2012: could it really be time for the goth revival? We've had just about everything else, and while goth never really went away, neither did metal, but it still came back, supposedly refreshed and reinvigorated and more pissed off than ever in the form of Nu-Metal. Alright, so goth reinvented itself variously during the 90s and into the new millennium, with darkwave and cybergoth, but what these revisionist versions of the genre did in truth was simply add techno and rave elements to goth, steering it further from its post punk roots.
Recently, however, I've been hearing emerging bands - The Violet May (with whom Isolated Atoms have shared a bill), Cold in Berlin, Winter Severity Index - who show clear signs of a return to the old days of what would become goth, as represented by the likes of Siouxsie and the Banshees, Skeletal Family, Alien Sex Fiend, The Sisters of Mercy, The Cure, The March Violets. Coupled with the re-emergence and reformations of Bauhaus, Artery and The Danse Society, the signs appear to be all there.
Isolated Atoms may call themselves 'electro rockers' and align themselves with The Cult, Depeche Mode and Joy Division, as well as referencing contemporaries including Editors, White Lies and The Bravery, but they bear all the sonic hallmarks of a vintage goth act, with interweaving tripwire guitars weaving a tension over a grumbling, insistent bass and mechanised-sounding drumming being the key defining elements of their sound.
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Apart from on 'Pray for Me Now' when the cock-rock tendencies of 'Sonic Temple' era Cult come through rather strongly (largely on account of the rather yeayaaaaah!' vocal delivery), this EP is pretty good. 'Play' reminds me very much of 90s neogoth favourites Suspiria, and is almost as good. Stop sulking, guys and take my word for it: goth's cool again - even if the singer's boots aren't.
Isolated Atoms on MySpace
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