There had been so many discussions and descriptions in the media regarding the term “gothic rock”, but none of them really pointed out THE one and only (true) answer. And let’s nail it on the wall - none of them ever will. Neither in this book.

The reason is just obvious: Although the face of this style at first sight seems just simple, in reality there are far too many ingredients and sides in order to strap down handcuffs without compromises. Thompson approaches this phenomenon in a really exciting and entertaining manner, adorning his book with a remarkable amount of stories, details, facts, private dives and more, besides he integrates comments from several artists like Robert Smith, Ian Astbury, Nick Cave, Peter Murphy, Peter Hook and others. The book is a trip through many years. Punk, post punk, batcave and the initial flirt with the word “gothic”, the departure mood in those times, the role of the media, scandals, provocations, drug abuse, anti-mainstream creativity, the do-it-yourself mentality, the influence of the vampire creature and the effect by albums like Iggy’s „The Idiot“, Nico’s „Marble Index“ or the first releases by Joy Division, Siouxsie, Bauhaus, Cure and other bands coming up that time - all this Thompson tells about with loads of background knowledge. Further more he touches upon the changes within the music scene, the evolution of the bands including their ups and downs during their career (f.e. The Cult, The Cure), crises and split ups (f.e. Sisters versus The Mission), the standstill period of the gothic rock music and finally the reunion (gig) thing going on years later with bands like The Mission, Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cult. At last you can find a chronologically overview of important events, sessions and releases happening during the years. This book (423 pages by the way) is nutritious readers' food and can be recommended to everyone involved and interested in the dark scene.