BEST OF
DARK
SHOEGAZE & DREAMPOP
2025

The fourth album from Hamburg, Germany dream-punk/shoegaze duo Seasurfer.

Formed in Hamburg in 2013 around Dirk Knight, Seasurfer initially built their sound around a dreamlike wall of sound rooted in dream pop and shoegaze across their first two releases. Since their third album, however, the duo have gradually leaned further into electronic territory, and this album pushes that direction even further. Minimal electronic beats, organic synthesizer textures, and heavily reverberated guitars intertwine throughout the record, effortlessly moving between dream pop, shoegaze, darkwave, and post-punk while carrying an atmosphere reminiscent of ’80s new wave.

Vocals are once again handled by Apolonia following the previous album “Zombies.” Her hazy voice drifts across the album like a pale fog, creating a mysterious and decadent mood evocative of a David Lynch film.

Among the album’s highlights, #3 “Get Burned” stands out with its powerful post-punk groove, making it one of the record’s most danceable moments. #8 “The Short Term Effect” reimagines a song by The Cure, one of the duo’s most cherished influences. Through a floating electronic arrangement, Seasurfer preserve the shadowy atmosphere of the original while reshaping it into something distinctly their own.

Listeners drawn to Cocteau Twins, The Cure, and Drab Majesty should pay close attention to this release. The duo are also set to resume live performances in 2026 for the first time in several years. Considering their close ties with Buzz Kull — Apolonia notably wore a Buzz Kull T-shirt on the cover artwork for “Zombies” — there is also reason to hope for a future Japan appearance through connections surrounding the HANDS AND MOMENT scene.

The debut album from Tulsa, Oklahoma post-metal/doomgaze artist Mary Mortem.

Mary Mortem has been an active solo project since around 2018. Raised in an environment shaped by poverty, substance abuse, and violence, the project channels isolation and a persistent urge for escapism into its sound. Early musical entry points trace back to late-’90s and early-2000s heavy music such as Slipknot and Deftones, later moving through post-hardcore and mall emo before arriving at the bleak, introspective aesthetics associated with artists like Chelsea Wolfe and Nicole Dollanganger.

While the artist has expressed a dismissive stance toward early recordings, those initial works leaned closer to witch house and trap-inflected textures. This debut full-length marks a clear shift into a full-band format, firmly stepping into the terrain of doomgaze and post-metal.

Noisy tremolo guitars and hypnotic riff structures collide with fragile clean vocals and anguished screams, at times recalling Amenra. Still, the shoegaze-derived sense of haze and spectral lift adds dimensionality, preventing the record from collapsing into pure heaviness.

#1 “Dead in Oologah” references the town where the artist spent their childhood, grounding its narrative in memories of a severely unstable home environment and sharply rendering images of death that frame the album’s thematic core.

On #5 “The Hollowing,” funeral-bell-like guitars intertwine with hollow vocals before dissolving into clawing noise textures. The repeated line — “Offer your bones and lie down / The forest is your home” — articulates a psychological erosion where personal agency is consumed by obsessive compulsion, reinforcing an inescapable cycle of isolation and violence. It stands as one of the album’s most fully realized expressions of its darkness.

A follow-up release is already planned for 2026, reportedly aiming for an emotionally heavy record. However, it is framed not as a continuation of despair alone, but as a work that seeks to transform trauma and isolation into something that can function as forward momentum. Further developments are worth watching closely.

The second EP from Los Angeles shoegaze band OSNOVA.

Formed in 2018 around guitarist Jean-Claude Vorgeack, the project later expanded into a trio with the addition of drummer Sam Ribeyro and vocalist Caroline McLaughlin. The release is characterized by a fusion of shoegaze and post-punk elements, where shimmering synth lines evoke aurora-like light, while bubbling, undulating bass and hazy, drifting guitars merge with crystalline vocals. Together, they create a weightless sense of motion—like drifting across a night sea under a sky filled with stars. Beneath this atmosphere, echoes of 4AD’s ethereal aesthetic remain clearly present.

A standout moment arrives with track #5 “Climbing Dues.” Post-punk propulsion and delicate, ethereal vocals are brought into balance, suggesting a convergence between Sisters of Mercy and Cocteau Twins. Within its dreamlike framework, the sense of uplift becomes more pronounced, positioning it as a clear highlight of the EP.

While shoegaze–goth crossovers often lean toward restraint due to their inherently decadent and introspective tone, OSNOVA distinguishes itself by retaining a strong sense of accessibility through hook-driven vocal lines, giving the material a distinct catchiness without diluting its atmosphere.

An accompanying compilation of early material, Early Singles, was also released in December. This collection leans more heavily into post-punk influences, with a stronger emphasis on rock-oriented momentum reminiscent of “Climbing Dues.”

The fourth album from German post-black metal band Heretoir.

Originally launched in 2006 as a solo project by David Conrad (Vo/Gt), Heretoir later welcomed Matthias Settele (Ba) and Nils Groth (Dr). The current lineup also includes Kevin Storm (Gt) and Stefan Dietz (Gt). The album title “Solastalgia” combines the words “solācium” (solace) and “algia” (pain), reflecting themes of environmental destruction, loss, and emotional despair.

Compared to its predecessor, the band’s sound feels even more expansive and immersive here, juxtaposing ethereal melodies against towering walls of distortion with remarkable clarity. David Conrad delivers one of the album’s defining performances, seamlessly shifting between fragile clean vocals and emotionally charged screams, adding considerable depth and contrast throughout the record.

Opening tracks #1 “The Ashen Falls” and #2 “Season of Grief” immediately establish the album’s emotional weight. Shoegaze and post-rock delicacy violently collide with the ferocity of black metal, pulling the listener into its world through sorrowful melodies and dramatic dynamic shifts. The drumming is especially impressive, with varied blast beat patterns creating momentum and tension rather than relying solely on sheer intensity.

While the first half is dominated by crushing heaviness and bleak atmospheres, the piano interlude #5 “Rain” marks a gradual shift toward more dreamlike passages reminiscent of Alcest. After the overwhelming darkness of #8 “Burial” and the title track #9 “Solastalgia,” the album slowly begins to reveal faint traces of light beneath the despair.

Despite its nearly hour-long runtime, the album remains compelling throughout, inheriting the ethereal beauty of Alcest and the emotional intensity of Deafheaven while maintaining a richly dynamic sense of progression. This is very much an album meant to be experienced as a complete work, where its thematic core gradually reveals itself over time.

War, environmental collapse, economic instability — faced with the distortions humanity has accumulated over generations, Heretoir’s lament resonates with immense weight. “Solastalgia” functions not only as an elegy for a slowly decaying world, but also as a fragile beacon of hope carrying the faint determination to continue resisting against it. With a European headline tour already announced, hopes for a Japan tour are naturally beginning to grow as well.

The fifth album from Finnish doomgaze project Shedfromthebody.

Shedfromthebody is the solo project of Finnish artist Suvi Savikko. Rooted in visual art, Savikko embodies a fully DIY ethos, handling not only the music itself but also the artwork and music videos. Since debuting in 2018, the project has carved out a distinct style that merges gothic, darkwave, shoegaze, and doom metal with the mystical melodic sensibilities of Nordic folk.

While the previous album “Whisper and Wane” leaned more heavily into Nordic folk textures and hypnotic atmospheres, this new record pushes further into darker and heavier territory. Progressive rhythmic structures play a larger role throughout, surrounding the album in a disorienting groove and suffocating tension.

#1 “Crossing” unfolds like a piece of dark folk weighed down by earth-shaking drums. Savikko’s voice briefly emerges between stretches of silence like a flicker of light, only to be swallowed once again by crushing guitars and shadowy textures.

#3 “Nature’s Weapons” presents one of the album’s most striking evolutions, built around an unsettling 5/4 rhythm, ominous riffs, and venomous harsh vocals. As the song twists and surges like a violent current, moments of clean vocal serenity provide fleeting relief amid the chaos.

Without sacrificing its mystical aura, the album descends deeper into darkness, constructing what feels like an entirely new mythology for the project. Its overall quality stands shoulder to shoulder with “Whisper and Wane,” but listeners seeking a heavier and more oppressive incarnation of Shedfromthebody may find this release even more compelling.

Recommended for fans of Dead Can Dance, Chelsea Wolfe, and Ethel Cain.

The sixth album from US California-based blackgaze/post-black metal band Deafheaven.

Formed in San Francisco in 2010, Deafheaven has established itself as one of the most prominent acts in the blackgaze movement, fusing black metal intensity with shoegaze atmospherics. Their 2013 sophomore album “Sunbather” received widespread critical acclaim across major music publications, expanding the band’s influence globally and securing its status alongside Alcest’s “Souvenirs d’un Autre Monde” as a defining work of the genre.

The band currently operates as a five-piece featuring George Clarke (vocals), Kerry McCoy (guitar), Daniel Tracy (drums), Chris Johnson (bass), and Shiv Mehra (guitar). While their sound has continuously evolved across releases, a pivotal shift came with their fifth album “Infinite Granite” (2021), which foregrounded dreamy textures and clean vocals, steering away from their earlier black metal foundation. The record divided long-time listeners, yet simultaneously expanded their reach into shoegaze and dream pop audiences.

“Lonely People with Power” marks a recalibration of that trajectory, reintroducing black metal elements while balancing screams and clean vocals, aggression and silence, noise and melody with refined precision. The result is a work that feels like a culmination of their career to date.

Structured with the interludes titled “Incidental” as structural anchors, the album unfolds in a three-part cinematic arc. The first section interweaves beauty and violence, the middle descends into darker, more corrosive impulses, and the final stretch resolves into emotional elevation, creating a film-like sense of progression.

Track lengths are generally tightened to around five minutes, enhancing immediacy without sacrificing immersion. Recorded with all members performing simultaneously in the same room, the album also carries a heightened sense of physical presence and live tension, giving the production a more visceral edge.

#2 “Doberman” erupts with blast beats and feral screams, while melancholic walls of guitar tone cut through the chaos, distilling the band’s signature duality. #3 “Magnolia” reclaims the heavier, darker energy of “New Bermuda,” unfolding with relentless speed and impact. It was met with strong reactions upon release, particularly from listeners aligned with the band’s earlier extreme metal direction.

#4 “The Garden Route” introduces a more dynamic contrast between delicate clean tones and dense guitar passages, leaning into post-rock and post-metal structures. #5 “Heathen” functions as a continuation of the “Infinite Granite” aesthetic, with George Clarke’s clean vocals taking a more prominent role before shifting into screams and full-blown blast-driven intensity in its final section, showcasing increased vocal maturity.

#6 “Amethyst” channels a more pastoral, Alcest-like blackgaze sensibility with waltz-like melodic phrasing, underpinned by notably powerful drumming. The first arc as a whole encapsulates multiple facets of the band’s evolution through distinct stylistic shifts.

#7 “Incidental II (feat. Jae Matthews)” introduces a drone-like unease, with Boy Harsher’s Jae Matthews delivering a spectral spoken-word performance. As noise surges and distorted screams surface, the atmosphere collapses into a disquieting intensity reminiscent of the unease found in Ethel Cain’s “Perverts”.

#8 “Revelator” leans fully into raw black metal aggression, driven by unrelenting blast beats and serrated tremolo riffs. #9 “Body Behavior” pivots toward a post-punk-inflected groove, where melodic guitar lines ride over a driving rhythmic foundation, with blasts deployed as sharp accents in the chorus.

#10 “Incidental III (feat. Paul Banks)” features spoken-word contributions from Interpol’s Paul Banks, functioning as a transitional passage into the final movement of the record.

#11 “Winona” opens quietly before unfolding into luminous, “Sunbather”-esque melodic release, evoking a sense of clarity and emotional uplift. The closing track #12 “The Marvelous Orange Tree” merges dense walls of sound with soaring clean vocals, culminating in a cathartic resolution that feels both expansive and conclusive.

“Lonely People with Power” integrates the bleakness of their black metal roots, the emotional intensity of “Sunbather,” and the ethereal aesthetics of “Infinite Granite,” binding them into a tightly executed, career-defining statement. It stands as a crucial reference point for understanding both Deafheaven’s current artistic position and the broader state of blackgaze.

The debut album from Bristol, UK shoegaze band Split Chain.

Formed in 2023, Split Chain is a five-piece consisting of Roberto Martinez-Cowles (Vo), Jake Reid (Gt), Oliver Bowles (Gt), Tom Davies (Ba), and Aaron Black (Dr). Beyond songwriting, the band has drawn attention for its distinctly DIY approach, handling its own graphics, videos, website design, and merchandise in-house. Even at the early single stage, Split Chain rapidly expanded its audience through TikTok and eventually made a dramatic debut via Epitaph Records, the legendary label founded by Bad Religion’s Brett Gurewitz.

“motionblur” is a record that collides shoegaze with post-hardcore, grunge, and nu-metal. Gritty guitar textures coexist with hazy melodies, while melodic vocals and screams create a constant tension between beauty and aggression. Across the album, dense walls of distortion are softened by a humid sense of melancholy that never fully dissipates.

Despite its compact runtime of 11 tracks and roughly 35 minutes, the album moves fluidly between softness and heaviness, restraint and catharsis, maintaining its intensity without losing momentum. Opening track #1 “Under The Wire” bursts in through an intro reminiscent of a classic PlayStation startup sound before launching into crushing grooves and beatdown-driven riffs. In contrast, the melodic #2 “bored. tired. torn.” introduces an emotionally charged chorus with strong anthemic appeal, while #3 “I'm Not Dying to Be Here” sharply pivots between weary vocal delivery and explosive emotional release. Those first three tracks alone leave a substantial impact.

One of the album’s standout moments is #5 “who am i?”, an aggressive track infused with post-punk momentum and gothic toxicity, strongly reflecting the band’s darker aesthetics. Meanwhile, #7 “Greyintheblue” leaves a lingering impression through its sinking heaviness, decadent atmosphere, and spectral chorus work.

That darker sensibility likely stems in part from bassist Tom Davies’ affinity for darkwave and new wave, though the influence of Type O Negative also appears impossible to ignore. Split Chain has performed live covers of “I Don’t Wanna Be Me,” later officially releasing their own version, while also producing merchandise inspired by “October Rust,” openly expressing admiration for the band. Both groups appear to share a similar intersection between hardcore aggression and gothic romanticism.

Even visually, parallels can be found between the two bands. While Type O Negative became synonymous with green, Split Chain has embraced blue as its defining color palette — something the band has described as an accidental discovery while experimenting with the visual tone of their first music video, “Get Inside.” That approach further suggests a shared aesthetic sensibility. Interestingly, Type O Negative itself frequently cited artists such as Cocteau Twins and My Bloody Valentine as influences, offering another compelling connection between gothic music and darker forms of shoegaze.

Overall, “motionblur” builds upon the broader Deftones-core lineage while organically blending shoegaze, emo, hardcore, grunge, and goth into a cohesive whole. Even at its loudest, the album never loses its sense of atmosphere, capturing raw melancholy and emotional volatility with remarkable clarity. The record should resonate not only with listeners following bands such as Soul Blind, Narrow Head, and Fleshwater, but also with audiences drawn toward goth and darkwave aesthetics.

Split Chain has moved at remarkable speed since its formation, and in 2026 the band returned with “sylvia (i won't belong to you),” its first new material following the album, while continuing an extensive touring schedule. As reflected in the phrase often shared internally by the band — “The chain does what it wants.” — that momentum appears to be continuing to grow.

In interviews, Roberto Martinez-Cowles has described the band’s three major ambitions as “playing in Japan, touring with Deftones, and headlining across America.” Judging by the trajectory of “motionblur,” that future may not be very far away.

The second album from Icelandic artist Gísli Gunnarsson.

Gísli builds on a post-classical foundation while incorporating elements of post-rock, shoegaze, and black metal, shaping expansive soundscapes that evoke the Icelandic landscape. His approach has been compared to the serene minimalism of Ólafur Arnalds and Sigur Rós, fused with the melancholic, overwhelming intensity associated with Alcest.

The previous record, “Mementos,” leaned heavily into collaboration, centering on delicate post-classical and post-rock textures. In contrast, this album is shaped by Gísli’s personal experience of being displaced by volcanic activity and losing his home. In portraying the threat and awe of nature, as well as the memory of a lost homeland, the contrast between the quiet elegance of piano and strings and the dramatic surge of distortion is brought more sharply into focus.

Opening track #1 “Heima” reflects the former state of Grindavík, the fishing village where Gísli was raised. Its weighty yet graceful strings guide the listener into a vast, nature-filled soundscape. #2 “Lúpína,” built around acoustic guitar, piano, and strings, unfolds gently, rendering a vividly illuminated scene with careful detail.

On #3 “Andlitin í Berginu,” Gísli’s soft vocal delivery anchors a slow progression that eventually erupts into distorted guitars, suggesting a volcanic outburst. Drums are performed by Winterhalter—known for his work with Alcest—adding depth and dimensionality to the arrangement.

#4 “Aska” channels the despair of a home consumed by fire through earthquake-like drone textures. The suffocating heaviness suggests a profound sense of helplessness. From this point of irreversible collapse, the perspective turns inward, delving deeper into personal emotion.

#6 “Söknuður” begins with a classical, string-led passage before bursting into a wave of melancholic distortion. It conveys a sense of loss akin to wandering through an inescapable fog in a frozen, lifeless world. #7 “Þjófagjá,” which introduces heavy distortion from the outset, suggests an approach that edges toward post-metal or doomgaze, with a sorrowful melody underscoring a stark, isolating atmosphere.

The closing track, #10 “Þar sem vindurinn þekkir nafn mitt,” carries a tone of resignation: the place once called home has been reduced to ash, and only the wind seems to retain its memory. Yet within the dense wall of sound, a faint melodic light hints at renewal. As the piece transitions into pastoral fiddle toward the end, it quietly concludes while hinting at the possibility of new life emerging from the ruins.

In earlier times, distant ancestors are said to have perceived divinity within natural phenomena beyond human comprehension. Even in a modern age shaped by scientific progress, humanity remains insignificant in the face of nature’s overwhelming force. “Úr Öskunni” stands as a dignified and elegiac work—one that appears to be dedicated to all that has been lost under that force.

The debut album from Tokyo alternative pop duo iVy.

Formed in 2023 by fuki (Vo/Gt) and pupu (Vo/Key), who first connected via social media, the project initially centered on home recordings and relatively private activity via SoundCloud. As their live performances accumulated, they began to draw wider attention, leading to the release of their first EP “Yuuei Program.” Built around the fictional character iVy-chan, their work—depicting introspective emotions through vividly colored sound—quickly gained traction. In less than two years since their first show in October 2023, they successfully headlined their first one-man at WWW in August 2025, followed by their first overseas performance that November, signaling a rapid rise in presence both domestically and internationally.

“Apatite,” named after the pale blue gemstone associated with iVy-chan’s image color, suggests the album’s clarity and dreamlike atmosphere. The dreamy palette established in their previous work appears further refined here, expanding into a more varied and emotionally dynamic approach while emphasizing pop sensibility and touches of humor.

Tracks like #2 “White River Junction,” with its dense guitar textures that suggest a resonance with Wisp, and #3 “Vampire,” where catchy, dreamlike tones contrast with self-critical lyricism, highlight the album’s tonal duality. Meanwhile, #6 “Any Noise” introduces a poetry-inflected passage that conveys a palpable emotional urgency, and #12 “FamilyRestaurant Rock” builds momentum through siren-like synths, evoking a euphoric, party-like lift.

Across the record, a succession of colorful compositions unfolds, creating an experience that can feel like being dropped into an amusement park—restless, vibrant, and constantly shifting. Compared to the previous release, the overtly melancholic mood may appear somewhat subdued; however, this seems more like a surface-level shift than a fundamental change. A closer look at the lyrics suggests faint undercurrents of unease and fragility beneath the pop exterior.

There are echoes of tonal contrasts found in original Grimm fairy tales, as well as narrative sensibilities reminiscent of MOTHER and UNDERTALE, where innocence coexists with subtle darkness. That tension appears to be a key part of the project’s emotional pull.

Additionally, the lyrics are arranged to flow seamlessly with the melodies, at times functioning less as semantic carriers and more as elements of pure phonetic pleasure. This balance—between sharp pop intuition and the tactile, almost musical quality of language itself—can be seen as one of the defining factors behind iVy’s growing appeal.

The second album from Brazilian shoegaze band terraplana.

Formed in 2017 around Stephani Heuczuk (Ba/Vo) and Vinícius Lourenço (Gt/Vo), who initially connected via Twitter, the band now operates as a four-piece with the addition of Cassiano Kruchelski (Gt/Vo) and Wendeu Silverio (Dr). Their previous release, “Olhar Pra Trás,” was defined by the contrast between shoegaze/post-rock-derived walls of noise and soft vocals—an introspective, dreamlike aesthetic that has drawn comparisons to Slowdive.

On natural, however, a noticeable shift emerges: the twin vocal approach is restructured, with an increased emphasis on solo passages, giving the compositions greater dynamic contour. The album also shows a slight move away from its post-rock roots, placing greater emphasis on guitar work reminiscent of ‘90s grunge.

This evolution is particularly evident on #3 “charlie,” which opens with a riff reminiscent of Nirvana before unfolding into a softer, more delicate melodic layer. The vocal delivery flows seamlessly, while the texture of Portuguese adds a subtle, languid sense of otherness that reinforces the band’s distinct character.

On #4 “hear a whisper (feat. Winter),” a lightly bouncing rhythm underpins a bilingual vocal arrangement, where English and Portuguese lines intersect fluidly—an approach that suggests an expanding expressive range.

In recent years, the band has steadily built international momentum, supporting Deafheaven on their Brazil tour in 2023, followed by an appearance at SXSW and a US tour in 2025. They are also scheduled to perform at the emerging US festival slide away in 2026, headlined by Hum, Nothing, and Chapterhouse, with a European tour forthcoming.

As Brazilian shoegaze continues to gain international visibility, “natural” appears to stand as a compelling entry point—capturing both the genre’s atmospheric core and the band’s evolving musical vocabulary.