You may remember my mentioning Shadow Reborn back in May, when I wrote this review of their EP, Realm of the Wicked. Well, I’m here to insist, again, that you check out this band!
Shadow Reborn is from Florida and offers all the glitz and glam of the 80s hair metal era with the darker macabre element of bands such as The 69 Eyes, Type O Negative, and Lacrimosa. A self-proclaimed theatrical goth metal act, this quintet has time traversing imagery, lyrics that delve straight into the human psyche, heavy riffs, and catchy anthemic choruses. Thus far, they have released two EPs – Intricacies (2015) and Realm of the Wicked (2022) – and several singles.
Below are my favorite track from Shadow Reborn, as well as their most recent single, and links to their socials. Be sure to follow them to keep up with any news, show announcements, and/or music releases.
My favorite. This song is the fifth track on Intricacies.
“Her Mortal Embrace” was released in 2021 and appears on Realm of the Wicked.
Update:The show on 11/14 has been moved from Racine, WI, to Belvedere, IL, at the Apollo Theatre!
Horror punk band Murderdolls’ debut album, Beyond the Valley of the Murderdolls, turns 21 this year! In celebration of this anniversary, frontman Wednesday 13 is hitting the road to perform songs from their first record, as well as their second and final release, Women and Children Last (2010). Wednesday’s touring lineup for this run includes Murderdolls’ alumni Roman Surman and Jack Tankersley.
The supporting acts are Gemini Syndrome, Infected Rain, and Black Satellite.
This is far from a comprehensive list, of course, but here are five bands I’ve discovered from the neue Deutsche härte genre that don’t get nearly enough recognition in the U.S.
1. Oomph!
Formed in 1989, Oomph! actually pioneered the neue Deutsche härte movement, according to some sources The thing I really love about them is the fact that they change a little (sometimes a lot) every couple of albums. They started with a more electronic/dance/industrial sound, but they quickly morphed into guitar-driven rock/metal. Several bands that came after drew inspiration from Oomph!, including – most notably – Rammstein.
From the self-titled record released in 1992
From GlaubeLiebeTod (2006)
From XXV (2015)
2. Eisbrecher
I actually discovered Eisbrecher years ago, but I didn’t know the band’s name. My best friend had their song “Wilkommen im Nichts” downloaded to her computer, and I loved it. Later, I searched for the song, found that it was by Eisbrecher, and went down the rabbit hole. I bought a copy of their 2010 release Eiszeit and I’ve been a fan ever since.
From the self-titled record (2004)
From Eiszeit (2010)
From Liebe machtMonster (2021)
3. Stahlmann
I found Stahlmann after I’d begun listening to Eisbrecher (and obsessing over the track “Wir Sind Wir” by Paul van Dyk and Peter Heppner). I think at that point I was simply looking for similar bands because I really enjoy the genre. The first song I remember hearing by Stahlmann was “Schwarz.”
From the self-titled record (2010)
From CO2 (2015)
From Quarz (2021)
4. Erdling
Erdling was founded in 2014 by Neill Freiwald and Niklas Kahl. They are a blend of heavier rock and neue Deutsche härte. I remember listening to “Mein Element” and really being able to hear the Rammstein influence.
From Aus den Tiefen (2016)
From Yggdrasil (2020)
From Bestia (2023)
5. Die Kreatur
Die Kreatur is a project formed by Chris Harms (Lord of the Lost) and Dero Goi (Oomph!). The two artists had made guest appearances on tracks for each other’s bands, and they finally decided to merge into a separate entity. The project meshes together the more gothic metal sound of Lord of the Lost with the neue Deutsche härte elements that started with Oomph! Thus far, they have only released one album, entitled Panoptikum, but here’s hoping there will be more from them in the future!
Update: Two shows have been added in southern California – 10/21 in Ventura and 10/22 in San Diego. Tickets for these dates go on sale Friday, 8/25.
Black Veil Brides and Ville Valo will be sharing the stage this fall alongside special guest Dark Divine. Tickets are available at blackveilbrides.net, Ville Valo’s Bandsintown, or dark-divine.com. Black Veil Brides are also offering VIP experiences!
9/10 – Louisville, KY – Old Forester’s Paristown Hall
9/11 – Birmingham, AL – Avondale Brewing Company
9/12 – St. Petersburg, FL – Jannus Live
9/14 – North Myrtle Beach, SC – House of Blues
9/15 – Baltimore, MD – Rams Head Live!
9/16 – Niagara Falls, NY – The Rapids Theatre
9/17 – Toronto, ON – HISTORY
9/19 – Montreal, QC – MTELUS
9/20 – Hampton Beach, NH – Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
9/22 – Wallingford, CT – Toyota Oakdale Theatre
9/23 – Bethlehem, PA – Wind Creek Event Center
9/24 – Montclair, NJ – The Wellmont Theater
9/25 – Huntington, NY – The Paramount
9/27 – Grand Rapids, MI – GLC Live at 20 Monroe
9/28 – Gary, IN – Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana
9/29 – Columbus, OH – KEMBA Live!
9/30 – Indianapolis, IN – Egyptian Room at Old National Centre
10/1 – Chesterfield, MO – The Factory
10/3 – Austin, TX – 3TEN Austin City Limits Live
10/5 – Tulsa, OK – Brady Theater
10/6 – Omaha, NE – Steelhouse Omaha
10/7 – Madison, WI – The Sylvee
10/9 – Winnipeg, MB – Burton Cummings Theatre
10/11 – Edmonton, AB – Edmonton Convention Centre
10/12 – Calgary, AB – Grey Eagle Event Centre
10/14 – Vancouver, BC – Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre
10/15 – Spokane, WA – The Podium
10/16 – Seattle, WA – Paramount Theatre
10/18 – Garden City, ID – Revolution Concert House
10/19 – Wheatland, CA – Hard Rock Live
10/20 – Riverside, CA – Riverside Municipal Auditorium
10/21 – Ventura, CA – Majestic Ventura Theater (New date!)
10/22 – San Diego, CA – Soma San Diego (New date!)
The Darkness is celebrating the 20th anniversary of their debut album, Permission to Land, with some October U.S. dates! They are also reissuing the record on both CD and vinyl. To grab your tickets, or to preorder the album itself, visit thedarknesslive.com! I haven’t seen any support listed yet, but I will update as soon as any special guests are announced.
Black Veil Brides and Ville Valo will be sharing the stage this fall alongside special guest Dark Divine. Tickets are available at blackveilbrides.net, Ville Valo’s Bandsintown, or dark-divine.com. Black Veil Brides are also offering VIP experiences!
9/10 – Louisville, KY – Old Forester’s Paristown Hall
9/11 – Birmingham, AL – Avondale Brewing Company
9/12 – St. Petersburg, FL – Jannus Live
9/14 – North Myrtle Beach, SC – House of Blues
9/15 – Baltimore, MD – Rams Head Live!
9/16 – Niagara Falls, NY – The Rapids Theatre
9/17 – Toronto, ON – HISTORY
9/19 – Montreal, QC – MTELUS
9/20 – Hampton Beach, NH – Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
9/22 – Wallingford, CT – Toyota Oakdale Theatre
9/23 – Bethlehem, PA – Wind Creek Event Center
9/24 – Montclair, NJ – The Wellmont Theater
9/25 – Huntington, NY – The Paramount
9/27 – Grand Rapids, MI – GLC Live at 20 Monroe
9/28 – Gary, IN – Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana
9/29 – Columbus, OH – KEMBA Live!
9/30 – Indianapolis, IN – Egyptian Room at Old National Centre
10/1 – Chesterfield, MO – The Factory
10/3 – Austin, TX – 3TEN Austin City Limits Live
10/5 – Tulsa, OK – Brady Theater
10/6 – Omaha, NE – Steelhouse Omaha
10/7 – Madison, WI – The Sylvee
10/9 – Winnipeg, MB – Burton Cummings Theatre
10/11 – Edmonton, AB – Edmonton Convention Centre
10/12 – Calgary, AB – Grey Eagle Event Centre
10/14 – Vancouver, BC – Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre
10/15 – Spokane, WA – The Podium
10/16 – Seattle, WA – Paramount Theatre
10/18 – Garden City, ID – Revolution Concert House
10/19 – Wheatland, CA – Hard Rock Live
10/20 – Riverside, CA – Riverside Municipal Auditorium
Shadow Reborn is a theatrical goth metal band from southern Florida. I’m a bit late to the party, I’m sorry to say, and have only just delved into their latest EP, Realm of the Wicked, which was released back in February 2022.
It is immediately apparent that Shadow Reborn is a band that values a thematic approach to both their appearance and their music, and Realm of the Wicked offers a tantalizing glimpse into their dark, glamorous world. With a running time of 26 minutes and 52 seconds, this EP is sure to carry you on a carnival ride of the macabre.
The atmosphere is set with the brief “Intro,” building anticipation before the jazzy cabaret that is the opening to “Danse Macabre” (my favorite track). Here, the listener is given a taste of the talent that Shadow Reborn possesses, as well as a heavy nod to their influences – The 69 Eyes, HIM, and Type O Negative, just to name a few.
While centered around the goth metal genre, further exploration into the EP showcases elements of 80’s glam and dark cabaret a la Emilie Autumn or Marquis of Vaudeville. “Danse Macabre” and “Tonight is Ours” are guitar centric songs, while “Her Mortal Embrace” has the addition of a more symphonic sound, given weight by the orchestral arrangements and haunting guest vocals provided by Hali Laso. “R” jumps out as the most unique track, a faster and harsher arrangement throughout which is threaded shredding guitars that are speed metalesque.
The EP is wrapped with a cover of Motley Crue’s “Ten Seconds to Love,” a tribute that stays quite true to the original. I personally prefer the slower, deeper voice of Shadow Reborn’s front man; it sounds shockingly similar to Jyrki 69 and I am a huge fan of The 69 Eyes.
Realm of the Wicked is a must-hear for all the rock and metal fans out there who enjoy the theatrical, the gothic, the glamorous, but I believe it also stands strong against the critique of those searching for more. Shadow Reborn is a gifted band with something to offer most rock/metal fans, so do yourself a favor and check them out ASAP!
Mostly Music 