The Bolshoi - Modern Man (1986)
He used to care about important things
Like doing his hair and wearing rings
But that was just a phase and he grew out of it.
Now he says, “Hey, look at me,
I got my new boots on down by the sea”
well that’s no crime, he does it all the time.
The times I dream of, days of old
The men were strong and knights were bold
Modern Man came down among us
Gave us truth, eleven plus
And then he sends us all the dramas
Left us there in our pajamas
Trying hard to see the sun And live a life back on the run
Power (1986) - Fields of the Nephilim
Compared - usually unfavourably - with the then-recently-sundered Sisters of Mercy, with whom they shared certain undeniable similarities and influences and, as a result, large parts of their fanbase. Yet to accuse the Nephilim of ripping off the Sisters is to miss the point. Eldritch & Friends played with the very medium of rock music, the Nephilim went straight to the dark heart, more concerned with atmospherics and energy than with irony or artifice. Where Andrew was detached, his gonzo rock fantasies forever held in inverted commas by Dr Avalanche’s repetitive thuds, the Nephilim were all power and passion, inspiring a genuine belief that would see their live shows ascend to the level of ritual or shamanic gathering.
This song would set them apart from goth bands that came before by using a riff straight out of a 1960’s Italian western. In an interview Carl said that the meaning behind this song was of an incubus visiting a young girl in her sleep to have sex with her and steal a bit of her life energy in the process. He compared it to manipulating a lover and taking their virginity/inoccence as a result.
I can’t give, but I receive for hours
Draining me, now drain me from power
Ironically, she falls in love with the Incubus and becomes a nymphomaniac because of it. And the song ends with her becoming a succubus and repeating the cycle.
I need static, so charismatic
You’re so tragic, my love’s so manic
I have the power, use it frantic
Your body’s turned, I’m sex fanatic
The Mission (1986)
Dammit, Wayne. Quit raiding Andrew’s closet, you never going to be him! Besides, you have your own “Goth-Bono” thing going on so I don’t see why you feel the need to copy his look. You’ve aged ten times better than he has anyway so you should just take solace in that. Whenever you’re feeling down, just remember and tell yourself; ‘At least I don’t look like Fester Addams’
Skeletal Family, 1986
I will always consider this one of the greatest goth albums ever made.
