Vampyre Bands & Performers
This is a listing of bands & performers which identify with the Vampyre subculture, community, or with the image of real Vampyres, or which make compelling or frequent references to Vampyre nature or the vampire genre in their performances, lyrics, music or videos.
Alexis Machine – Canada, November 2011
From the band’s site: “Alexis Machine is a “vampire themed goth/metal band along the lines of Marilyn Manson & Nine Inch Nails meets Lestat with a melodic edge that you will never forget.”” Members: Alexis Machine, Alex Zandretta and hired guns.
Amorteus Nocturne – Origin: Unknown, 2000
“Primarily a studio-project of electronically composed atmospheric darkness, Amorteus Nocturne has been producing material since early 2000. Musically hybrid from all facets ranging from classical, horror movie & video game soundtracks, industrial, techno, new age, black metal, darkwave, ambient and world music influences, the band has successfully created its own brand of beautifully dark audial transcendence. To attempt to define what has been produced is akin to attempting to describe the night sky to a person whom has been blind their whole life. Simply put, one must experience it to fully understand and appreciate its nuances. The band’s name has its origins derived from a combination of words which lend credence to the aura and atmosphere that eminate from its creations. Amore, meaning Love… morte, meaning Death… and nocturne, meaning the Nyte… roughly translate the name as a whole into: “In Love with Death in the Nyte”. Whether sombre and melancholic, or fierce and sexually tense, passion and flow are the vehicles upon which the darkness is delivered from a twisted mind to your awaiting ears. “
Bauhaus – UK, 1978
“Bauhaus were an English rock band formed in Northampton in 1978. The group consisted of Peter Murphy (vocals), Daniel Ash (guitar), Kevin Haskins (drums) andDavid J (bass). The band was originally Bauhaus 1919 before they dropped the numerical portion within a year of formation. With their dark and gloomy sound and image, Bauhaus are generally considered the first gothic rock group. Bauhaus first broke up in 1983. The band reunited for a 1998 tour and on a more permanent basis in 2005. The group announced plans to disband again following the release of their final album, Go Away White, in 2008.”
“Together for only six weeks, Bauhaus entered the studio for the first time at Beck Studios in Wellingborough to record a demo.[8] The band recorded five songs; one of the tracks from the session, “Bela Lugosi’s Dead“, running more than nine minutes, was released as the group’s debut single in August 1979 on Small Wonder Records as Bauhaus (the 1919 abandoned).[9][10] The single received a positive review in Sounds and stayed on the British independent charts for two years.” Their impromptu recording of Bella Lugosi’s Dead exerted a heavy influence on gothic culture of the period and remains a modern Vampyre classic even today.
Blutengel – Germany, 1998
“Blutengel (German: Blood Angel) is a German Darkwave musical group. It was formed by singer Chris Pohl (also of the groups Terminal Choice, Tumor, and Miss Construction and the owner of the Fear Section label) after he had to leave Seelenkrank due to contractual and legal problems. The lyrics are written primarily in German and English and are presented with male and female vocals. Blutengel was formed in 1998 after Chris Pohl had decided to give up the preceding project, Seelenkrank due to contractual problems. Just as its predecessor, Blutengel uses melodious electronic tunes in combination with both male and female voices. The lyrics are primarily in German and/or English and mixed between male and female vocals paired with electronic sounds and with songs often focusing on all aspects of love, from the tragedy of hopeless romance of vampires (all the way to the more animal aspects of desire) and aspects of death and the beyond travel.” – Wikipedia. In a recent interview with SA Vampyre News, Pohl stated that he is not a real Vampyre, but employs the aesthetic of the vampire to convey the emotions in his music.
Carfax Abbey – USA, unknown
Carfax Abbey – “Cafax Abbey has the distinction of being the first and only Philadelphia band to be signed to Philly-based Dancing Ferret Discs. The band’s blend of hard rock and driving industrial programming had received favorable comparisons to Stabbing Westward and Nine Inch Nails, but it was Cafax Abbey’s raw, cathartic live shows that ultimately won them a record deal. Their lyrics and music are heavily influenced by horror: not only horror cinema, but also the real horror of modern life and its all-too-common moments of betrayal, despair, addiction and heartbreak. Genres: Alternative / Gothic / Industrial”.
Coffin For Mary – Origin: Unknown, unknown
Coffin For Mary “A dark Gothic metal band with a vampyric soul from the top 20 mp3.com goth/ black metal artists. “Coffin For Mary” features the sound of dark romance and gothic depravity. “
Covenant – Sweden, 1986
Covenant is an electronic band formed in 1986 in Helsingborg, Sweden. The band is currently composed of Eskil Simonsson (born 12 December 1961)]and Joakim Montelius (born 22 August 1969) alongside touring members Andreas Catjar and Daniel Jonasson from Dupont (band). Their music comprises a mixture between synthpop and electronic body music. They have been releasing music since the early 1990s. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, electronic music and several of its subgenres became a preferred musical style among European underground culture. It gained favor initially within major cities and eventually trickled into the continent’s more secluded regions. In 1995, Covenant performed at a festival in Germany at the request of Off-Beat Records. The band impressed Off-Beat’s attending A&R representative, who signed them to a record deal the following day.” – Wikipedia. Many of this band’s lyrics appear to allude to vampires, and the vampire genre. Some of the bands work was used in the 2010 German vampire movie “Wir Sind Die Nacht” (“We Are The Night”) soundtrack, released by the band as an album of the same name. Some of the tracks on their 2011 album “Modern Ruins” also feature sound clips from the movie soundtrack. Some good examples of the band’s work include “We stand alone”, “Ritual noise” and “Dead stars”.
Glamour of the Kill -UK, 2007
Glamour of the Kill features Michael Vampire of Vampires Everywhere. “Glamour of the Kill are an English post-hardcore band from York, United Kingdom. Also styled as GOTK they have also had Kerrang! video of the week with the track “Feeling Alive”. “Glamour of the Kill” were formed in January 2007. They take their name from a line in a He Is Legend track – I Am Hollywood. The band’s mainstream popularity was assisted by a 10/10 Metal Hammer review for their debut demo EP Through the Dark They March. This led to tours with Bullet for My Valentine, Darkest Hour and Avenged Sevenfold.” – Wikipedia
HIM – Finland, 1991
“HIM is a Finnish rock band from Helsinki. Formed in 1991 by vocalist Ville Valo, guitaristMikko “Linde” Lindström, and bassist Mikko “Migé” Paananen,[2] HIM’s current lineup consists of Valo, Linde, Migé, Janne “Emerson Burton” Puurtinen on keyboards and Mika Karppinen on drums. They have released seven full length albums to date, the latest,Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice, released on February 8, 2010. On September 5, 2006, HIM’s fifth studio album Dark Light was certified gold by the RIAA, making HIM the first Finnish band to have a gold album in the United States.[3] HIM had five of their studio albums certified platinum in Finland with Razorblade Romance being certified double platinum in Finland and platinum in Germany.[4] After gaining popularity in Europe, particularly in their homeland, HIM released its second album on December 19, 1999, entitled Razorblade Romance. This is when the band’s popularity began to rise, their single “Join Me in Death” from the album reached #1 on the German music charts, selling over 500,000 of this single in two months. ” Another well known of their singles is a track called “Vampire Heart”.
Infected mushroom – Israel, 1997
“Infected Mushroom is an Israeli psychedelic trance DJ act and electronic group originally formed in late 1997 as a duo by producers Erez Eisen and Amit Duvdevani in Haifa.[1] Both currently reside in Los Angeles.[1] The group is known for the evolving musical style, which varies from acoustic guitars and choirs to complex synthesized basses and leads, often accompanied by constant switching of drums and tempo. Their live shows feature analogue instruments and vocals, with a multimedia backdrop.” Their song “Dracul” features samples from the Dracula (Bram Stoker’s Dracula, 1992) movie with Winona Ryder.
Inkubus Sukkubus – UK, 1989
Inkubus Sukkubus – “a British goth and pagan band formed in 1989 by Candia Ridley, Tony McKormack, and Adam Henderson, and who have been releasing albums and touring since their formation as Incubus Succubus in 1989. Inkubus Sukkubus are known for songs about demons, vampires, faeries and other occult and supernatural themes. Their songs are largely inspired by their interest in and practice of witchcraft and paganism, which has gained them a certain notoriety and underground status as being the “voice of modern-day paganism”.[citation needed] In 2010 their song Vampyre Erotica was featured in the soundtrack to the British cult comedy vampire film The Vampires of Bloody Island. The film also features five other songs by Tony McKormack’s earlier band Vampire Division, including the film’s title track “Place of the Dead”.”
Lacuna Coil – Italy, 1994
“Lacuna Coil is an Italian gothic metal band from Milan. Since their formation in 1994,[citation needed] the group have had two name changes, being previously known as Sleep of Right and Ethereal. Inspired by the combination of gothic imagery and music, the members have been known, musically, for composing midtempo songs consisting of prominent guitar lines and contrasting dual female/male vocal harmonies to help create a melodic, detached sound. Much of the band’s recent material, however, sees a heavier and more down-tuned style, featuring a more distinct bass line and a higher mixing of the guitars within the songs.[1][2] The band’s 2006 release, Karmacode, peaked at number 28 on the Billboard 200. As of August 2010, Lacuna Coil has sold nearly 2 million records. “Swamped“, was played in heavy rotation and used in the video game Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines. It also appeared on the soundtrack for the movie Resident Evil: Apocalypse.”
Lucan Wolf – USA, unknown
Lucan Wolf has release numerous albums which are Vampyre-themed and described as “haunting, pulsing Vampiric music – a seductive blend of dance songs and eerie romantic ballads sure to get one’s blood flowing.”
Nosferatu – UK, 1988
“Nosferatu is an English gothic rock band formed in March 1988 by Damien DeVille, Vlad Janicek, and Sapphire Aurora. Their albums, singles, and DVD have sold over 100,000 copies worldwide, making them one of the most successful second wave gothic rock groups. Nosferatu have the credibility and good fortune of being one of the few UK-based gothic rock bands to receive chart success both in the UK and Germany. Their back catalog of independent releases, to date, stands at 7 singles, 10 albums, 1 DVD, and songs featured on 37 compilation albums. The band has a repertoire of over 100 songs and have performed over 300 concerts in 12 countries: Austria, Belgium, England, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Republic Of Ireland, Scotland, Spain, and Wales. The group has had numerous member changes. Damien DeVille is the only member to have been in the band all through its 19 year history, and he is currently writing a book about Nosferatu. Nosferatu released their latest album ‘Wonderland’ on March 7, 2011.”
My Chemical Romance – Origin: USA, 2001
“My Chemical Romance is an American alternative rock band from New Jersey, formed in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, guitarists Ray Toro and Frank Iero, and bassist Mikey Way. Shortly after forming, the band signed to Eyeball Records and released their debut album I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love in 2002. They signed with Reprise Records the next year and released their major label debut Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge in 2004; the album was a commercial success, and was awarded platinum status a little over a year later.[1] The band eclipsed their previous success with their 2006 concept album, The Black Parade, which gained generally favorable reviews among music critics.[2] Their fourth studio album, Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, was released on November 22, 2010, to positive reviews.” Reportedly, the band refers to vampires and vampyrism in numerous tracks.
Nox Arcana – USA, 2003
“Nox Arcana is an American neoclassical ambient musical duo, formed in 2003 by Joseph Vargo and William Piotrowski. Nox Arcana specializes in concept albums based on gothic fiction and classic horror literature. Such literary references include H. P. Lovecraft, The Brothers Grimm, Ray Bradbury, and Edgar Allan Poe.[1] Some of their albums also make reference tomedieval themes and ancient mythology.[2] Before forming Nox Arcana in 2003, Joseph Vargo produced two albums for Midnight Syndicate[17] but left the band in 2000 to co-write Tales From The Dark Tower, a book that follows the exploits of a vampire during the First Crusade.”
Peacewitch – USA, unknown
Peacewitch is an indie Black Metal band based in Los Angeles, California, USA.
Psibrid – South Africa, 2012
“PsyBrid is a vampyre community friendly band that makes goth music. We even made an Afrikaans song about vampyres called “Engel in die Nag”. But we are planning on changing the main genre to steampunk now and still stay vampyre friendly. We had member changes recently and only with the new member will we have gigs this year. Songs available for listening include: ”Tribute to the Black Swan“, ”Happened Annyway“, “Unclear Words“, “Little Drummer Boy” and a video for “Unclear Words” [Editor: You need to sign on to reverbnation to listen to the audio tracks, but the Youtube video plays just fine as is.] – SAVN
Schoolcraft – USA, unknown
This is Lindsay Schoolcraft and her solo project is “Schoolcraft”. Schoolcraft is a rising star, a solo artist with big plans and plenty to back them up. Her solo work is crystal clear, soulful and melodic with a haunting gothic edge. Her image is dark, sensual and delicious – and fun! Schoolcraft was interviewed by SAVN in 2013.
Seelenkrank – Germany, 1995
Seelenkrank was a German Darkwave music project of Chris Pohl. The objective was to create a more intimate sound than the industrial stomp of Terminal Choice. Female vocals were included in this project, all them performed by Nina Bendigkeit. However, Nina’s main job during concerts was performance rather than singing. Chris would go on to record two albums for the Machinenwelt Records in this style, though the name had to be dropped after Pohl left the label due to contractual issues. The project lives on today with a new label and also a new name: Blutengel.
Due to legal difficulties, the albums were out of print for 10 years, although Chris Pohl has recently won the legal battle which has allowed him to reissue them on his own label Fear Section.
Seraphim Shock – USA, 1997
“Having once been described as the “The Ultimate Halloween Band”, Seraphim Shock is the brainchild of singer/songwriter Charles Edward. In a world full of manufactured bands Seraphim stands proud with its middle finger raised. From the band’s early Goth roots to the Hard Rock’n Roll hybrid that it is today, Seraphim Shock continues to captivate people from all walks of life with its infectious hooks and dark overtones. The quality of S.S. works speaks for itself and one needs only to look at the myriad of positive reviews garnered over the years. Originally based out of Denver, CO, the project has relocated to Los Angeles, CA.
The Sisters of Mercy – UK, 1980
“The Sisters of Mercy are an English rock band that formed in 1980. After achieving early underground fame in UK, the band had their commercial breakthrough in mid-1980s and sustained it until the early 1990s, when they stopped releasing new recorded output in protest against their record company. Currently, the band is a touring outfit only.” While the nature of the band itself – or the members – is unclear, one thing is certain: in the 1980’s this band’s music played a very important role in the Punk/Goth culture and certainly played an influential role in the surfacing Vampyre culture. Genres Post-punk, Gothic rock, Dark Wave.
Soulidium – USA, 2006
“Soulidium is an American hard rock band formed in 2006. Formed in Tampa, Florida by frontman Michael McKnight, the band released their debut album, Children of Chaos in mid-2007. The band has toured & played with groups like Sevendust, Alice in Chains, Limp Bizkit,Alter Bridge, Puddle of Mudd , Hellyeah, Black Light Burns and Nonpoint. ” – Wikipedia.
According to Sanguinarius.org, “Named by Red Bull as one of 2011’s top bands to watch, Soulidium’s addictive music and aggressive vampire front man Michael McKnight & wife Angelina McKnight (ViciousAngelz.com & viciousvampires.com) have been praised by Roadrunner Records Blabbermouth as being “the first official vampire couple of rock” as well as the visionary’s behind a huge gothic/vampire movement exploding out of Tampa, FL. The band is making a huge impact for the vampire/goth community and have the #1 vampire music video “Live Forever” on YouTube.”
Terminal Choice – Germany, 1993
Terminal Choice is a German electronic rock band. It was formed by singer Chris Pohl (also of Blutengel, Tumor, Pain of Progress and owner of the Fear Section label) in 1993.
Their lyrics are sung in German and English. The sound was originally primarily electronic music, but with the 1998 album Navigator, guitars were added.
Besides Pohl, the original lineup included Jens Gärtner, who provided the drums and loops. In 1997, Manuel Selling was added as a guitar player. He left in 2000 and Gordon Mocznay took over on guitar and bass guitar. A year later in 2001, Louis Manke joined the band as well, adding a second guitar to the band. Despite being involved with numerous bands, all members are still creating music with Terminal Choice and an album entitled “New Born Enemies” was released in 2006. They have released a video for “Don’t Go”.
Terminatryx – South Africa, 2002
“In 2002 Paul Blom and Sonja Ruppersberg protested against the barrage of pandering radio-pop, commercial love songs and second rate American Hip-Hop imitations in their native country of South Africa, by creating TERMINATRYX – blending their eclectic love of Alternative, harder and electronic music, with that of the moods created by Sci-Fi / Horror / Extreme movies, perceptions of the world around them, and a touch of sexually charged danger to initialize their own dark edged Alternative / Industrial-Rock movement, something of which there is a short supply in this beautiful, sunny country with a dark and bloody history.
Since then they cultivated and sculpted their sound, systematically shaping these creations, encapsulating the fusion-, symbiosis- and corruption of man & technology, illustrating and supplementing it with a wide range of moods and subjects, from socio-political & protest grievances, the media & consumerism, to alien visitation, an alternative to the traditional love song, a critical tirade in one of their local languages Afrikaans, biological- and digital infection, emotional matters, mythical creatures and impacting instrumentals. A strong sense of individuality, emotional consciousness, free speech, and free choice filters throughout. Reacting on the state of the world (and beyond), there is no mincing of words.
Categorization has been difficult with the band’s dark blend of female-fronted, electronically infused Industrial Metal-scapes, but in addition there are many musical elements subtly filtering through across the diverse songs, from Alternative-, Hard Core- and Punk flavours, to Electronic-, Dark Wave- and Gothic hints.
With Sonja on lead vocals, the other key component of the TERMINATRYX collective is Paul, also member of South Africa’s most influential Metal band V.O.D – VOICE OF DESTRUCTION (www.VOICEofDESTRUCTION.com), and former drummer of SAMA-winners K.O.B.U.S. Besides songwriting, Paul also handles all musical and production aspects from programming, guitars and bass, to keyboards and backing vocals.
TERMINATRYX is completed by drummer Ronnie Belcher (Gramlich), and guitarist Patrick Davidson (Mind Assault).
In addition, Sonja and Paul are also involved in video production (creating most of the band’s music videos), and are the creators and directors of the South African HORRORFEST Film Festival. With their MAKABRA ENSEMBLE project they create original soundtracks for a classic silent horror / sci-fi / thriller films, performing it live to the screen with collaborators Matthijs Van Dijk, Simon Ratcliffe and Sean Ou Tim (incl. Nosferatu, The Cabinet Dr. Caligari, Häxan, Maciste In Hell, Metropolis and others). www.TERMINATRYX.com/makabra www.HORRORFEST.info
Across the band’s 12 year lifespan, they’ve released their self-titled debut album, its full remixed version “Remyx v1.0” (feat. international and local remixers), the “Terminatryx / Nosferatu” DVD including the full silent vampire classic with its new soundtrack, the “Kopskoot!” heavy Afrikaans compilation, and now (on 04 / 04 / 14) the latest studio album “Shadow” co-produced by Paul Blom and the renowned Theo Crous, taking the band into a new realm on their musical journey, from its sonic scope, through to the song-writing.
It is time for this unique force to burst from its South African chains and infiltrate the rest of this rotten peach of a planet.” – From the Terminatryx website.
Theatre Of Tragedy – Norway, 1993
“Theatre of Tragedy was a Norwegian band from Stavanger, active between 1993 and 2010. They are best known for their earlier albums, which provided a great deal of influence to the gothic metal genre.” “A Rose for the Dead” – a song about violence and blood drinking.
Type O Negative – USA, 1991
Type O Negative was a heavy metal band from Brooklyn, New York City.[2] Their dramatic lyrical emphasis on themes of romance, depression, and death resulted in the nickname “The Drab Four”[3] (in homage to The Beatles’ “Fab Four” moniker).[4] The band went Platinum with 1993’s Bloody Kisses, and Gold with 1996’s October Rust, and gained a fanbase through seven studio albums, two best-of compilations, and concert DVDs.[5] On April 14, 2010, lead vocalist, bassist, and principal songwriter Peter Steele died, reportedly from heart failure.[6] No official statement from the band has been made about its future but members Kenny Hickey and Johnny Kelly stated in a November 2010 interview with French music magazine Rock Hard that the band is no more.
Vampette – USA, 2012
Vampette is a 5-piece co-ed dark rock band formed in 2012 and signed to Delinquent Records, USA. Members of Vampette include: Darlin’ Nicki (Vocals), Ash (Guitar and Vocals), Nancy* (Guitars and Keys), Tamantha (Bass and Vocals) and O. J. (Drums). They are a 5 piece dark rock band which performs their our own original music and we also perform songs by Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, Korn, Deftones, Type O Negative, Ozzy, and Concrete Blonde. (Site, Facebook Page)
Vampires Everywhere! – USA, 2009
Vampires Everywhere! “is an American band from Los Angeles best known for their 2010 EP Lost in the Shadows. Founded in 2009 by Michael Orlando a.k.a Michael Vampire. The musical style of the band is a Gothic metal-influenced melodic Metalcore.”
Vampire Weekend – USA, 2006
“Vampire Weekend is an American indie rock band from New York City that formed in 2006 and signed to XL Recordings. The band has four members: Ezra Koenig, Rostam Batmanglij, Chris Tomson, and Chris Baio. They chose the name Vampire Weekend from the title of a short film project by Koenig. Koenig believes that the vampire imagery of their band name helped spread their work across the internet, attracting people who might otherwise never have listened to their music.” Vampire Weekend recently made it big on the charts with their 2013 album “Modern Vampires of the City”.
Zavorash – Unknown, 1996
“Zavorash offers nihilistic black metal for seers. A page for nihilistic existential parasites and few other people, really.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: With grateful thanks to Aura Escher [Order of Scire] for her assistance in the first compilation of this list (2012).
The South African Vampi(y)re Culture Center 