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Deathrock
Deathrock (or death rock) is a subgenre of rock music that merges punk rock with gothic and glam rock visuals, alongside elements of horror film scores. Often overlapping with, and sometimes considered a subgenre of, gothic rock, the genre was pioneered by bands from the early 1980s Los Angeles punk scene, including Christian Death, Kommunity FK, 45 Grave and the Super Heroines.
By the middle of the decade, the genre had begun to interact with the United Kingdom's gothic rock scene, leading to the formation of English deathrock bands like Sex Gang Children and Alien Sex Fiend though the scene quickly declined and its name largely fell out of use. By the late 1990s, a revival of the genre began with groups like Bloody Dead and Sexy, the Phantom Limbs and Tragic Black expanding the scope of the genre to include elements of psychobilly, electronic body music and futurepop.
Deathrock songs usually incorporate a driving, repetitive rhythm section; the drums and bass guitar laying the foundation within a 4
4 time signature while the guitars either play simple chords or effects-driven leads to create atmosphere. Chorus effects, such as those produced by the Boss CE-2 pedal, are commonly used by deathrock guitarists to create a wider and more haunting tone. The use of lyrics can vary, but are typically introspective and surreal, and deal with the dark themes of isolation, gloom, disillusionment, loss, life, death, etc.; as can the style, varying from harsh and dark to upbeat, melodic, and tongue-in-cheek. Deathrock lyrics and other musical stylistic elements often incorporate the themes of campy horror and sci-fi films. Despite the similar-sounding name, deathrock has no connection to death metal, which is a subgenre of heavy metal.
The term "deathrock" was first used in the 1950s to describe a thematically related genre of rock and roll, which began in 1958 with Jody Reynolds' "Endless Sleep" and ended in 1964 with J. Frank Wilson's "Last Kiss". The term was also applied to the Shangri-Las' "Leader of the Pack". These songs about dead teenagers were noted for their morbid yet romantic view of death, spoken word bridges, and sound effects. In 1974, the term "deathrock" was used by Gene Grier to describe the same phenomenon in rock music. The term later re-emerged to describe the sound of various West Coast punk bands.
The re-emergence of the term "deathrock" during the early 1980s most likely came from one of three sources: Rozz Williams, the founding member of Christian Death, to describe the sound of his band; the music press, reusing the 1950s term to describe an emerging subgenre of punk; and/or Nick Zedd's 1979 film They Eat Scum, which featured a fictitious cannibalistic "deathrock" punk band called "Suzy Putrid and the Mental Deficients."
The earliest influences for some deathrock acts can be traced to the horror-themed novelty rock and roll acts of the late 1950s and early 1960s such as Bobby "Boris" Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers and Zacherle with "Monster Mash"; Screamin' Jay Hawkins with "I Put a Spell on You"; Screaming Lord Sutch & the Savages with "Murder in the Graveyard"; and Don Hinson and the Rigormorticians with "Riboflavin-Flavored Non-Carbonated Poly-Unsaturated Blood".
Other influences included the Doors, David Bowie, Alice Cooper, the Cramps, Black Sabbath and the Damned. Subsequently, the 1979 single "Bela Lugosi's Dead" by British post-punk group Bauhaus was one of the major influences amongst the early deathrock scene. Additionally, Roky Erickson coined the term "horror rock" in 1980, when describing the music of his band Roky Erickson and the Aliens, the term would later be used to describe the early deathrock scene in L.A.
During the late 1970s, the Los Angeles punk rock scene emerged, with bands like the Gun Club and the Flesh Eaters grim take on punk becoming a notable precursor to deathrock. Furthermore, T.S.O.L. were a defining group in the scene who briefly embraced gothic and deathrock elements. By the early 1980s, deathrock emerged as an offshoot of the Los Angeles punk rock scene, differentiating itself through its greater emphasis on horror. In 1983, music journalists Peter Belsito and Bob Davis released the book Hardcore California: A History of Punk and New Wave, referring to deathrock as a "horror-rock" scene that emerged in L.A. during the late 1970s to early 1980s, stating ,"Horror Rock brought some much needed bands out of the woodwork, such as the Cramps [...] and the re-formed Flesheaters," followed by referring to deathrock bands such as Voodoo Church and Christian Death as "horror-rock".
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Deathrock
Deathrock (or death rock) is a subgenre of rock music that merges punk rock with gothic and glam rock visuals, alongside elements of horror film scores. Often overlapping with, and sometimes considered a subgenre of, gothic rock, the genre was pioneered by bands from the early 1980s Los Angeles punk scene, including Christian Death, Kommunity FK, 45 Grave and the Super Heroines.
By the middle of the decade, the genre had begun to interact with the United Kingdom's gothic rock scene, leading to the formation of English deathrock bands like Sex Gang Children and Alien Sex Fiend though the scene quickly declined and its name largely fell out of use. By the late 1990s, a revival of the genre began with groups like Bloody Dead and Sexy, the Phantom Limbs and Tragic Black expanding the scope of the genre to include elements of psychobilly, electronic body music and futurepop.
Deathrock songs usually incorporate a driving, repetitive rhythm section; the drums and bass guitar laying the foundation within a 4
4 time signature while the guitars either play simple chords or effects-driven leads to create atmosphere. Chorus effects, such as those produced by the Boss CE-2 pedal, are commonly used by deathrock guitarists to create a wider and more haunting tone. The use of lyrics can vary, but are typically introspective and surreal, and deal with the dark themes of isolation, gloom, disillusionment, loss, life, death, etc.; as can the style, varying from harsh and dark to upbeat, melodic, and tongue-in-cheek. Deathrock lyrics and other musical stylistic elements often incorporate the themes of campy horror and sci-fi films. Despite the similar-sounding name, deathrock has no connection to death metal, which is a subgenre of heavy metal.
The term "deathrock" was first used in the 1950s to describe a thematically related genre of rock and roll, which began in 1958 with Jody Reynolds' "Endless Sleep" and ended in 1964 with J. Frank Wilson's "Last Kiss". The term was also applied to the Shangri-Las' "Leader of the Pack". These songs about dead teenagers were noted for their morbid yet romantic view of death, spoken word bridges, and sound effects. In 1974, the term "deathrock" was used by Gene Grier to describe the same phenomenon in rock music. The term later re-emerged to describe the sound of various West Coast punk bands.
The re-emergence of the term "deathrock" during the early 1980s most likely came from one of three sources: Rozz Williams, the founding member of Christian Death, to describe the sound of his band; the music press, reusing the 1950s term to describe an emerging subgenre of punk; and/or Nick Zedd's 1979 film They Eat Scum, which featured a fictitious cannibalistic "deathrock" punk band called "Suzy Putrid and the Mental Deficients."
The earliest influences for some deathrock acts can be traced to the horror-themed novelty rock and roll acts of the late 1950s and early 1960s such as Bobby "Boris" Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers and Zacherle with "Monster Mash"; Screamin' Jay Hawkins with "I Put a Spell on You"; Screaming Lord Sutch & the Savages with "Murder in the Graveyard"; and Don Hinson and the Rigormorticians with "Riboflavin-Flavored Non-Carbonated Poly-Unsaturated Blood".
Other influences included the Doors, David Bowie, Alice Cooper, the Cramps, Black Sabbath and the Damned. Subsequently, the 1979 single "Bela Lugosi's Dead" by British post-punk group Bauhaus was one of the major influences amongst the early deathrock scene. Additionally, Roky Erickson coined the term "horror rock" in 1980, when describing the music of his band Roky Erickson and the Aliens, the term would later be used to describe the early deathrock scene in L.A.
During the late 1970s, the Los Angeles punk rock scene emerged, with bands like the Gun Club and the Flesh Eaters grim take on punk becoming a notable precursor to deathrock. Furthermore, T.S.O.L. were a defining group in the scene who briefly embraced gothic and deathrock elements. By the early 1980s, deathrock emerged as an offshoot of the Los Angeles punk rock scene, differentiating itself through its greater emphasis on horror. In 1983, music journalists Peter Belsito and Bob Davis released the book Hardcore California: A History of Punk and New Wave, referring to deathrock as a "horror-rock" scene that emerged in L.A. during the late 1970s to early 1980s, stating ,"Horror Rock brought some much needed bands out of the woodwork, such as the Cramps [...] and the re-formed Flesheaters," followed by referring to deathrock bands such as Voodoo Church and Christian Death as "horror-rock".