COVER STORY

DEAD LIGHTS revel in glam-goth sleaze

The new DEAD LIGHTS album, Lash, arrives May 15.

NEW MUSIC FRIDAY — May 22, 2026

RED MECCA

I Will Be That Dying Star in Your Sky

Listen: BandcampSpotify

SINE

La Mordre

Listen: BandcampSpotify

CULTURE KULTÜR

“Verbundenheit”

Listen: BandcampSpotify

C.M. SAMUELS

After Selection

Listen: BandcampSpotify

SYNTHETIC DESTINY

Body + Soul

Listen: BandcampSpotify

OPTIC

“God’s Eye”

PROPTER HOC

“Chronophobia”

LAKESIDE X

“Absinthe Dream”

APRIL 2026

BLACKBOOK

Different

Listen: BandcampSpotify

“It all comes from personal experience. We’ve been through pretty much everything we sing about. It sucked, but at least it eventually gave us these songs.”

— BLACKBOOK

Essential Releases

DEKAD – A Distorted View

Listen: BandcampSpotify

TEMPERS – Delusion

Listen: BandcampSpotify

ELEKTROSTAUB – Humility

Listen: BandcampSpotify

CZARINA

“Holy Water”

MARCH 2026

MESH

The Truth Doesn’t Matter

Listen: BandcampSpotify

“I believe we are all currently experiencing the biggest social and technological upheaval in history. Social media has been a challenge to everyone, and our skeptical and filtering skills are being put to the test on a minute-by-minute basis.”

— Mark Hockings, MESH

Essential Releases

BEYOND BORDER –Aftermath

Listen: Out of LineSpotify

LADYTRON – Paradises

Listen: BandcampSpotify

VIOFLESH – Melancolia

Listen: BandcampSpotify

MINUTE TAKER

“Losing Self-Control”

FEBRUARY 2026

Lucy Dreams

LUCY DREAMS

VVVVV

Listen: BandcampSpotify

“AI slop exists because people use AI to replace human decision-making rather than extend it. Tools like Suno or Udio lose meaning once the human story disappears. For us, the line is clear: authorship, narrative, and responsibility always remain human.”

— LUCY DREAMS

Essential Releases

BUZZ KULL – Deep Hate

Listen: BandcampSpotify

STARSIGN – Silver Linings

Listen: BandcampSpotify

GHOSTBELLS – Catacouture

Listen: BandcampSpotify

ACTORS

“CTRL”

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