random ambient Public Service Broadcasting, not uncommon to some of the material Map did on their Bootlegging the BBC EP.

Sin

One of the bands I would never have heard but for the Dressed to Kill compilations. Goth with a slightly industrial feel

Sinamore

I really kind of like this lot in a Gothic metalish kind of way. More subtle than most proponents and reminding me of Tottennacht, some of the British mid-90s bands and even a bit of Type-O in places. There’s even quite a HIM vibe in some places. I’ve only heard the “A New Day,” album but think they’re probably one to check out if they’ve been more prevalent.

Sinergy
Atmospheric female fronted Goth with a kind of 70s almost Fleetwood Mac feel but with lots of distorted guitars as well. Bit of a Eurovision vocal too which is nice.

Sinfulproductions

Sheep on Drugs doing computer game music with a bit of Christian baiting for good measure

Sinmasters

A kind of poor mans Apoptygma.

Still places them above the growly, bleepy distorted power chord brigade.

Whilst capable of real inspired stuff equally capable of dropping to the lowest common denominator

Sins of the Beloved, the
Their contribution to the frankly ace compilation Ladies, Queens and Sluts is more Within Temptation than the Within Temptation one. Big gothic metal with a really pretty female vocal and a nice tolling bell in the bridge.

Sins of the flesh

Opening like an electro John Hughes soundtrack Sins of the Flesh’s only (as far as I am aware) LP “First Communion,” showcases the meeting of the traditional 80s guitar lead Goth with more electro driven 90s sound.

SOTF were often found sharing a bill with contemporaries such as Creaming Jesus and Every New Dead Ghost and cropped up on genre defining compilation New Alternatives.

Prone to drifting into minimalist ambient nonsense but default to Chameleons-esque Goth rock when they think no-one is looking

Siouxsie and the Banshees

Formed from the hardcore of the Bromford contingent and were very much a punk band hanging on the shirt tales of the Sex Pistols with a certain Mr Vicious fulfilling drum duties for a 20 minute rendition of the lords prayer.

Susan Ballian slowly morphed from Punk Princess to Ice Queen as the Banshees morphed into a more Gothic affair.

Along with hubby Budgie, Siouxsie juggled the Banshees with side project the much more tribal sounding Creatures for most of their career whilst guitarist Steve Severin hooked up with occasional Banshee, the Cure’s Bob Smith to produce an album as the Glove.

Sue resurfaced in the noughties as a solo artist although the Banshees were never too deeply in the wings.

Sirenia

Big epic and eerie with strings a plenty

Epic Gothic Metal with female vocals released on Nuclear Blast which tells you nmuch of what you need to know. Very good and “The path to decay,” sounds uncannily like Limahl’s “Neverending story.”

Siren’s Lament

“Moments in Solitude,” is a bit like a Gothic Enya.

SIS (ext)

Everyone used to go on a bout how Scott Walkers album “Scott 4” inspired a ton alternative bands (particularly of the British raincoat variety in the early 80s) but I never really saw it myself. Mystery Called Love 1.5 seems to be the missing link.

Sisterhood, the

When Eldritch fell out with the rest of the Sisters post First Last and Always there was a suggestion he would leave the music biz forever providing a certain Mr Hussey would leave the Sisters name sacred.

Hussey couldn’t be trusted though and started paying live under the Sisterhood moniker so Eldritch rushed out a single ("Giving Ground," an Indie Chart number one) and mini album “the Gift,” which turned out to be a minimalist industrial masterpiece  featuring a family of Munsters including Sister in waiting Patricia Morrison, Karaoke Sister James Ray and Great Grandfather Sister, Alan Vega of Suicide.

Sisters of Mercy (the)

They play concerts sometimes
They make records rarely
They update their website... never

if you are reading this site chances are you already know about the Sisters so I'll be brief.

Formed in Leeds in the early 80s they released three near perfect albums before falling out with their record label and the rest as they say is inactivity.

Official site here

Very informative fan site here.

Excellent article on the recording of first album First and Last and Always here.

Above article busts some myths around bootleg recordings floating around attributed to the start of the infamous split and if you are interested there used to be an audio track on Youtube titled "Wide Reciever," and atributed to the Sisters which may be the one sure fire unreleased tune the article alludes to.

They have continued touring and writing new material much of which can be found as live recordings on aforementioned Youtube. If you must check out "Police Car," "We are the same Suzanne," and "I have slept with all the girls in Berlin."

[:SITD:]

this lot seem obsessed by those square bracket things. Their CD booklet is literally overrun with them. The album “Stronghold,” starts with a slow brooding built up that reminds me of Gift but later tracks revert to a more traditional bleepy electro industrial style. Gets more formulaic and uninspired as it goes on, sadly

16 Volt

Noisy Industrial of the Ministry circa “Psalm 69” persuasion. “Supercoolnothing,” is about half a decade later than that particular record and so they show the influences of exactly the sorts of acts you would imagine that were of a suitable profile in the subsequent five years.

69 Eyes, the

There appears to be two 69 eyes, the one that seems to balance the best bits of all the greatest late 90s guitar bands, All Living Fear, Judith, Garden of Delight etc. and the one that is simply a bland derivative third rate HIM. Aim for the former.

SJOBLOM

Swedish band who remind me of an almost new romantic outfit.

Skeletal Family

One of the Goth comp standards “She Cries Alone,” the oft pick contribution is perfectly listenable.

Original outfit of Ghost Dance’s Ann-Marie, by the time major label interest arrived she had jumped ship for GD whilst just like with GD Chrysalis managed to squash all creativity out of them.

Another band from the dark satanic mills of the north, the brevity of their releases means that both of their albums can be acquired on CD “Together.”

Skin Chamber
Shouty guitar industrial circa 1991 on RoadRacer Records which is one I haven’t come across before. Guitars are really fast in a thrash metal kind of way but the rest of it is more controlled. Can be quite mediocre prolonged guitar noise mind, appear to be struggling to fill an album of this stuff.

Skinflick Production

Quite an old-skool industrial feel both in terms of the drum patterns on offer and the synth lines. There are certainly blasts that remind me of Sheep on Drugs and even the art work Skinflick produce remind me of some of the early S.O.D. flyers I stumbled across in my innocent youth. Seem to be able to pull out that slightly swampy bass on demand that seems necessary to get full Goth credibility.

Some rather naff euro pop vocals with backing by R2D2 clearly trying to get out. Either my copy of “Terror Flash,” is scratched or they have an interesting idea in what draws the fans and the critics in!

Skinny Puppy

A fairly trad late 80s industrial band. One of the early exponents of the growly vocals style but at least with proper heavy guitars.

Always worth a listen

Skorbut

Big European electro-industrial.

Skoyz
perfectly listenable hard electro. 

Proper full on arpegiator lead electro-industrial with key changes, a kick drum and slightly growly vocals.

Skullbone

“Transdaemonium,” sound just like PWEI to me. Trev seemed to think Ministry meets bands I’d never heard of. One for fans of Pop Will Eat Itself

Sky Burial

Dark minimalist electronica. Think post apocalyptic dystopia rather than medieval dungeons, but intense and claustrophobic nonetheless.

Sleep Chamber

The booklet that comes with the “some Godz die young,” album shows enough pvc and corsetry to make Dressed to Kill blush. The music is fairly basic electro beats with moody synths and stage whispered vocals

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Sleepless
Pretty good sinister electro but with an almost Juilie Cruz meets Enya sort of new age ambient thing going on. Appear to predominantly be a duo. Recorded in Israel apparently able to switch to the big sinister metal vibe at a moments notice. I’ve just realised what they really remind me of and its bits of “The Wall,” by Pink Floyd. Not afraid of some pretty clichéd rhymes though and a bit of lounge jazz. Quite eclectic over “Winds blow higher,” and in places very nearly there.

Sleep Research Facility

I think “Nostromo,” is inspired by Alien. I seem to recall slightly more happening in the film mind. Pulsing, minimalist, barely there.

Sleepwalk
Fairly standard mid-90s electro industrial but “Hypnotize,” gets Dante’s blessing and he’s previously championed acts such as Tiamat, Voltaire and the Horatii but this doesn’t sound like any of them. Appear to be Swiss which is quite novel. The mini album was limited to 1000 copies but you wonder whether it was one of those situations where they would only have pressed that many anyway and then had the extra cost of numbering them. Mine’s 368 if you’re interested

Slow Motion

I think we might already have a “This Slow Motion,” in here and I really don’t know if they are one and the same. “A Secret Faith in D mol,” is very soft and operatic, almost neo-classical. Imagine Avalist on one of those mid 90s chill out compilations that all used that British Airways ad music with a hint of Nuclear Blast phone an opera-singer backing

Smallcreep

UK based electro industrialists who seem to have a penchant for t-shirts, apparently.

Small Cruel Party

Random non-specific bleeps it would appear

Smells From Hell

The photo on the cover of "your love is wild" suggests Goth's in  a squat although the tunes imply a bit more subtlety. The swearing though detracts from what would otherwise be quire acceptable Goth pop.

SMP
“Acid Drop,” seems to bring to mind “Head like a Hole,” blended with “House of Love,” by East 17, now there’s a mash up that I don’t imagine anyone has ever tried.

Snakeskin

Apparently a side project of Lacrimosa, “Cantatronic” at least is good atmospheric electronic lead Goth. Operatic female vocals sweeping synths but less in the way of crashing guitars.

Snog

Snog could have been the one that got away in that I picked the CD up and expected it to probably just be something mainstream dancey only for “sixteen easy tunes for the end times,” to turn out to be quality Industrial in a mid 90s slightly Sheep on Drugs kind of way but with slicker production but not afraid to vary the sound quite significantly. Some of the tracks have a distinctly Nick Cave feel to them.

Being on Metropolis records perhaps should have been a giveaway. CD has an additional folder containing a set of additional tracks/alternate versions etc. Which frankly are a pain in the arse to get to. One of which remains unlisted due to file limitations.

The acoustic versions really extenuate the Nick Cave similarities and have a certain Gothic Archies vibe about them. Some of the remixes are much more late 80s Play it Again Sam.

Snowskyn

I guess a tube train is quite dark and sinister, Neil Gaiman certainly thinks so and apart from the slight hint of computer game music, “Cubic Pain Reflector,” is a pretty sinister electro slice of ambience but apparently is all a bit rubbish, to be fair I don’t remember adding that last comment and its not in my handwriting but is is on my notes so must be true.

Society 1
Not the first Danse Society (and sadly not even influenced by their early work) record but a noisy shouty Industrial type band that I suspect were formed in the mould of Ministry, NIN and the other wankers that seemed to carry on in that style. They all look pretty scary in an almost Murderdolls style for photo shoots and rather more prone to nudity when it comes to live shows
Musically acceptable where they could have absolutely sucked.

Sofia Run

Solar Enemy

Competent bleepy electro with samples. Industrial that has that non-ambient Orb kind of feel. Retailed at the whopping 49p in Selectadisc’s (RIP) Industrial section

Solar Lodge

The essence of dungeons, synthesised, electrified and amplified. Not quite as literally as some acts (or Halloween sound effects CDs) so there’s no creaking doors or clanking chains but the end result is the same, eerriiee.

Very dancey electro-Goth that shares an awful lot with Colony 5 and their ilk. Almost trancey in arrangement

SE are fairly traditional heavy dance tunes as one might expect  to emerge from Germany in  the early noughties although they do have a little of a Pet Shop Boys thing going on at times.

Solstice

Big guitars and soaring vocal lines

Sombre View

Kind of Sarah Goth. Try the obvious Cure cover which is a pretty accurate rendition showing no self interpretation. “Shadowdance,” is pretty good Goth-folk mind.

Some More Crime

Paul Hardcastle meets Ministry with a little Frontline Assembly thrown in.

Sona Eact (R)

There’s a feeling that if you turn things up to 11 it will be better than if it was at 10. “Engine Works,” seems destined to prove that isn’t true. They are a member of musicians against copyright of samples but having listened to them I don’t think they have much to lose as they will be the samplers rather than the sampled on this evidence. Tolerable but uninspired electronic industrial.

Song of Anhubis

Alongside Nefesh Core, Song of Anhubis appears to be Rocshots contribution to the 2020 Gothic Metal scene. Hailing from the Basque region apparently, “Reversed Reflecton,” is what Americans like to refer to as their sophomore effort. More than a hint of Evanescence and Lacuna Coil I think you can fill in the rest.

Sopor Aeternus

Fave band of Intra-Venus’s Apollos SA are a hammer horror graveyard soundtrack meet Sex Gang vaudeville.

Soror Dolorosa

Very 80s sounding Goth with perhaps a hint of In2a Circle.

Sorrow

World Serpent link to band with songs and tunes shocker! Sorrow are a beautiful, folksy band that remind of almost a female lead Fieldmice. LP “Under the yew possessed,” dates back to the early 90s.

Sorry, Heels

This Italian lot have one of the stranger names I have come across as late. Female fronted mid-90s guitar Goth fair with a hint of Garden of Delight

Soulgrinder
As you may have picked up elsewhere I not that long ago picked up a job lot of high supply Goth CDs in need of a loving home. Frankly 90% were apocalyptic folk/dark ambient or thoroughly mediocre Industrial and I didn’t have much hope for this lot but “Enter,” had the first guitar intro I have heard all afternoon and first impressions are pretty good. Kind of a hybrid of Garden of Delight and All Living Fear. As I listen through the album I feel I ought to elaborate but GOD meets ALF has pretty much nailed it but if anyone remembers the 80s American sci-fi sitcom of the latter, there might just be a spin off waiting to go into pre-production.

Soul In Sadness (Sis)
I guess abbreviating your name might get you pretty close to the Sisters in the record store racks but these are not Sisters copyists more electro-europop. I don’t know why but I keep thinking Robert Miles. is “Fernweh,” the Gothic "Children?"

Their track on “Dark Alliance vol 2,” too long a non-English title not to risk offending,  is  brilliant epic track that you could imagine being  Eurovision entry for an obscure Scandinavian or eastern European country.

Soulscape

Relatively trad guitar Goth, a little bit ENDG, a little bit of the more mainstream Judith even a bit of the poppier G.O.D.

Soul Whirling Somewhere
I am instantly reminded of shoegaze which isn’t perhaps that surprising as this has come out on Projekt the most shoegazey of the American labels and is home to some of my favourite shoe-Goth bands (see what I did there, it’s another new genre.) Recorded in that very good year 1997. Quite Sarah Records in places.

Sound Tessellated

80s pop of an Alphaville vibe. I really like “Story of Love.”

Southern Death Cult

The first of the increasingly truncated names of Ian Astbury and co. (presumably as they began to feel the bite of increasing letraset prices.) Fat Man was considered a classic of the early Goth genre before Astbury teamed up with Billy Duffy for “Death Cult.”

Spahn Ranch

Up until now Spahn Ranch have had a fairly cursory mention based on the odd track or two on compilations. So far they had moved me to say “The most obvious comparison I would suggest was Sheep on Drugs,” I recently acquired “Breath and Taxes,” though to provide a more considered appraisal of their work. I think it must be a mini-album of alternate mixes and oddities. Fairly predictable noisy electronic industrial but quite catchy and I get a real Sheep on Drugs vibe off this one as well which I suspect is not doing one of the parties justice but I will reserve judgement as to which one. There are a few touches of Ministry as well.

Spares

Featuring former members of Children on Stun it said on the sticker

Ranging from relatively Stunesque tracks albeit with a more Killing Joke feel to sample heavy X-CNN type tracks if Spares refers to the fact that these were tracks left over from Stun then it’s a shame they didn’t experiment more. If it’s a new phase in Simon Mannings career he perhaps needs a clearer sense of direction or at least a compass.

Spark’N Bow

Quite Shadow Project like

More creepy dungeon music would you believe. “The ritual of the black sun,” is quite nicely packaged and you can’t really criticise it but are they better or worse than, Of Unknown Origin? I just don’t know.

Spear of Destiny

Named after the mythical device that put Christ out of his misery S.O.D. were placing themselves in the space that was going to receive scrutiny. Formed out of the ashes of Theatre of Hate , Spear of Destiny acquired leverage through major label intervention despite their mediocre output. I think i am right in saying they have the record of the most appearances at Nottingham’s Rock City, if that is something to be proud of. Never seemed to hit the peak of Westworld  but were obviously doing something right given their dedicated fan base.

Unfortunately I have just realised their abreviation is exactly the same as that of Sheep on Drugs and I suspect there is some ambiguity throughout these pages now.

Specimen

Not sure how I’ve got past the 300 band mark having neglected to chronicle Specimen up until now but apparently I have so best rectify that situation.

One of the first wave self proclaimed Goths Specimen were pretty much house band of the infamous Batcave.

Anyone with an 80s based Goth comp will have a copy of Hex but I certainly don’t think it is their best track by a long shot in the same way that if you presume that Crow Baby is the best of the March Violets you are missing out on a lot. There are at least two compilations floating around covering pretty much all of their output so grab whichever is cheapest or most accessible.

Spectra Paris

 I’ve always thought there were not enough Goth Christmas albums, in fact I can only really think of 2 and I think Project might have done a compilation. “Christmas Ghouls,” whilst adding to the oeuvre numerically does little to add to the quality.

Sphere Lazza

American band described by their label as having a catchy melodic mid-80 sound. Perfectly listenable but not the cross over potential Hard Records hoped I fear.

Spielbann

Nicely produced Germanic Gothic Metal with some good folky bits

Spinning Mantis

Fairly noisy bleepy electro. A bit of a vampire computer game soundtrack feel

Spirit of Disgust

sleeze rock not 100 miles from Zodiac Mindwarp

SpiRitual

The capitalisation is not a typo. The revolution will not be televised and you can always jump between soft ethereal wailing and full on growly metal bits for the full Goth experience

Spiritual Bat, the

Quite uptempo and funky. Almost the Horatii with Moonchild vocals  

S.P.O.C.K.

Slightly Bowie, new romantic electro

Squid

In the same way that if you held a festival in the early 90s Billy Bragg would appear rather like the shop keeper from Mr Benn, in the late 90s if you put on a Goth/industrial showcase so would Squid.

Fast noisy and shouty with a few samples subtle enough to be lost in the mix, for the most part their mini LP Prophetism from 1997 is as far as I know their sole output. The cover photo leaves you wondering whether they were hilariously ironic or just misguided. Probably the most successful Goth/industrial band to emerge from Preston in the late 90s.

Stabbing Westward

Loosely industrial grunge alt-pop with a stadium lite feel.  

Stalingrad
opera singers in dungeons getting  dangerously close to British Airways advert territory. Appear on the rather good Jenseitshymen 3 compilation
A bit Jean Michelle at the docklands without the catchy keyboards.

Drifts into dreampop territory at times. Some kind of spin off of Kirlian Camera I understand. To be fair though despite the overall tone of the LP “Court Martial,” there is nothing dreamlike about  the  title track.

Stampin’ Ground

high octane rock n roll that struggles to tick my definition of Goth but presumably was sufficiently hard to shift for whoever was selling it on Amazon to tag it under any tenuous genre they thought they might fleece someone with. Perfectly competent shouty metal.

Starcry

“Syphilisation,” is something of a strange affair. Generally bleepy with a slightly progressive feel. Some kind of Greek concept album from what I can fathom. Blast of apocalyptic folk and dark ambient scattered betwixt and between the bleeps with an overwhelming theme of scary. That stretches to what you might even with to describe as industrial at times. Reading between the lines mainman Nick works in a primary school and used some of the children’s paintings in the booklet. Not quite sure what the topic was to generate content for an album themed on the introduction of venereal diseases to control the masses

Star Industry

Responsible for two Goth Pop alt. disco dance floor smashes in “Eighties” and “Millennium,”  although one wonders how they would fare with non-annus related titles.

Still with the exception of 1959 and 1969 there’s still a couple of thousand titles they can go for.

Stay Frightened

Dark ambient soundscapes. Piano Jazz for a vampire hotel/department store. Reminds me in feel of All About Eve’s cover of She Moves through the fair.

Steeple’s of Fire

So minimalist I keep forgetting the stereo is on. I can’t believe that is what they are going for.

Stereotaxic Device

A very big dark sound in a kind of ambient way

Stiff Kittens (the)
a name I have been aware of for some years but with little idea what they sounded like for many years. I think I would have guessed punk rather than Goth if forced to have an opinion but a chance stumbling in a charity shop across a couple of twelve inches made me formulate one.

They look the part both personnel wise and in terms of cover art (a kind of wiccan take on Rosetta Stone.)

Musically much in common with the Merry Thoughts albeit a decade earlier. They have certainly released two 12"s "Eternal Blue," and "Happy now," both on Crisis records but I'm sure they did more.

Stiff Miners
“Giselle,” is quite minimalist. Sleeve is reminiscent of Metropolis. Kind of sounds like an early mecha-uprising. Air’s soundtrack to Voyage de Luna is not dissimilar in places. Elsewhere it is average Play It Again Sam industrial. This is apparently what Russian Industrial sounds like and I can't say I'm surprised.

Stin Scatzor

Perfectly good synthy industrial but do you really need to distort everything, variety is the spice of life after all.

Stoa
“I wish you could smile,” starts all ethereal and goes nowhere. Perfectly listenable but another one that hits British Airways ad territory

Strand, the

An almost trip hop feel with familiar sounding female vox which would sit comfortably between Die Laughing and Incubus. “Bookmark on the shelf,” gets rather close to Kylie’s masterwork “confide in me.”
Quite tuneful but nonetheless shouty vocaled guitar industrial with a contrasting creepy female vocalise who is really familiar sounding

Strange Facts

A nod to Aha but with  kind of soft industrial sound not dissimilar in places to Intra-Venus but a little less formulaic. Vocals feel rather strained at times.

Strangelove

I went to university with this bloke (you may already know about him if you have read this in alphabetical order and already read Black Atmosphere) who swore Strangelove were the future of Goth.

I suppose naming yourself after a Depeche Mode song isn’t a bad start but I must admit at the time I didn’t even humour him as far as to listen to a record although a chance encounter with the “Time for the rest of your life,” 12” in a charity shop recently encouraged me to give them a go.

If they had been a Goth band on a major indie, Blur and Jesus Jones both signed to food, it would have been something of a coup but from what I have heard Strangelove b-sides aspire to being tuneless Lloyd Cole covering New York era Lou Reed whilst their a-sides are sub-standard Suede/Gene hybrids.

Strange, Richard and the Engine Room

A kind of funky electro that sounds like the Danse Society when they stopped being as good as they used to be with a bit of Duran Duran thrown in and a tinge of eastern/tribal influences to try and redeem themselves.

This is the same Richard Strange who formed proto-Goths Doctors of Madness and even more excitingly played Nev the ex-roadie in Men Behaving Badly.

Strange Walls
A slight Lloyd Cole and Blue Aeroplanes feel about this lot. Quite a funky bass thing as well as was the want of some of the later 80s Goth bands when they ran out of ideas but I’m not suggesting this lot fall into that bracket as they seem to be mixing it with dungeons screams

Strategy

One of my favourite electro bands “intense,” is a classic album from its first bleep through to its unbilled cover of Metallica’s “Unforgiven.”

I think its probably fair to say that they are my favourite Austrian band of all time (providing I can think of Falco as a solo artist.)

Musically they are quite Apoptygmaish with really well crafted songs. “Stone of Passion,” is one of my favourite tracks at present.

Strawberry Switchblade

I wasn’t sure these should be a Gothapedia band despite looking like a polka dotted Gene Love’s Jezebel but a quick google transpires that main “man” Jill Bryson went on to collaborate with Current 93, Nurse With Wound and a whole host of alumni of these pages so they are in. Their sole album is surprisingly poppy hiding darker themes below and recently released demo’s are far more like Jill’s beloved VU. Bill “KLF” Drummond had a hand in this.

Goth light, ubiquitous Jolene cover although rather more I Feel Love like than the sisters. Overall more Tiffany than Christian Death for sure

Stromkern

Very electro. The Mercy Seat is one of the best tunes I’ve heard in a while. Very intense vocals, capable of going a bit Prodigy at times.

Imagine a Gothic Aqua meet the Shamen. Very schoolboy poetry book lyrics and simple melodies but perfectly listenable. Very Mr C style of rapping.

Stupor
Work of the apparently prolific Arthur Zab of Nymphaion fame this sounds very much like the kind of atmospheric stuff they loop in the better class of haunted house but with some big Phil Collins drum rolls thrown in

Sturm Café
Like a shouty Falco with less catchy tunes

Submerged

Slightly medieval gothic rock with female vocals. Gets a bit metal in places.

Subsonic Symphonee
A full on industrial East 17 anyone? Look mad as a box of frogs as one of my work colleagues would say.

Substance of Dream

EP/Mini-LP “The fall of Laura,” is a bit of a game of two halves. Part one sets out with high octane drumming and a kind of pulsating rhythm that reminds me of the Sisters.

The vocal delivery is almost Nik Fiend meets Radical Dance Faction. Appear to be German based although sing in English except for the odd stray verse.

From 8 minute “Psycho,” sadly not a tribute to England’s greatest ever left back as far as I can tell, they become a much lower tempo brooding affair as the band switch to a more epic but maudlin approach.

Subterraneans

Evoke that slightly sixties feel you get with bands like Passion Flower Hotel

Subway to Sally

Poppy and slightly folky. Big on sew on patches apparently

 Naming your album “Bastard,” is a statement of intent. Musically S2S as I’m sure they never abbreviate themselves is very good melodic metallic guitar Goth with a German accent.

Suicide

If these things were scientific Suicide should be my favourite band of all time. Eldritch was so enamoured he got Martin Rev to play on the Sisterhood album and Bruce Springsteen has been most vocal on his love for the band and has been covering their best tune “Dream Baby Dream,” for some time. The band themselves suggest the Springsteen cover could be the new national anthem! Beautiful and minimalist and quite a kick against the guitar bands of the day the influence of Rev and Vega throughout the Industrial and Electro community in particular is probably impossible to truly capture. Whilst commercially challenging respect was far and wide with Rick Ocasek of the Cars taking on production duties for a couple of tracks in the late 70s.

Imagine a cheap child’s keyboard on Bossa Nova with Nick Cave singing.

Suicide Commando

Almost exactly as you’d expect

Sun and the Moon, the
Part of me wants to hate this simply because it was released on Geffen but it is 2 of the Chameleons and it does make me think there is a huge link between them and the Church that I hadn’t previously got.
Really good Chameleons style guitar Goth which I suppose is unsurprising, no idea about the Aborigine lot though.

Sundown

Sundown sound of like a nu-metal band that forget to get to the fast loud chorus bit in many ways. In others they sound of shoe gazey. Perfectly acceptable mind. “Glimmer,” came out on Century Media and their photo kind of makes them look like the awkward kids huddling in the corner at the school disco. Not that that’s a bad look.

Sunglasses After Dark

Very much punky early 80s Goth by numbers retrospectively labelled the unluckiest band in England. Do what they do perfectly well and you can get pretty much everything they did on one of those compilations those lovely folks at Cherry Red do so well. Seem to think they are the Banshees at times. I get the impression they were for real if not overly inspired which is probably more important.

Sunseth Sphere

This lot seem to be generally billed as Gothic metal and some of "storm before silence" drifts into that territory but there is a fair bit of more trad goth going on with elements of Siouxie and Moonchild going on in the mix alongside some quite strong AAE influences.

Sunshine Blind

Quite atmospheric and a bit Lacuna Coilish in places only not done as well

Made their UK debut supporting Rosetta Stone at Whitby and the title of LP “liquid,” could almost be a reference to the relatively fluid way that they switch between influences from pre-mentioned Lacuna, to Inkubus, to Sunshot with their healthy slab of Shoe Gaze

Catchiest offering is “I ran,” which on closer inspection may not even be their song as I think it is a cover of the A Flock of Seagulls track

Sunshot

Sunshot released Baby Doll on Deva Records in the early 90s, originally in 91 and then again with the Ludwig remix in 1992 and rumour has it they appeared on a Melody Maker freebie around the same time.

Title track was late 80s guitar heavy Goth pop even like a(n even more) accessible Ghost Dance.

B-side “too scared” is a beautiful piece of shoe gaze Goth that Sarah Records would have been proud of. Groovy and hypnotic in a similar vein to Ultraviolet era All About Eve.

Sandman (also chosen for inclusion on the 92 rerelease) is a far more formulaic at tribal mid-90s shouty punk Goth.

Too Scared is one of my favourite Goth tunes of the early 90s and the other two tracks on the EP do not do the band justice (or they overreached themselves with too scared.)

I have stumbled across a handful of other singles and EPs over the years but still not an LP.

SunSin

Could be All Living Fear with pretty European female vocals

Susanna and Ensemble Neon

Imagine Tori Amos playing Scandinavian apocalyptic folk  

Suspiria

apparently emerged as one of the UKs most popular alternative bands in 95 but I think it would probably come as news to the like of Pulp and Spiritualized who were selling out around the country whilst riding high in the charts as Suspiria hawked their wares around the flea pits of England. Claim they are named after the cult horror film but in reality they had never heard of it but it was a setting on their first synthesiser.

Successful in a big fish small pond kind of way despite only having two tunes, one they wrote themselves the other Fade to Grey by Visage that they continued to re-hash over two albums. If you can find Allegedly and Now You See the Swine on compilations you’ll have heard the best version of both.

Swallow the Sun
As you know we have a bit of a soft spot here at Gothapedia for the Finnish and Swallow the Sun are full bombastic Finnish metal with a Goth edge. Tracks like “Sleepless Swans,” “Falling World,” a nice line in wood carving chic on the packaging to maxi “New Moon,” and almost Judith type atmospherics at times excellent for their genre.

Learning a little about swallow the sun online I learnt about a lot of sub-genres of Doom but frankly this all sounds pretty Goth to me. Admittedly “When a shadow is forced into light,” is an album addressing genuine bereavement though so you'd expect it to be dark. Vocals are Surprisingly clean and a little Type O

Swans

Horrendous and noisy in a guitary kind of way. Kind of like a Ministry single if you extract everything that’s good about Ministry press it to a 45 and play back at 33rpm.

Swans of Avon
Fairly standard fare mid-90s rock Goth not dissimilar to ALF etc

Swarf

There is a pretty piss poor act called the Swarf Sisters who appear to be a front for the Dressed to Kill house band but I’m rather relived to say I think this lot are unconnected. A very electro euro sound but quite listenable non-the less although could have turned up just as happily on a mainstream dance comp as a Goth one.

Swarf Sisters

Crazy, slightly eastern, slightly Prodigy, rather avante garde and with song titles as poetic as “piss factory,” a four minute interview with a bloke who works in a crap factory from what I can work out, what’s not to love.

Switchblade Symphony

Female fronted Goth with a juddering Industrial vibe running though but not enough to subvert the genre. Slight trip hop feel.

Crusty Goths that sound like a female fronted Sex Gang Children.

Symbols

A touch Sisterhood at times

Syndrome WPW

Weird punky French Industrial- possibly. “Resurrection Aboiements” features a truly frightening cover of “Breaking the Law.” The albums got it all, moments of Falco, school orchestra’s, a bit of dub, computer game music, Jean Michelle Jarre, Kraftwerk and all sorts of madness. There are then a set of bonus tracks that appear to be billed as three additional acts but I can’t quite fathom what is going on there the first two tracks sound like he’s let a mate have a play on his synthesisers and said mate has decided to improvise some potential background music for a sci-fi based children’s educational series (Coyote- funiculi funicular), an 80s cop show (Jacques canon (message de l’inconnu remix). Perhaps this is some kind of French parlour game I am not familiar with. Acsoc the third additional billing is a bit more experimental noisy distorted electronics

System der Dinge

Quite European sounding electro stuff. Am awaiting evidence it rises above mediocrity

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