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The Marching Fire

13th Sky

I've learned over the years that I'm terribly picky about my goth rock, death rock, and post-punk in general. I have a small selection of bands I love dearly, yet outside of that I struggle to find new material that appeals to me within the genre.

Well 13th Sky have easily joined my small selection. This is a beautiful blend of dark influences that roars like a punk album, but remains catchy and melodic like the best goth rock. It's fast, fiery, melancholic and scathing.

The guitarwork is superb, clearly pulling from classic deathrock, Sisters of Mercy jangles, and even what sounds like horror punk and surf rock on some tracks. The vocal work is blessedly it's own thing, no Andrew Eldritch try hard here. I would equate it to a deeper Mat McNerney of Grave Pleasures with almost a touch of Michale Graves.

The rhythm section is energetic, catchy, and foot-tappingly good. The drumming is upbeat and reminiscent of the finest punk batteries. The bass lurks in the background, taking center stage when evoking that classic goth rock sound, such as on Solace. And the synths are tastefully utilized, creating atmospheres and filling out the overall sound while never being overdone.

You can pick up this Los Angeles, California based band's material from their Bandcamp page.