BEST OF
DARK
SHOEGAZE & DREAMPOP
2025

The third album from Richmond, Virginia–based shoegaze band Keep.

Formed in 2013 initially as a duo of Nick and Wes, the current lineup consists of Wes Smithers (guitar/sampling), Will Fennessey (bass), Levi Douthit (guitar/synth), and Nick Yetka (drums/vocals). While citing influences such as The Cure, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Slowdive, Keep’s sound extends well beyond these touchstones.

Their debut leaned toward dreamy post-punk reminiscent of The Cure and DIIV, but from the second album onward, their palette has grown more expansive. Anchored by grunge-inspired heavy shoegaze, tracks like #8 “Sodawater” shimmer with dream-pop guitars, while #11 “Hurt a Fly” delivers an emo-tinged, high-energy rush.

The band never feels scattered; the core of Keep’s signature melancholic beauty persists throughout, with emotive vocals intertwining with luminous lead guitar to create richly textured soundscapes. The melodic interplay and powerful guitar riffs benefit from the production and engineering of Zac Montez (Whirr, Cloakroom).

Compared with contemporary heavy shoegaze and grunge-gaze acts, this album remains highly melodic and accessible, making it an excellent entry point for new listeners. Keep has been relentless on the road, completing a spring tour with hometown peers Turnover, a summer tour including a run with Leaving Time in August, and an EU/UK tour starting in late October with Slow Crush. Their continued momentum suggests growing international attention, with hopes high for a future visit to Japan.

The second album from Athens-based doomgaze band Church of the Sea.

Formed in 2017, the current lineup consists of Irene (vocals), Vangelis (guitar), and Alex (synth/sampler). Their signature lies in multi-layered soundscapes combining exotic, folk-influenced vocals, earth-shaking heavy guitar, and ethereal shoegaze textures. The album title, Eva, references the biblical Eve, and features lyrics in Greek for the first time, lending a shamanic, mystical quality that transforms myth into sound.

A standout track is #3 “Eva,” where tribal percussion underpins the mystical vocals as they gracefully unfold. Doom-inflected guitar emerges in the latter half, gradually increasing tension and evoking a ritualistic crescendo. The result is a majestic piece that feels like Dead Can Dance interpreted through a doomgaze lens. From bedroom introspection to Edenic grandeur, the album exudes a distinctly Greek aura. Fans of Dead Can Dance, Chelsea Wolfe, and Shedfromthebody will find much to appreciate.

The second album from Los Angeles–based producer/musician Max Epstein’s project Photographic Memory.

Released via US indie label deadAir Records, Photographic Memory has been active under this name since 2013, while Epstein has contributed to recordings and live support for Quannnic, Militarie Gun, and Cold War Kids. He has also been involved in Wisp’s Pandra era, supporting the If Not Winter tour and collaborating onstage, showcasing his versatility across projects.

Early work centered on dreamy bedroom pop and dream pop, but this album expands into emo-rap, indie electronica, and Nu-Gaze, demonstrating a wide-ranging sonic palette. Notable tracks include #8 “Clearly,” a refreshing electro-pop number reminiscent of Porter Robinson; #10 “Born 7:7 (feat. Darcy Baylis),” where ethereal electronica merges seamlessly with heavy shoegaze; #11 “Heartstyle (feat. Wisp),” a synth-laden, danceable track revealing a new side of Wisp; #12 “Love In My Heart,” a heavy instrumental drawing on nu-metal and grunge, with aggressive guitar tones echoing Korn and Alice in Chains; and #17 “Spill (feat. Kraus),” a melancholic heavy shoegaze highlight featuring thick guitar walls and soft vocals, showcasing Kraus’ signature touch.

Polished through his production experience, this album reflects Epstein’s cross-genre fluency. As a next-generation shoegaze artist, his work alongside Wisp marks him as one to watch.

The debut album from Australian blackened doom metal duo Spiine.

Spiine was formed as a collaboration between Virgin Black guitarist Sesca Scaarba (Samantha Escarbe) and former Ne Obliviscaris vocalist Xen (Marc Campbell). The band name, meaning “spine,” symbolizes the fusion of their creative cores and a shared commitment to convey the dark, miserable despair that defines their music. The double “i”s in both the band name and track titles emphasize this mutual bond.

The album features drums by Waltteri Väyrynen (Opeth, ex-Paradise Lost) and bass by Lena Abé (My Dying Bride), assembling one of the most formidable lineups in modern doom. While Virgin Black was known for orchestral grandeur and choral arrangements, Spiine strips back embellishments to focus on guitar-driven funeral doom. Xen’s expressive screams and growls depict sorrow, pain, and despair, plunging listeners into an uncompromisingly cold and merciless dark world.

The album unfolds over four intense tracks:

#1 “Myroblysiia”
Blends funeral doom-style long tones with brooding tremolo riffs, weaving doomgaze, post-rock, and DSBM influences. Introductory piano echoes under mournful guitars reminiscent of MONO performing a requiem. As heavy long tones emerge, solemn orchestral lines merge with Xen’s guttural roar, pulling the listener into the abyss.

#2 “Glaciial”
Pairs crushing, oppressive guitars with Xen’s growls in a relentlessly dark doom landscape. Heavy strings bring a fleeting glimmer of light, but Sesca’s guitar and Xen’s vocals soon drown it in darkness. The melancholic guitar work toward the end stands out as a highlight.

#3 “Oubliiette”
Uses tremolo riffs effectively to create a hybrid of funeral doom and DSBM. Layered orchestral textures contribute to what is perhaps the album’s most “gaze”-infused track.

#4 “Wriithe”
Opens with ghostly moans, crawling through shadowed, oppressive riffs. A quiet, ethereal interlude offers a brief light, before shifting into black metal-inspired bursts. The track closes with mournful, requiem-like melodies, returning the spirits to the abyss.

True to its title Tetraptych, meaning “a series of four panels,” the album delivers a concentrated one-hour journey across four elaborate compositions—an exceptional treat for fans of dark music. While firmly rooted in funeral doom, its relatively melodic accessibility may appeal to listeners of dark doom-gaze bands such as FVNERALS and Presence of Soul.

As of December 2, 2025, Lena Abé (My Dying Bride) officially joined as a full member. This indicates that the project will continue, and fans should stay tuned for future developments.

he 13th album from Atlanta-based lo-fi dream pop artist Orchid Mantis.

Orchid Mantis is the solo project of singer-songwriter Thomas Howard. Previously known for creating lo-fi, nostalgic indie pop and ambient music that gently lulled listeners into dreamlike states, this release shifts the focus toward the brooding slowcore of the ’90s, evoking artists such as Low, Bedhead, and Codeine.

Guitars drenched in deep reverb ripple like rain in the twilight, while Thomas’s vocals emerge ghostlike from the sparse arrangements. If past works felt like napping in a sunlit meadow, this album might be likened to waking up in a morgue at midnight.

A pervasive cold yet sweet melancholy fills each track, making it ideal for sinking into quietly. Standout track #4 “All The Passing Days” features a funeral-like, wistful melody that quietly turns beautiful memories to ash.

The consistently slow tempo may feel flat to some listeners, but the careful alternation of vocal and instrumental pieces provides subtle rises and falls that maintain interest. The artwork already hinted at something unusual, but the musical transformation exceeded expectations.

The first EP from Osaka-based shoegaze / alternative rock band Sanzameku.

Formed on March 26, 2023, Sanzameku’s debut EP features Pen (guitar/vocals), Akane (guitar), Sima (bass), and yuyA (support drums). While often framed within shoegaze, the band’s sound appears to extend well beyond genre boundaries, weaving together a range of expressive elements into a distinctly dark and emotive aesthetic.

Fragile, delicate passages recall the ethereal qualities of Sigur Rós, while the tension between poetry reading and emotional surges suggests parallels with envy. At times, Pen’s delivery—singing subdued, shadowed emotions in Japanese—may also bring to mind Tsukiko Amano. Rather than settling into conventional shoegaze tropes, these influences intersect to form a highly individual sonic world. The contrast between stillness and eruption is particularly striking, guiding the listener through shifts that feel as expansive as a journey from sunlit grasslands to the depths of a darkened sea.

Central to this dynamic is Pen’s vocal performance. Moving fluidly with the band’s dramatic rises and falls, the vocals range from gentle whispers to piercing, emotionally charged cries that cut through walls of sound. The lyrics, written in Japanese, circle raw emotions such as sorrow, pain, and grief, their nuances heightened by the language’s natural shading and cadence.

Sanzameku – “Karyu Ni Naku” Track-by-Track

#1 “Koubou”
An elegant introduction in which light-filled guitar tones merge with fragile whisper vocals, setting a luminous yet restrained opening mood.

#2 “Zanmei”
Built on a slow, post-rock-like progression, the track gradually increases tension before releasing it in a cathartic surge of beautiful noise.

#3 “=rand(scp)”
Swirling noise collides with a bleak melody, cutting sharply across the listener like a cold blade. The darkest piece on the EP; the title is reportedly read as “Dummy Scape.”

#4 “Ibuki”
A boundary-pushing track driven by tribal rhythms that draws the listener into a trance. The cascading guitar lines are strikingly radiant, approaching something almost sacred in tone.

#5 “Shizuku No Naka No Suisei”
A delicately balanced soundscape on the verge of collapse, underscored by the repeated phrase “I didn’t want to know.” Sudden waves of heavy sound break the calm before receding again, intensifying the song’s sense of longing.

#6 “Fuyuu” (CD-only bonus track)
Featuring Mai Kuroda of Okayama shoegaze band little lamplight, this track showcases lush, heavy shoegaze at its most expansive. The dense textures created by triple guitars and a strong melodic core make a compelling case for the CD edition alone.

Across six tracks, light and darkness, beauty and madness, stillness and motion intersect in constant flux. This EP offers a concentrated expression of Sanzameku’s aesthetic vision. In addition, venue-exclusive demo releases reportedly include several live staples—each worth seeking out for those attending shows.

Following this release, Nagisa Kanzaki officially joined on drums, marking the band’s full-scale launch. True to the meaning of their name—clamor—Sanzameku appears poised to raise a collective voice and energize the Japanese shoegaze landscape.

The live album from Tokyo-based post-metal / doomgaze band Presence of Soul.

Recorded on July 24, 2024 at Kichijoji NEPO, this release documents an improvised noise and dark ambient performance by a three-piece lineup: Yuki (vocals, synthesizers, noise), Yoshi (guitar), and Takurow (bass). Despite the common assumption that dark ambient equates to something merely “dark and dull,” this set unfolds as a surprisingly expansive experience—an approximately 30-minute journey that feels closer to drifting through a blackened cosmos.

#1 “Silent” reveals a delicate, melodic side of Presence of Soul through a meditative post-rock framework. Against a backdrop of soft noise, poetry reading, spectral clean vocals, and layered guitars slowly merge, evoking a mysterious, star-filled galaxy. The piece balances restraint and atmosphere, allowing subtle emotional contours to surface without force.

#2 “Board the Shipwreck – Drift” shifts the tone dramatically. Anxiety-inducing, noisy guitar textures intertwine with mantra-like vocals, suggesting a darker, more corrupted counterpart to Dead Can Dance. In the latter half, distorted guitars and increasingly unhinged vocal expressions collide, culminating in an onslaught of truly menacing noise. It can be approached in multiple ways: at extreme volume for full immersion, in complete darkness with eyes closed, or even at lower levels for listeners less accustomed to harsh sound. Each perspective reveals different facets of the performance.

As a live document, the recording captures only part of the physical impact. The original performance reportedly took place in near-total darkness, with the musicians barely visible and only VJ visuals cutting through the void, creating a disorienting sensation of suspension rather than grounded presence. In particular, the bass work stands out—its sub-bass frequencies were powerful enough to transmit vibrations through the floor and into the body. While that physical force cannot be fully replicated on record, the intensity remains palpable.

This release is available exclusively on CD and will be discontinued once sold out. Purchasers can also download audio accompanied by the visuals used during the performance. With a system capable of high-volume playback, it offers an experience that comes remarkably close to the live setting. For those drawn to immersive, boundary-pushing sound, this is a document well worth securing.

The second EP from Tokyo-based shoegaze band 2beef.

On their first EP, the band surprised many listeners by absorbing a wide spectrum of influences—from US heavy shoegaze in the vein of Nothing and Whirr to 2020s Nu-Gaze—while even incorporating elements of breakcore. Just as distinctive is their worldview, which draws heavily on otaku culture rooted in 1990s–2000s anime and video games. Formerly a trio, 2beef is now officially a duo following the departure of their drummer, consisting of Ueda (guitar/vocals) and Yoh Yanatori (bass), the latter also responsible for the band’s artwork and merchandise design.

This EP unfolds as a concept work built around the theme of isekai—otherworldly reincarnation—inviting the listener to step into a self-contained narrative. With that in mind, let us dive in.

2beef – “Orbs” Track-by-Track

#1 “Helvetica standard”
Following a dreamlike intro, heavy guitars intertwine with gentle vocals to draw the listener into a state of intoxication. The atmospheric passages subtly evoke post-rock textures, offering a sense of comfort akin to being enchanted by magic. The title “Helvetica standard” functions both as an otaku reference—reportedly derived from a manga by Keiichi Arai—and, perhaps, as a design-oriented nod to the Helvetica typeface and its ubiquity.

#2 “(where are you?)”
A sound collage in which pale layers of guitar dissolve into piano tones and whispered voices, blurring the boundary between reality and fantasy. The faint echo of “sayonara” at the end lingers, quietly planting a sense of emptiness.

#3 “unreal”
A slow-burning piece of heavy shoegaze that patiently weaves melancholy. Amid towering walls of sound, an aching vocal line cuts through, tightening its grip on the listener. This track stands out as the EP’s emotional centerpiece.

#4 “if you are still here”
While inheriting the heaviness of the previous track, this closing song introduces a subtle openness, as if light were breaking through the clouds. A fragile sense of hope hovers as the story comes to an end. “If you are still here”—did the protagonist return to the original world, or remain elsewhere? The question is left unresolved.

Compact at four tracks and roughly twelve minutes, the EP nonetheless offers a dynamic arc that actively stimulates the imagination. Isekai narratives are plentiful in popular culture, but this work encourages each listener to envision their own version of the story.

Artwork and Visual Identity

‍Another notable aspect of 2beef is their striking visual presentation. The artwork is unified by Helvetica-style sans-serif typography and a blue-centric color scheme, effectively channeling a Y2K digital aesthetic. This is particularly intriguing given that Yanatori’s personal art practice often leans toward more organic forms—an intentional contrast worth exploring further. Yoh Yanatori (Instagram)

Live Activities and Outlook

‍With support members on drums and guitar, 2beef resumed live activities on August 29, 2025. Their presence and sound reportedly align closely with the forefront of contemporary US shoegaze, suggesting strong potential for future exchanges with overseas acts.

Fans of Nothing, Whirr, Leaving Time, Trauma Ray, or Glare should find much to appreciate here.

The first EP from Oregon-based psychedelic doom rock band Blackwater Holylight.

Formed in Portland in 2016, the all-female quartet has steadily drawn attention for its exploratory approach to heavy music. The current lineup consists of Sunny Farris (bass/guitar/vocals), Sarah McKenna (synthesizers), Mikayla Mayhew (bass/guitar), and Eliese Dorsay (drums). After establishing a strong presence with their self-titled debut album “Blackwater Holylight” (2018)—defined by a sultry, narcotic blend of psychedelia and stoner rock—the band pushed further into heaviness on “Veils of Winter” (2019). Their third album, “Silence/Motion” (2021), expanded the palette again, incorporating violin and ritualistic vocal elements to explore a darker, more somber atmosphere. Each release has marked a clear evolution, consistently offering listeners a sense of discovery.

On this EP, the band appears to add another dimension to their established framework. Alongside the weight of Black Sabbath, the mysticism of Dead Can Dance, the haze of psychedelic rock, and progressive rock’s structural elegance, shoegaze textures are introduced as a new layer—suggesting the beginning of a fresh chapter rather than a radical break.

That shift is most evident on #2 “Torn Reckless.” What initially presents itself as a catchy, melody-driven pop song is soon enveloped in fiercely refracting walls of guitar noise reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine. It invites the kind of speculation one might have when imagining how Blackwater Holylight would reinterpret “when you sleep.”

#1 “Wandering Lost” opens gently with floating keyboards and vocals before unfolding into a vast soundscape driven by heavy guitars. Midway through, the song pivots into aggressive, irregular riffs, only to resolve back into its opening theme. The dynamic, progressive-minded structure stands out as one of the EP’s most compelling moments.

#3 “Fate Is Forward” leans toward a bleak fusion of slowcore and doomgaze. Ethereal vocals spread like fog, gradually obscuring any sense of orientation and pulling the listener into a state of near-disorientation.

The EP closes with a cover of Radiohead’s “All I Need.” While largely faithful to the original, the latter half is reshaped with dense, heavy guitar layers, subtly asserting the band’s own identity.

Rather than simply “going shoegaze,” each track arrives with a distinct character—four songs that feel like different gemstones cut from the same stone. The band’s adaptability suggests a kind of alchemy within the psychedelic and doom realms, and the incorporation of shoegaze textures feels less like a destination than an opening move. Listeners drawn to artists such as Iress, King Woman, or Shedfromthebody should find much to engage with here.

The fourth album from Chinese metalcore band An Empty City.

Based in Guangzhou and formed in 2016, An Empty City currently operate as a four-piece consisting of Matt Huang (guitar), Goldfish (bass), Chester Tam (vocals), and Dante Sum (drums). Following a lineup change in 2022, the band’s latest release marks a clear stylistic expansion, incorporating clean vocals and more atmospheric guitar textures while actively exploring a crossover between metalcore and shoegaze.

Highlighted tracks

#1 “broken mirror”
A pivotal track that encapsulates the album’s direction, blending metalcore aggression with shoegaze’s ghostly beauty. Ferocious screams collide with fragile clean vocals, pulling the listener into a nightmarish space suspended between anguish and uneasy calm.

#2 “feather”
A melancholic, Deftones-adjacent heavy shoegaze piece that foregrounds sorrow and emotional weight. The song builds patiently before plunging into a crushing breakdown and scream in its final stretch, showcasing a metalcore-rooted sense of dynamics. It stands as one of the record’s strongest moments and a potential contender for the year’s standout tracks.

#4 “a fleeting mind captive in a shattered dream”
Opening with djent-influenced, gut-churning riffs, the track suddenly accelerates into blast beats before shifting into a dark shoegaze chorus. The contrast between oppressive guitars and delicate vocals is particularly effective.

In the latter half of the album, while metalcore remains the core framework, the band incorporates electronic elements such as breakcore, drawing listeners in with increasingly varied and dynamic arrangements.

The final two tracks close the album with lush, clean-vocal-driven heavy shoegaze, bringing the journey to an unexpectedly graceful conclusion. Although metalcore elements remain slightly dominant overall, the integration of shoegaze is handled with notable finesse, pointing toward promising future developments. Listeners drawn to artists such as the newer incarnation of fromjoy or Loathe will likely find much to appreciate here.