The Cure exists in a realm where gloom and sparkle coexist, crafting a sound that feels like getting lost in a gothic cathedral. Robert Smith, the eyeliner-drenched architect of their aesthetic, has guided the band through decades of metamorphosis—from the spiky post-punk of Three Imaginary Boys to the dreamlike melancholy of Disintegration. Their music dances between despair and joy, a sonic embodiment of Smith’s teased hair and enigmatic grin. Tracks like “Pictures of You” reveal their romantic side, while darker cuts such as “A Forest” plunge into shadowy depths. They’ve been the soundtrack for countless heartbreaks, existential crises, and solitary midnight drives, their sound as iconic as Smith’s distinctive wail. The Cure expresses emotions that touch all of us, a reminder that sadness can be beautiful and that love can be as fleeting and profound as a sunset amongst dark clouds.
Listen: Disintegration, Wish, Seventeen Seconds.
White Zombie were a cinematic explosion of B-movie madness and metal mayhem. Fronted by the enigmatic Rob Zombie, whose raspy snarl oozes grindhouse charisma, White Zombie carved a path through the 90s alternative scene like a monster truck at a demolition derby. Their sound—a toxic cocktail of thunderous riffs, industrial grooves, and horror-flick samples—was as much about vibe as it was about volume. Albums like La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Volume One and Astro-Creep: 2000 offered a neon-lit, post-apocalyptic carnival of headbanging delights. Tracks like “Thunder Kiss ’65” and “More Human Than Human” were anthems for misfits and night creatures, uniting the freaks under a flag of bone-shaking basslines and devilish fun. White Zombie was a lunatic thrill-ride—a screaming, psychedelic hotrod tearing through the haunted highways of metal history.
Listen: La Sexorcisto, Astro-Creep: 2000.
Who knew that I needed some Mongolian Thrash Metal in my life? Now you can have some too! Trance-inducing and truly remarkable.
Listen: The Gereg
Pounding and ethereal with Gothic overtones. Sublime Symphonic Scandinavian sounds for those that want to channel Valhalla.
Listen: Futha.
Cinematic Ambient Gothic-Folk weirdness. Unsettling yet beautiful. Delightfully haunting with icy shivers down the spine.
Listen: The Serpent’s Egg.
Classic Thrash Metal merchants fronted by the irrepressible and controversial Dave Mustain. Blistering beats and howling guitars.
Listen: Peace Sells…
Loud by Stealth Tactic
Noise. Lots of it. Make it big and bold, weird and unsettling, a little bit discordant, harsh and abrasive, perhaps haunting and ethereal. The vocals are raspy one minute and pure the next, the guitars are distorted then clean and jangly, there’s a dark feel–something rugged and raw–then light streams in. It’s all about the contrast. Sometimes, it can be beautiful and pretty or gnarly and ugly. It can tug on the heartstrings or fire us up with energy. Whatever’s happening, turn it up LOUD!