Goth is the coolest it’s been in decades – and these 9 rising metal bands prove it

Kalean Mikla in 2023.

You can’t blame people for being a bit pessimistic nowadays. The world is boiling itself to death, the upper classes are hoarding more and more of humanity’s wealth, and Kanye West refuses to just go away forever. There is good news to come from all the terribleness, however: gothic music, able to soundtrack the ever-darkening prospects of the modern age, is undergoing a glorious renaissance.

You can feel that comeback in everything from The Cure’s recent return to Wednesday becoming a Netflix megahit, and it’s present in metal as well. Below, Metal Hammer’s listed nine up-and-coming goth metal bands ideal for these miserable times. The new wave of moody riffs starts right here…