Music for the Apocalyptic Florist™️

I had a few friends in high school that were deep into industrial, goth, and darkwave. I spent time down the rabbit hole of Fields of the Nephilim and Carl McCoy’s mad obsession with the occult and the fantastic symbolism of the Nephilim. Such dedication to the bit. I’ve always dealt with a little extra weight, especially in high school, so I never felt the part of Apocalyptic Cowboy would suit me, so I stuck to my grunge wear and never looked back (until I was in my black shirt days, now I do describe myself as an Apocalyptic Florist™️ though I think I may look more like a middle aged Japanese fisherman which I also think is high self praise for me…but I digress). Fields of the Nephilim were the perfect soundtrack for games of The Call of Cthulhu or a more cosmic DnD session. It felt like music for smart goth cowboy wizards and I, of course, wanted to be that (or at least imagine that’s what I was while we researched dark tomes in the darker libraries, covered in dust and demons. Also relavent is Richard Stanley’s Dust Devil, a very Nephilim vibe, and apparently Stanley’s post-apocalyptic words inspired the band’s Dawnrazor era). Fields of the Nephilim live feels like some kind of mad 90s underground western Crowley high on blackberry kush and whiskey ritual with McCoy literally preaching (ha ha) his sometimes melodic, sometimes spat and growled, grimy tales of lost souls over hypnotizing rhythms played by a bunch of goth cowboys, covered in flour to look like they just emerged in some wormhole event onto the stage from their somehow goth desert planet. Again, dedication to the bit to the end. And I am still here for it 30 years on. It’s still depressing but uplifting somehow, no not depression, it’s emotional anyway, much like Sisters.

Sisters of Mercy seem like they should be depressing with the goth looks but they brought the jams. Andrew Eldrich has a smoky baritone with his behind the beat spoken delivery, similar to Bowie at times or Nick Cave if he had a more raspy vampire whisper. (the delivery of hot metal and methedrine could be Gary Oldman (Watch Slow Horses)

Beyond Fields of the Nephilim, I ventured into other bands in this and adjacent genres, Ministry (of course), NIN (of course of course), Front Line Assembly (who released their wild Falling Down tracks with samples from the film which I couldn’t find), but I think the only two I returned to through the years since then are Sisters and Nephilim.

Earlier tonight on KEXP, I stumbled upon Dark Chisme and their dance floor darkwave cover of Lucretia, My Reflection, original by Sisters of Mercy. I still listen to them a couple of times a year when the mood strikes. Dark Chisme is a great Seattle band gaining popularity, for a good reason. This is some great darkwave with a driving beat that made me reminisce on those few albums in a similar genre. I’d love to see them on a double bill with Chicago’s latex clad rave pop trio, Pixel Grip.

Next time, probably hip-hop.

Please check out my serialized short horror story Rattlesnake Rodeo while you are here!