Denver goth outfit Deth Rali’s latest full-length album, The Fall of Neon, walks a fine line between scratching the itch for the genre and discomfort. Soaked in the darkwave synths and chorused-out guitar that became iconic in the ’80s, while clad in black lipstick and white face paint, Deth Rali checks all the gothic boxes. And while Deth Rali is comfortably couched in a genre packed with tropes and a long history, The Fall of Neon feels like a slight detour off that path and into the arms of a cult.
The Fall of Neon is a concept album written by lead vocalist and principal songwriter Jay Maike, telling the story of a billionaire cult leader and his ultimate demise. Maike tells this story across ten tracks rich with subtly warm keys and guitars complementing Maike’s commanding voice, while drummer Nathan Rodriguez pumps in the energy.
Even without knowing the concept behind The Fall of Neon, the cult vibes are high across the whole album. Zoomed out, there is a franticness in how the songs move with each other that adds an interesting level of chaos. Zoomed in, the songs are vibrant and intentional, meticulous in their arrangement and production. Songs like “I’m a Believer” and “Coup D’etat” pop with their delicate balance of bright guitars and vibrant synths, reminiscent of Angelo Badalamenti’s iconic Twin Peaks theme song before Rodriguez’s drumming shatters that mold. Then on the other hand, tracks like “The Hollow Hold” and “E.M.C.” feed that fanatical feeling with off-putting changes and tonal shifts.
What works particularly well for Deth Rali, and what they managed to capture on The Fall of Neon, is a unique blend between heavy electronic elements and the natural tones of Rodriguez’s drumming. Where many modern goth bands lean heavily on deep bass kicks and digital drums, Rodriguez’s technicality as a drummer shines in a callback to legends of the genre like The Cure and Siouxsie and the Banshees. Where Deth Rali could have played it safe, Rodriguez offers an alternative that becomes the glue to the whole album.
