At this time of year, a lot of us are headed ‘home’ – whatever metaphysical connotations that may have for you. So I’ve looked as close as possible to home for some new music to listen to, and I want to share it with all my readers – my gift to you (beyond memes with Santa hats haphazardly photoshopped onto various goth luminaries)!
The North East is currently enjoying a dark renaissance of activity, from club nights to live bands, and it truly is my pleasure to extol the benefits of my local scene.
Social Youth Cult – The Lighthouse
I’ve heard nothing but praise for these hungry young musicians who entrance audiences wherever they go – and they have been far and wide as a live act. Shamefully, I’ve missed them often even though they live in the same city as me. So I was excited to catch their debut album, The Lighthouse released in November, and see if they could translate their skill into recording.
It will not surprise you to hear that – of course they can. From the relentless pulse and stark riffing of Venus to the decaying grandeur of She’s Dread, each song is a rare jewel that pushes the envelope for alternative music. The title track alone transports one magically back to the early, exciting 80s and everything that was possible in post-punk, rekindling all that fire and enthusiasm.
The band proudly wear their Bauhaus influence on their sleeves, and well they should – not only does singer Shaun channel Murphy well, from resonant baritone to soaring higher notes, but they best exemplify all the exploratory, experimental nature of those post-punk legends. No two-dimensional ‘gothic rock’ photocopy here, but true innovation. They deserve all their plaudits and more!
Vampire Valentine – Porcelain / Thorns
Those who follow me elsewhere know I’ve been to a few local nights organised by DJ Necro Noise, where I’ve raved about all I’ve heard. So I was delighted to hear they’re now part of a postpunk/darkwave outfit right here in Newcastle and I was keen to check them out.
I was very pleased to report they’ve retained that dark 80s synthwave vibe that will thrill fans of Gunship – now married with whispered vocals that evoke Traitrs and paint vivid imagery of shipwrecked relationships, all washed in neon as you cruise down a midnight highway. I’m keen to see them refine the vocal delivery and land somewhere comfortable and sustainable so they can continue to make music.
Their debut alum “Dry Remains” will be out January 14 and I look forward to seeing them deliver more tunes and more live performances. A real nexus of creativity here!
Cherry Knowle – Don’t Take Me To…
I have Vampire Valentine to thank for introducing me to Cherry Knowle, when they played a Necro Night in Gateshead in October. Named for a now-demolished local Victorian mental asylum, their live show only scratches the creative surface of this highly experimental outfit wearing their political hearts on their sleeves.
This seven-track EP veers from harsh, charged postpunk anthems of frantic velocity, to vast, reverb-drenched landscapes of angry noise. They’re generous with the samples and indulgent with a furious tribal beat. Cherry Knowle follow in the footsteps of Throbbing Gristle and The Fall, and probably enjoy the early demos of The Sisters of Mercy at a guess.
This is truly raw, formative stuff and it happened so quick – their debut gig was only in August! Expect them to go from strength to strength. The vibe is seizing the tools and ideals of the emerging postpunk scene, and upgrading it to produce exciting, weird new music. Kudos to you all!
That brings us to the end of 2025 as well, an exceedingly busy and complex one for me beyond the blog. Getting back to basics and talking about the new music I heard this year has been a refreshing move, and (with no false promise) something I hope to do more of next year.
Whenever people ask me about the modern goth scene, I say time and again the building blocks are in the city club nights and poky gigs – places where people can get into the subculture for the first time, check out the tunes, even make their own music and keep the great black wheel turning.
WordPress let me know recently that I’ve had this place running for 15 years, apparently! That’s a bit generous though – my first article here was in October 2012 – and the first actual post in my incarnation as The Blogging Goth was August 2011. But it’s still an amazing, substantial period of my adult life, and it shows no signs of abating (sorry parents and other believers of it being a ‘phase’).
I look forward to even more writing in the new year – none of which would be possible without my generous Patrons, upholders of this very blog. So to Vaughan, Martin, Claire, Mark and Eugene – a very happy new year and all my very best to you for 2026!
Martin Belam
Mark Chisman
Eugene Carey
The Blogging Goth 