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4. Vocals

1

Nothing says “goth” like a dramatic vocal wrapped around melancholy lyrics. Pop pleasantries be gone – this is a musical form with literary pretensions. Don’t be afraid to lay it on thick. We’ve pulled in the singularly-named progressive artist Har (ambientguitarist. bandcamp.com/) to lend his voice. 2

As discussed in our main text, the vocals often define a goth band’s identity, so strong voices are a plus. Many goth artists prefer to deliver their vocals in a deep croon, while others wail. Some merely speak or whisper the words. Here, Har has doubled his main vocal with a much lower, breathy take. 3

Har eventually piled on four tracks for a thickly-layered vocal sound not unlike that heard on The Sisters of Mercy’s

Floodland album. Here, we’re using a bit of compression to tame the dynamics and give the vocals a bit of presence. The performances are pretty excellent, so little is needed!