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| {{Use American English|date=October 2022}} | {{Use American English|date=October 2022}} | ||
| ⚫ | {{Use mdy dates|date= |
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| {{short description|Rock music subgenre}} | {{short description|Rock music subgenre}} | ||
| ⚫ | {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}} | ||
| {{Distinguish|Death metal|Death 'n' roll}} | {{Distinguish|Death metal|Death 'n' roll|Suicide Rock}} | ||
| {{Infobox music genre | {{Infobox music genre | ||
| | name = |
| name = Deathrock | ||
| | stylistic_origins = {{flatlist|*] | | stylistic_origins = {{flatlist|*] | ||
| * ] | * ] | ||
| * ] | * ] | ||
| * ] | * ]}} | ||
| * ]}} | |||
| | cultural_origins = Early 1980s, Los Angeles, US | | cultural_origins = Early 1980s, Los Angeles, US | ||
| | derivatives = | | derivatives = | ||
| | other_topics = {{hlist|]|]|]}} | | other_topics = {{hlist|]|]|]|]}} | ||
| }} | }} | ||
| '''Deathrock''' (or '''death rock''') is a ] subgenre that merges ] and ] with ] and ] visuals and elements of ]s. Often overlapping with, and sometimes considered a subgenre of, ], the genre was pioneered by bands from the early 1980s ] punk scene, including ], ], ] and the ]. By the middle of the decade, the genre had begun to interact with the United Kingdom's gothic rock scene, leading to the formation of English deathrock bands like ], ] and ]. However, soon after the genre declined in popularity, and its name largely fell out of use. In the late 1990s, a revival of the genre began, in which groups like ], ] and ] expanded the scope of the genre to including elements of ], ] and ]. | |||
| '''Death rock''' (or '''deathrock''') is a ] subgenre incorporating ] elements and ] theatrics. It emerged from ] on the ] in the early 1980s and overlaps with the ] and ] genres.<ref name="Demone42">Gitane Demone: ''20 Years in Death'', published in Matzke, Peter; Seeliger, Tobias: ''Gothic!'', Schwarzkopf Verlag, Germany 1999, {{ISBN|3-89602-332-2}}, p. 42</ref><ref name="DinahCancer">]: '''', Women in L.A. Punk, November 2004<br />"The first prowlings of death rock came in the early '80s before we were labeled as our other counterparts – the gothic movement. There were no Goths. The Death rockers were splintered off from the punk/hardcore scene that was going on at the time. We played punk rock but we loved Halloween and we looked like vampires. So the phrase Death rock was born."</ref> Notable death rock acts include ], ], ], and ].<ref name="Demone42" /> | |||
| ==Characteristics== | ==Characteristics== | ||
| ] vocalist ] in 2007|150px]] | ] vocalist ] in 2007|150px]] | ||
| Deathrock songs usually incorporate a driving, repetitive rhythm section; the drums and bass guitar laying the foundation within a ] time signature while the guitars either play simple chords or effects-driven leads to create atmosphere. Chorus effects, such as those produced by the ] pedal, are commonly used by deathrock guitarists to create a wider and more haunting tone. The use of lyrics can vary, but are typically ] and ], and deal with the dark themes of ], ], disillusionment, loss, life, death, etc.; as can the style, varying from harsh and dark to upbeat, melodic, and tongue-in-cheek. Deathrock lyrics and other musical stylistic elements often incorporate the themes of campy ] and ] films.<ref name="stylus">Stylus Staff: '''', 7. August 2006</ref> Despite the similar-sounding name, deathrock has no connection to ], which is a subgenre of ].<ref name="Sheppard2014">Sheppard, Oliver: '''', CVLT Nation magazine, January 6, 2014</ref> | |||
| ==Etymology== | ==Etymology== | ||
| The term " |
The term "deathrock" was first used in the 1950s to describe ], which began in 1958 with ]' "]"<ref name="Larkin353">Larkin, Colin: ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Fifties Music'', Virgin Books, 1st edition, 1998, {{ISBN|0-753-50268-2}}, p. 353</ref> and ended in 1964 with ]'s "]".<ref>Miletich, Leo: '''', Reason magazine, March 1987</ref> The term was also applied to ]' "]".<ref name="Larkin353" /> These songs about dead teenagers were noted for their morbid yet romantic view of death, spoken word bridges, and sound effects.<ref>Bernards, Neal; Modl, Tom: ''The Mass Media: Opposing Viewpoints'', Greenhaven Press 1988, {{ISBN|0-899-08425-7}}, p. 130.</ref> In 1974, the term "deathrock" was used by Gene Grier to describe the same phenomenon in rock music.<ref>Grier, Gene: ''The Conceptual Approach to Rock Music'', Manual, Charter Publications, 1st edition, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, 1974, p. 6.</ref> | ||
| The term later re-emerged to describe the sound of various West Coast punk bands.<ref name="Kilpatrick89">Kilpatrick, Nancy. ''The Goth Bible: A Compendium for the Darkly Inclined''. New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 2004, {{ISBN|0-312-30696-2}}, p. 89.</ref> It most likely came from one of three sources: ], the founding member of ], to describe the sound of his band; the music press, reusing the 1950s term to describe an emerging subgenre of punk; and/or ]'s 1979 film ''They Eat Scum'', which featured a fictitious cannibalistic " |
The term later re-emerged to describe the sound of various West Coast punk bands.<ref name="Kilpatrick89">Kilpatrick, Nancy. ''The Goth Bible: A Compendium for the Darkly Inclined''. New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 2004, {{ISBN|0-312-30696-2}}, p. 89.</ref> It most likely came from one of three sources: ], the founding member of ], to describe the sound of his band; the music press, reusing the 1950s term to describe an emerging subgenre of punk; and/or ]'s 1979 film ''They Eat Scum'', which featured a fictitious cannibalistic "deathrock" punk band called "Suzy Putrid and the Mental Deficients."<ref>Hawkins, Joan ''Defining Cult Movies'', pp 227-228. Manchester University Press (2003). {{ISBN|0-7190-6631-X}}, 9780719066313. </ref> | ||
| ==History== | ==History== | ||
| ===Predecessors=== | ===Predecessors (1950s–1970s)=== | ||
| The earliest influences for some |
The earliest influences for some deathrock acts can be traced to the horror-themed novelty rock and roll acts of the late 1950s and early 1960s such as ] and ] with "]";<ref>Ohanesian, Liz: '''', LA Weekly, March 2015</ref> ] with "]"; ] with "Murder in the Graveyard";<ref name="Souciant1">Sheppard, Oliver: '''', Souciant magazine, April 16, 2012</ref> and Don Hinson and the Rigormorticians with "Riboflavin-Flavored Non-Carbonated Poly-Unsaturated Blood".<ref>Greene, James: ''This Music Leaves Stains. The Complete Story of the Misfits'', Scarecrow Press 2013, {{ISBN|1-589-79892-9}}, p. 33</ref> Contemporarily, the 1979 single "]" by British post-punk group ] was one of the major influences amongst the early deathrock scene.<ref name="Rasen75">{{cite journal |last1=Rasen |first1=Edward |title=Is there life after Death rock? |journal=] |date=May 1985 |page=75 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9ugCQfxwym0C&pg=PA5}}</ref> Other influences included ], ],<ref name="Demone45">Gitane Demone: ''20 Years in Death'', published in Matzke, Peter; Seeliger, Tobias: ''Gothic!'', Schwarzkopf Verlag, Germany 1999, {{ISBN|3-89602-332-2}}, p. 45</ref> ], ], ] and ].<ref name="Rasen75" /> | ||
| The ] began in the mid to late 1970s, with groups like ], ] and the ].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Stegall |first1=Tim |title= |
The ] began in the mid to late 1970s, with groups like ], ] and the ].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Stegall |first1=Tim |title=10 essential '70s punk bands from Los Angeles you should already know |url=https://www.altpress.com/los-angeles-punk-bands-70s/ |website=] |access-date=October 10, 2022}}</ref> Within this scene ]'s grim take on heavily blues indebted punk was a notable Los Angeles precursor.<ref name="stylus" /> ] too took a macabre take on early LA punk, by merging the sound with lyrics influenced by ], the ] and ].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Stegall |first1=Tim |title=15 bands that defined LA punk in the '80s, from Black Flag to the Go-Go's |url=https://www.altpress.com/80s-los-angeles-punk-bands-black-flag-the-go-gos/ |website=] |access-date=October 11, 2022}}</ref> Furthermore, ] were a defining group in the scene who briefly embraced gothic and deathrock elements.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gotrich |first1=Lars |title=The Mountain Goats On Growing Up, And Growing Older, In Goth |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/2017/04/25/525383835/the-mountain-goats-on-growing-up-and-growing-older-in-goth |website=] |date=April 25, 2017 |access-date=October 10, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Stegall |first1=Tim |title=15 bands that defined LA punk in the '80s, from Black Flag to the Go-Go's |url=https://www.altpress.com/80s-los-angeles-punk-bands-black-flag-the-go-gos/ |website=] |access-date=October 10, 2022}}</ref> | ||
| ===Origins=== | ===Origins (early 1980s)=== | ||
| ] members ] and Johnnie Sage performing in 1983|150px]] | ] members ] and Johnnie Sage performing in 1983|150px]] | ||
| At the beginning of the 1980s an offshoot of |
At the beginning of the 1980s, deathrock merged as an offshoot of the Los Angeles punk rock scene, differentiating itself through its greater emphasis on ].<ref name="DinahCancer">]: '''', Women in L.A. Punk, November 2004.</ref> According to a 2006 article by '']'', one popular theory as to the reason for this split was the 1980 suicide of Germs vocalist ]. According to this interpretation, Crash's death led to a period of mourning amongst many of those in the scene and eventually to a fascination with the ].<ref name="stylus" /> Nonetheless, amongst this splinter bands began to form merging the sounds of Los Angeles punk rock with these darker elements to create deathrock. The most prominent of these groups were ], ], ] and ].<ref name="Souciant1" /> Tracks by several of these acts were featured on 1981's '']'' compilation LP, which represented an early attempt to collect and promote local artists on the cutting edge of this new, darker version of L.A. punk. The bands generally performed and congregated at the Anti-Club, a club night in ] that would change venues every few weeks;<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Rasen |first1=Edward |title=Is there life after Death rock? |journal=] |date=May 1985 |page=75 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9ugCQfxwym0C&pg=PA5}}</ref> the O.N. Klub, located in ], also frequently hosted deathrock acts throughout the genre's inceptual period. Outside of this scene, ] from ] independently created a sound which some sources have considered as pioneering deathrock.<ref name="Souciant1" /> | ||
| During this time, deathrock bands often performed alongside both ] and ] bands. However, deathrock bands were not generally viewed as their own distinct genre, instead being seen as darker punk bands or sometimes even conflated with ].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sfetcu |first1=Nicolae |title=The Music Sound |date=7 May 2014}}</ref> | |||
| ===Interaction=== | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ===Developments (mid–to late 1980s)=== | |||
| By 1980, a wave of post-punk bands such as ], ], ], and ] abandoned the intensity of punk music in favor of a more elaborate style characterized by moody guitars and dark droning bass guitar patterns combined with romantic and morbid themes. This style of rock became known as "gothic rock" or "positive punk".<ref name="Thompson1314">Thompson, Dave; Borchardt, Kirsten: ''Schattenwelt. Helden und Legenden des Gothic Rock'', Hannibal Verlag, 2004, {{ISBN|3-85445-236-5}}, pp. 13−14</ref> A second wave of bands had coalesced a few years later, headed by acts such as ] and ],<ref name="Thompson1314" /> along with Brigandage, Blood and Roses, and ]. Many of those bands featured tribal drumming, high-pitched vocals, scratchy guitar, and bass guitar as melodic lead instrument<ref>Reynolds, Simon: '']'', Faber and Faber 2005, {{ISBN|0-571-21569-6}}, p. 423</ref> and a visual look blending glam with Native American-influenced warpaint and spiky haircuts. <!--{{citation needed span|text=Other related bands like ], ] and ] shared much of the tribal ethos and spiky look, but took more inspiration from ].|date=January 2018}}--> | |||
| ⚫ | During the mid–1980s, the United States' deathrock scene became increasingly connected to the United Kingdom's ] scene, a genre which journalist James Greene described as "very much in line" with deathrock.<ref>Schmidt, Axel; Neumann-Braun, Klaus: ''Die Welt der Gothics. Spielräume düster konnotierter Transzendenz.'', Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften 2004, {{ISBN|3-531-14353-0}}, p. 262.</ref><ref name="Greene32">Greene, James: ''This Music Leaves Stains. The Complete Story of the Misfits'', Scarecrow Press 2013, {{ISBN|1-589-79892-9}}, p. 32.</ref> This cross-pollination was particularly influenced by the Gun Club's European tour in 1983, and Christian Death's tour in 1984.<ref>Matzke, Peter; Seeliger, Tobias: ''Das Gothic- und Dark-Wave-Lexikon'', Schwarzkopf Verlag, 2003, {{ISBN|3-89602-522-8}}, p. 144</ref><ref name="Greene32" /> | ||
| By 1984, Christian Death had departed from their early deathrock sound in favour of the gothic rock of '']'',<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.factmag.com/2010/11/02/20-best-goth/ |title=20 best: Goth records ever made |magazine=] |date=2 November 2010 |access-date=29 November 2020 |last=Sande |first=Kiran |page=1}}</ref> while the sound of deathrock had begun to be embraced by English bands including ] and ].<ref>{{cite web |title=MORTICIA – HEAVEN AND HELL RECORDS TO REISSUE THREE ALBUMS |url=https://bravewords.com/news/morticia-heaven-and-hell-records-to-reissue-three-albums |website=] |access-date=17 December 2024}}</ref> Furthermore, the sound spread to bands in the ] scene, influencing the sound of ]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sacher |first1=Andrew |title=Rudimentary Peni announce first album in over 25 years, share 2 songs |url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/rudimentary-peni-announce-first-album-in-over-25-years-share-2-songs/ |access-date=17 December 2024}}</ref> and Part 1.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jameson |first1=Neill |title=Noise Pollution #23: Pictures of Pain |url=https://www.invisibleoranges.com/noise-pollution-23/ |website=] |access-date=17 December 2024}}</ref> By the time that ] gained widespread success in the scene, the term "deathrock" had predominantly fallen out of use and the style was viewed as simply a subgenre of gothic rock.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sfetcu |first1=Nicolae |title=The Music Sound |date=7 May 2014}}</ref> | |||
| During 1982, the scene was brewing at the London ] club ]. Initially envisioned as a venue specializing in ] and ] musical acts, the two main bands which debuted and performed frequently at the Batcave, ] and ],<ref>Thompson, Dave; Borchardt, Kirsten: ''Schattenwelt. Helden und Legenden des Gothic Rock'', Hannibal Verlag, 2004, {{ISBN|3-85445-236-5}}, p. 182−189</ref> developed their own different sounds strongly influenced by horror in British ], which set them apart from the rest of the glam and post-punk scenes in Britain. In 1983, Gun Club toured in Europe as did Christian Death in 1984, leading to cross-pollination between the European gothic rock scene and the American death rock scene.<ref>Matzke, Peter; Seeliger, Tobias: ''Das Gothic- und Dark-Wave-Lexikon'', Schwarzkopf Verlag, 2003, {{ISBN|3-89602-522-8}}, p. 144</ref><ref name="Greene32" /> By 1984, <!--the term "positive punk" was outdated, and the tribal positive punk bands, the various bands from the Batcave scene, as well as the bands from ] (such as ], ] and ]) some of which used drum machines, had all come to be referred to as "gothic" or ]. The same year,--> California death rock band Kommunity FK toured with UK gothic rock band Sex Gang Children (and the following year with Alien Sex Fiend) which continued the trend in which American and British movements intermixed.<ref name="Sheppard2014" /> | |||
| ===Decline and revivals (1990s–present)=== | |||
| Influenced more by the British scene and less by California, death rock bands began to form in other parts of the United States, such as ] (1983) in ]; Holy Cow (1984) in ] (and later ]); Gargoyle Sox (1985) in ]; and Shadow of Fear (1985) in ]. The fertile New York scene featured Scarecrow (1983), Of a Mesh (1983), Chop Shop (1984), Fahrenheit 451 (1984), The Naked and the Dead (1985), Brain Eaters (1986), the Children's Zoo (1986), the Plague (1987) and the Ochrana (1987). | |||
| ], a contemporary band who merge elements of deathrock and ]]] | |||
| ⚫ | The mid-1990s marked a third wave of gothic rock, as the music drifted its furthest from the original punk and post-punk sound by incorporating many elements of the ] scene at the time (which itself had moved away from experimental noise and into a more dance-rock oriented sound) and the more repetitive and electronic sounds of ]. Some clubs have even entirely removed deathrock and first-generation gothic rock from their setlists.<ref name="Sheppard 2012" /> | ||
| ⚫ | Halloween 1998 saw the launch of Release the Bats, a monthly goth and deathrock club night in ]. During its run time it became southern California's most frequented goth night and Long Beach's longest running club night, launching the careers of deathrock bands like ].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kang |first1=Esther |title=Long Beach death-rock/goth night Release the Bats ends after 20 years |date=October 26, 2018 |url=https://lbpost.com/hi-lo/music/death-rock-goth-night-release-the-bats-closing/ |access-date=October 11, 2022}}</ref> The success of the club caused many other deathrock club nights to be established in the following years. This, along with the rise of online ] led to the increased popularity of older deathrock bands and establishment of new, international deathrock groups, like ], commencing the first deathrock revival. During this period groups like ] and ] began to merge deathrock with elements of ] and ]. Many groups from this period, most notably ], began to make use of an aesthetic heavily inspired by ] fashion.<ref name="Sheppard 2012">{{cite web |last1=Sheppard |first1=Oliver |title=A Brief History of Deathrock, Part III |date=May 21, 2012 |url=http://souciant.media/2012/05/a-brief-history-of-deathrock-part-iii/ |access-date=October 12, 2022}}</ref> This era was mostly based online, through websites including deathrock.com, post-punk.com, ] and ]. Furthermore, it embraced a broader spectrum of influences, including ], electronic body music and ].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sfetcu |first1=Nicolae |title=The Music Sound |date=7 May 2014 }}</ref> | ||
| ===Irreconcilable differences=== | |||
| The mid-1980s marked the second wave of gothic rock, when the sound began to shift away from its punk and post-punk roots and towards the more serious, rock-oriented approach. Bauhaus broke up, Williams left Christian Death, and the Sisters of Mercy became the dominant and most influential gothic act. The term "gothic rock" became preferred over "death rock" (previously, they had been used interchangeably), a change which Williams attributed to the influence of the Sisters of Mercy. As a result, the term "death rock" was seldom used except in retrospective reference to the Los Angeles bands 45 Grave and Christian Death. | |||
| During the 2010s, deathrock's influence was revived, in the form of the dark punk and G-beat styles. In these genres, bands including Deathcharge, Cemetery, Lost Tribe and Christ vs Warhol, merged deathrock into hardcore punk and D-beat templates.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sheppard |first1=Oliver |title=Six Gloomy Gems From the Dark Punk Revival |url=https://daily.bandcamp.com/lists/dark-punk-revival-list |website=] |date=July 5, 2017 |access-date=17 December 2024}}</ref> Furthermore, during this time, bands such as ] emerged, who merge the genre with ],<ref>{{cite web |last1=Pearce |first1=Dutch |title=Inhabit the Corpse: An Interview (+Full Album Stream) with Devil Master |url=https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2018/10/31/29258/ |website=] |date=October 31, 2018 |access-date=17 December 2024}}</ref> and ] who incorporate the genre's influence into ].<ref>{{cite web |last1=ENIS |first1=ELI |title=GATECREEPER ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM: HEAR DEATHROCK-INFUSED SINGLE |url=https://www.revolvermag.com/music/gatecreeper-announce-new-album-hear-deathrock-infused-single/ |website=] |access-date=17 December 2024}}</ref> | |||
| ⚫ | The mid-1990s marked a third wave of gothic rock, as the music drifted its furthest from the original punk and post-punk sound by incorporating many elements of the ] scene at the time (which itself had moved away from experimental noise and into a more dance-rock oriented sound) and the more repetitive and electronic sounds of ]. Some clubs even |
||
| == |
==See also== | ||
| *] | |||
| ⚫ | Halloween 1998 saw the launch of Release the Bats, a monthly goth and |
||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| ==Artists and bands== | |||
| *] | |||
| '']'', Christian Death's 1982 debut album, is cited as the first American gothic album<ref></ref> and cannot be easily classified as either a darker flavor of punk, horror punk or gothic rock. As a result, Williams, the band's deceased lead singer (also known for ] and ]), was considered one of the most influential artists in the goth and death rock scene. Other influential male death rockers included Patrick Mata of Kommunity FK and Larry Rainwater of Ex-VoTo. | |||
| *] | |||
| Dinah Cancer has been referred to as the "Queen of Deathrock", the "Goddess of Deathrock" and the "High Priestess of Deathrock" for her role as the frontwoman for 45 Grave during a time when female lead singers were still considered somewhat of a rarity. Other influential female death rockers included ] and Voodoo Church's Tina Winter. | |||
| Many artists in the United States released EPs and LPs prior to 1982 which would now be considered death rock, such as Theatre of Ice and Mighty Sphincter. British bands also made major contributions to the death rock sound by adding a strong post-punk influence, including Joy Division, Bauhaus and Siouxsie and the Banshees. Other bands from around the world added their own unique contribution to death rock, including ] in Germany, ] from Ireland, and the Birthday Party in Australia. | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
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| {{Goth subculture}} | {{Goth subculture}} | ||
| {{Punk rock}} | {{Punk rock}} | ||
| {{Horror fiction}} | |||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ⚫ | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ⚫ | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
Latest revision as of 20:46, 18 December 2024
Rock music subgenre
Not to be confused with Death metal, Death 'n' roll, or Suicide Rock.
| Deathrock | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | Early 1980s, Los Angeles, US |
| Other topics | |
Deathrock (or death rock) is a rock music subgenre that merges punk rock and post-punk with gothic and glam rock visuals and elements of horror film scores. Often overlapping with, and sometimes considered a subgenre of, gothic rock, the genre was pioneered by bands from the early 1980s Los Angeles punk scene, including Christian Death, Kommunity FK, 45 Grave and the Super Heroines. By the middle of the decade, the genre had begun to interact with the United Kingdom's gothic rock scene, leading to the formation of English deathrock bands like Rudimentary Peni, Sex Gang Children and Alien Sex Fiend. However, soon after the genre declined in popularity, and its name largely fell out of use. In the late 1990s, a revival of the genre began, in which groups like Bloody Dead and Sexy, the Phantom Limbs and Tragic Black expanded the scope of the genre to including elements of psychobilly, electronic body music and futurepop.
Characteristics
Deathrock songs usually incorporate a driving, repetitive rhythm section; the drums and bass guitar laying the foundation within a
4 time signature while the guitars either play simple chords or effects-driven leads to create atmosphere. Chorus effects, such as those produced by the Boss CE-2 pedal, are commonly used by deathrock guitarists to create a wider and more haunting tone. The use of lyrics can vary, but are typically introspective and surreal, and deal with the dark themes of isolation, gloom, disillusionment, loss, life, death, etc.; as can the style, varying from harsh and dark to upbeat, melodic, and tongue-in-cheek. Deathrock lyrics and other musical stylistic elements often incorporate the themes of campy horror and sci-fi films. Despite the similar-sounding name, deathrock has no connection to death metal, which is a subgenre of heavy metal.
Etymology
The term "deathrock" was first used in the 1950s to describe a thematically related genre of rock and roll, which began in 1958 with Jody Reynolds' "Endless Sleep" and ended in 1964 with J. Frank Wilson's "Last Kiss". The term was also applied to the Shangri-Las' "Leader of the Pack". These songs about dead teenagers were noted for their morbid yet romantic view of death, spoken word bridges, and sound effects. In 1974, the term "deathrock" was used by Gene Grier to describe the same phenomenon in rock music.
The term later re-emerged to describe the sound of various West Coast punk bands. It most likely came from one of three sources: Rozz Williams, the founding member of Christian Death, to describe the sound of his band; the music press, reusing the 1950s term to describe an emerging subgenre of punk; and/or Nick Zedd's 1979 film They Eat Scum, which featured a fictitious cannibalistic "deathrock" punk band called "Suzy Putrid and the Mental Deficients."
History
Predecessors (1950s–1970s)
The earliest influences for some deathrock acts can be traced to the horror-themed novelty rock and roll acts of the late 1950s and early 1960s such as Bobby "Boris" Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers and Zacherle with "Monster Mash"; Screamin' Jay Hawkins with "I Put a Spell on You"; Screaming Lord Sutch & the Savages with "Murder in the Graveyard"; and Don Hinson and the Rigormorticians with "Riboflavin-Flavored Non-Carbonated Poly-Unsaturated Blood". Contemporarily, the 1979 single "Bela Lugosi's Dead" by British post-punk group Bauhaus was one of the major influences amongst the early deathrock scene. Other influences included the Doors, David Bowie, Alice Cooper, the Cramps, Black Sabbath and the Damned.
The Los Angeles punk rock scene began in the mid to late 1970s, with groups like the Runaways, the Weirdos and the Germs. Within this scene the Gun Club's grim take on heavily blues indebted punk was a notable Los Angeles precursor. The Flesh Eaters too took a macabre take on early LA punk, by merging the sound with lyrics influenced by Edgar Allan Poe, the Beat Generation and Catholicism. Furthermore, T.S.O.L. were a defining group in the scene who briefly embraced gothic and deathrock elements.
Origins (early 1980s)
At the beginning of the 1980s, deathrock merged as an offshoot of the Los Angeles punk rock scene, differentiating itself through its greater emphasis on horror. According to a 2006 article by Stylus Magazine, one popular theory as to the reason for this split was the 1980 suicide of Germs vocalist Darby Crash. According to this interpretation, Crash's death led to a period of mourning amongst many of those in the scene and eventually to a fascination with the macabre. Nonetheless, amongst this splinter bands began to form merging the sounds of Los Angeles punk rock with these darker elements to create deathrock. The most prominent of these groups were Christian Death, 45 Grave, Super Heroines and Kommunity FK. Tracks by several of these acts were featured on 1981's Hell Comes to Your House compilation LP, which represented an early attempt to collect and promote local artists on the cutting edge of this new, darker version of L.A. punk. The bands generally performed and congregated at the Anti-Club, a club night in Hollywood that would change venues every few weeks; the O.N. Klub, located in Silver Lake, also frequently hosted deathrock acts throughout the genre's inceptual period. Outside of this scene, Theatre of Ice from Fallon, Nevada independently created a sound which some sources have considered as pioneering deathrock.
During this time, deathrock bands often performed alongside both hardcore punk and new wave bands. However, deathrock bands were not generally viewed as their own distinct genre, instead being seen as darker punk bands or sometimes even conflated with horror punk.
Developments (mid–to late 1980s)
During the mid–1980s, the United States' deathrock scene became increasingly connected to the United Kingdom's gothic rock scene, a genre which journalist James Greene described as "very much in line" with deathrock. This cross-pollination was particularly influenced by the Gun Club's European tour in 1983, and Christian Death's tour in 1984.
By 1984, Christian Death had departed from their early deathrock sound in favour of the gothic rock of Catastrophe Ballet, while the sound of deathrock had begun to be embraced by English bands including Sex Gang Children and Alien Sex Fiend. Furthermore, the sound spread to bands in the anarcho punk scene, influencing the sound of Rudimentary Peni and Part 1. By the time that the Sisters of Mercy gained widespread success in the scene, the term "deathrock" had predominantly fallen out of use and the style was viewed as simply a subgenre of gothic rock.
Decline and revivals (1990s–present)
The mid-1990s marked a third wave of gothic rock, as the music drifted its furthest from the original punk and post-punk sound by incorporating many elements of the industrial music scene at the time (which itself had moved away from experimental noise and into a more dance-rock oriented sound) and the more repetitive and electronic sounds of electronic body music. Some clubs have even entirely removed deathrock and first-generation gothic rock from their setlists.
Halloween 1998 saw the launch of Release the Bats, a monthly goth and deathrock club night in Long Beach, California. During its run time it became southern California's most frequented goth night and Long Beach's longest running club night, launching the careers of deathrock bands like Mephisto Walz. The success of the club caused many other deathrock club nights to be established in the following years. This, along with the rise of online music piracy led to the increased popularity of older deathrock bands and establishment of new, international deathrock groups, like Bloody Dead and Sexy, commencing the first deathrock revival. During this period groups like the Phantom Limbs and Black Ice began to merge deathrock with elements of no wave and synthpunk. Many groups from this period, most notably Tragic Black, began to make use of an aesthetic heavily inspired by Batcave fashion. This era was mostly based online, through websites including deathrock.com, post-punk.com, MySpace and LiveJournal. Furthermore, it embraced a broader spectrum of influences, including psychobilly, electronic body music and futurepop.
During the 2010s, deathrock's influence was revived, in the form of the dark punk and G-beat styles. In these genres, bands including Deathcharge, Cemetery, Lost Tribe and Christ vs Warhol, merged deathrock into hardcore punk and D-beat templates. Furthermore, during this time, bands such as Devil Master emerged, who merge the genre with black metal, and Gatecreeper who incorporate the genre's influence into death metal.
See also
References
- ^ Stylus Staff: England Fades Away. Stylus Magazine's Guide to Goth, 7. August 2006
- Sheppard, Oliver: Interview with Kommunity FK, CVLT Nation magazine, January 6, 2014
- ^ Larkin, Colin: The Virgin Encyclopedia of Fifties Music, Virgin Books, 1st edition, 1998, ISBN 0-753-50268-2, p. 353
- Miletich, Leo: Rock Me with a Steady Roll, Reason magazine, March 1987
- Bernards, Neal; Modl, Tom: The Mass Media: Opposing Viewpoints, Greenhaven Press 1988, ISBN 0-899-08425-7, p. 130.
- Grier, Gene: The Conceptual Approach to Rock Music, Manual, Charter Publications, 1st edition, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, 1974, p. 6.
- Kilpatrick, Nancy. The Goth Bible: A Compendium for the Darkly Inclined. New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 2004, ISBN 0-312-30696-2, p. 89.
- Hawkins, Joan Defining Cult Movies, pp 227-228. Manchester University Press (2003). ISBN 0-7190-6631-X, 9780719066313.
- Ohanesian, Liz: Egrets on Ergot at The Echo, LA Weekly, March 2015
- ^ Sheppard, Oliver: Deathrock: A Brief History, Part I, Souciant magazine, April 16, 2012
- Greene, James: This Music Leaves Stains. The Complete Story of the Misfits, Scarecrow Press 2013, ISBN 1-589-79892-9, p. 33
- ^ Rasen, Edward (May 1985). "Is there life after Death rock?". Spin: 75.
- Gitane Demone: 20 Years in Death, published in Matzke, Peter; Seeliger, Tobias: Gothic!, Schwarzkopf Verlag, Germany 1999, ISBN 3-89602-332-2, p. 45
- Stegall, Tim. "10 essential '70s punk bands from Los Angeles you should already know". Alternative Press. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
- Stegall, Tim. "15 bands that defined LA punk in the '80s, from Black Flag to the Go-Go's". Alternative Press. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
- Gotrich, Lars (April 25, 2017). "The Mountain Goats On Growing Up, And Growing Older, In Goth". NPR. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
- Stegall, Tim. "15 bands that defined LA punk in the '80s, from Black Flag to the Go-Go's". Alternative Press. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
- Bag, Alice: Interview with Dinah Cancer of 45 Grave, Women in L.A. Punk, November 2004.
- Rasen, Edward (May 1985). "Is there life after Death rock?". Spin: 75.
- Sfetcu, Nicolae (May 7, 2014). The Music Sound.
- Schmidt, Axel; Neumann-Braun, Klaus: Die Welt der Gothics. Spielräume düster konnotierter Transzendenz., Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften 2004, ISBN 3-531-14353-0, p. 262.
- ^ Greene, James: This Music Leaves Stains. The Complete Story of the Misfits, Scarecrow Press 2013, ISBN 1-589-79892-9, p. 32.
- Matzke, Peter; Seeliger, Tobias: Das Gothic- und Dark-Wave-Lexikon, Schwarzkopf Verlag, 2003, ISBN 3-89602-522-8, p. 144
- Sande, Kiran (November 2, 2010). "20 best: Goth records ever made". Fact. p. 1. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
- "MORTICIA – HEAVEN AND HELL RECORDS TO REISSUE THREE ALBUMS". Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
- Sacher, Andrew. "Rudimentary Peni announce first album in over 25 years, share 2 songs". Retrieved December 17, 2024.
- Jameson, Neill. "Noise Pollution #23: Pictures of Pain". Invisible Oranges. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
- Sfetcu, Nicolae (May 7, 2014). The Music Sound.
- ^ Sheppard, Oliver (May 21, 2012). "A Brief History of Deathrock, Part III". Retrieved October 12, 2022.
- Kang, Esther (October 26, 2018). "Long Beach death-rock/goth night Release the Bats ends after 20 years". Retrieved October 11, 2022.
- Sfetcu, Nicolae (May 7, 2014). The Music Sound.
- Sheppard, Oliver (July 5, 2017). "Six Gloomy Gems From the Dark Punk Revival". Bandcamp Daily. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
- Pearce, Dutch (October 31, 2018). "Inhabit the Corpse: An Interview (+Full Album Stream) with Devil Master". Decibel. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
- ENIS, ELI. "GATECREEPER ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM: HEAR DEATHROCK-INFUSED SINGLE". Revolver. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
External links
- "Deathrock: A Brief History, Part I" (Souciant magazine, 2012)
- "A Brief History of Deathrock, Part II" (Souciant magazine, 2012)
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