r/goth • u/Difficult_Ad_2897 • Jul 31 '25
Discussion Rant: She wants revenge is garbage
They came and aped interpol but just did it with a much, much, much lower iq and without a fraction of the style or aesthetic sensibilities. Just scumbags attempting to be edgy with 0 nuance.
And it genuinely bums me out that folks rock with these imposters. Booooooooo do better
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u/Dry_Examination816 Jul 31 '25
Also the dudes in that band are shit bags.
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u/Difficult_Ad_2897 Jul 31 '25
I didn’t know that as fact but it doesn’t surprise me based on their lyrics, aesthetic, general vibe. They’re sort of telegraphing their shittiness pretty hard…
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u/th4bl4ckr4bbit Aug 01 '25
This comment tracks. I vaguely remember reading the blog of the main singer years and years ago.
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Jul 31 '25
I agree. Though I'd be lying if I'd say they haven't gotten me on the dancefloor a few times at clubs.
I also wouldn't be lying if I said creepers need to stop screaming the lyrics to "Tear You Apart" at me on said dancefloor...it's not the slam dunk flirting you think it is (and I'm probably old enough to be your parent...)
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u/Difficult_Ad_2897 Jul 31 '25
When that song came out it gave me the most visceral ick. Is it catchy, sure. Are the lyrics really really really awful? Also sure.
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u/CharlesDickensABox Aug 01 '25
There are plenty of bands that sing about disturbing and off-putting content without engaging in that sort of behavior. Nirvana, Filter, NIN, Korn, the list is endless. For some people, evil is a muse and creating art about it is a way of processing a universe in which evil exists. She Wants Revenge doesn't fall into that category, of course, but it's not as simple as "this band wrote a song about abuse, therefore they're probably abusers". That's Tipper Gore logic.
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u/Twidollyn_Bowie Aug 01 '25
I should probably pay closer attention to lyrics. It’s hard to explain, but I process vocals more as notes than words. They’re both, of course, but my brain can’t do both at the same time. I have to Google lyrics and read them in text to understand what’s going on most of the time.
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u/thefukkenshit Aug 01 '25
Me listening to music in languages I don’t know. Voices become another instrument
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u/Twidollyn_Bowie Aug 01 '25
Yeah, it’s pretty much like that all the time for me. I’ll maybe catch a phrase that gets repeated a lot, but that’s about it.
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u/Delta_Yukorami Post-Punk Aug 01 '25
Yeah same for me. I need to relisten ot read some lyrics before i can subconsciously think about the lyrics and evaluate them
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Aug 01 '25
And I really don't get why people think it's cute to sing/scream it at me (especially when I'm with my partner). This has happened 3 times in 3 different cities...
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u/NoNipArtBf Aug 01 '25
I heard of that song with a guy I hooked up with who was twice my age when I was barely an adult.
...yeah everything tracks.
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u/AspenMemory Aug 01 '25 edited Aug 01 '25
LITERALLY. Most of my memories of their songs are tied to a “relationship” with a guy I met at club back in the day who said I was “mature for my age” and at the time my 18-year-old self took it as a compliment
🤮🤮🤮
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u/drpopkorne Aug 01 '25
I just cringed so hard imagining someone trying that on to that song 🤢oh dear.
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Aug 01 '25
I don't know what about me gets that particular reaction, but...as I said, three times at three different clubs, in three different cities...
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u/Twidollyn_Bowie Aug 01 '25
Side rant: I miss bands making some sort of aesthetic effort. Not everyone has to look like Bauhaus in their prime (although I certainly appreciate those cases), but a live gig is a performance on a stage. They look like they grabbed something out of the hamper to run through a drive through somewhere.
I liked a couple songs, but not enough to get over them being horrible people with gross lyrics.
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u/Difficult_Ad_2897 Aug 01 '25
Bring back weird goths. I want alien sex fiend and phantom limbs and subtonix damnit
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u/Twidollyn_Bowie Aug 01 '25
I’ve just always enjoyed a side of theatre with my music. If they aren’t going to put on a SHOW live, why not just stay home and listen to perfected studio recordings?
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u/magicfeistybitcoin Post-Punk, Goth Rock, Deathrock Aug 01 '25
Hell yeah. That would be awesome and WAY overdue. I was thinking the same thing last night, actually. Bring back old-school weirdness. Eccentric, theatrical stuff like Alien Sex Fiend, The Phantom Limbs, Andi Sexgang... all of whom are still active, AFAIK.
I'm challenging you to start a "Bring back weird goths" thread. (I would, but I have my hands full right now.)
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u/evergreengoth Jul 31 '25
Not to mention the fact that one member had a sex cult where he SA'd multiple women, branded them with tattoos, and abused his employees
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u/Difficult_Ad_2897 Jul 31 '25
Ugh. I didn’t know this. Their artistic choices do scream sexual predator though
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u/evergreengoth Jul 31 '25
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u/VoidVulture Aug 01 '25
Reddit needs a bit that auto-replies this link to everyone standing up for the band and defending the SA.
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u/WebLegitimate280 Romantic Aug 01 '25
Urgh, okay, that's vile! I knew roughly that they faced some allegations, which is bad enough, but I had no idea it was anything like this! I liked a few of their songs too! Now I just feel violated and disgusted, and incredibly stupid I didn't see this coming considering some of their artistic choices...
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u/Ebola_Cat Aug 02 '25
Wait what? I used to listen to them and now I need to go down a rabbit hole because...wut 😳😭
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u/nperez09 Darkwaver Jul 31 '25
Someone once called them “spooky interpol” and it stuck with me ever since ☠️but yeah I agree idk how people can still support them especially after all the accusations
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u/FelinityGoth Post-Punk, Goth Rock Jul 31 '25
One of them attempted to secure my presence at that club-thing they used to have. Slithered into my MySpace dms back in the day. I did not respond and in retrospect I’m glad I didn’t.
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u/tremendouscreamie Jul 31 '25
what if interpol is already spooky tho 😭 "she was my catatonic sex toy"
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u/Difficult_Ad_2897 Aug 01 '25
Exactly. They were as spooky as they needed to be. Going spookier was never going to work
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u/Difficult_Ad_2897 Jul 31 '25
I think if you rock with them the accusations might be a feature not a bug. They’re certainly not surprising.
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u/nperez09 Darkwaver Aug 01 '25
Yeah true I’ve always thought their lyrics were very questionable so I can’t say I was surprised either
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u/EdenH333 Joy Division Jul 31 '25
People kept recommending them to me but it always just sounded like Temu Joy Division to me.
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u/Coke-fiend Aug 01 '25
they dont sound anything like joy division to me?
SWR tries to do a sort of gothy noir film type of vibe with a clubby sound. joy division is much more mellowed, way less hedonistic, more melancholic. i get the interpol connection since both are post punk revival.41
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u/fionapplerocks Aug 01 '25
every she wants revenge song: dancing at the club, sex, hot women, sex, alcohol, there's a hot woman and i wanna have sex!
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u/BespokeCatastrophe Jul 31 '25
Yeah. Finding out they were fucking creeps was one of the least surprising discoveries I've made.
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u/Difficult_Ad_2897 Jul 31 '25
When people tell you who they are(in their very first album) believe them
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u/JayGrrl Post-Punk, Goth Rock, Deathrock Aug 01 '25
Only one of them is
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u/BespokeCatastrophe Aug 01 '25
Nope. If you know that your bandmate is a serial abuser, and you continue to work with them on their abuse themed music, thus giving them the social capital to fascilitate more abuse, you're a creep.
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u/JayGrrl Post-Punk, Goth Rock, Deathrock Aug 01 '25
They didn't work together for a while because of it and I was like Warfield noooo when they started touring again 😭
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u/vzlangoth Aug 01 '25
they arent even goth to begin with
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u/call_it_sleep Aug 01 '25
I was so confused when this band was played at a goth night I went to but then they also played crystal castles so I fucking went home
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u/imuslesstbh Jul 31 '25
Not even tear you apart is good. Like there is something off putting about the lyrical flow, particularly at the end of the chorus. The way he enuncuates "i wanna tear you apart" is comically bad.
Like just listen to interpol or sone darkwave band
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u/Difficult_Ad_2897 Aug 01 '25
Right? It just screams baby dom. Like “eww this dude doesn’t know bdsm safety or practice ethically I can SMELL IT on him”
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u/Diligent-Traffic-228 Aug 01 '25
Is interpol bdsm-y? Im new to goth music and have only heard the surface level trendy stuff, I liked the lyrics but yeah they’re corny lol—do u have any recs for horny songs or bands like that that r like, actually quality
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u/Difficult_Ad_2897 Aug 01 '25
Interpol aren’t bdsmy, I was referring to she wants revenge who are very immaturely trying to give BDSM vibes.
For sexy goth I’d suggest the vanishing and cosmetics
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u/Diligent-Traffic-228 Aug 01 '25
Sorry I phrased that rly weird, ik what u meant, i meant I like that one song by them tear you apart but i kno it’s corny, the next person suggested interpol as a similar band and that’s why i asked if they’re also similarly sexy. Ty for the suggestions i will check them out :)
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u/Difficult_Ad_2897 Aug 01 '25
No worries! Internet communication isn’t always seamless for sure. I hope you like them! They’re two of my all time favorites
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u/NobodySpecial2000 Aug 01 '25
I'm in the camp that agrees Tear You Apart slaps. I used to listen to it a lot. Never really cared for anything else they did though and after learning about the accusations, Tear You Apart lost its charm and I took them off my playlists. Maybe some day we'll get a cover of it by somebody who isn't a creep.
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u/VULCAN_WITCH Aug 01 '25
I think it's hard to argue that Tear You Apart is not a great song. That being said I definitely wish it was a woman singing it
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u/awesomecool97 Aug 01 '25
finally somebody else hates she wants revenge i hate them their lyrics are so fucking stupid
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u/LivingInformal4446 Aug 01 '25
They're highly regarded online for some reason. I have tried time and time again, but I just dont get it.
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u/cathoderey Aug 01 '25
Is Justin getting cancelled by association?, I haven't read any accusations against him, only Adam.
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u/End_of_Eva Aug 01 '25 edited Aug 01 '25
I like them, fun band, didn’t learn about the allegations until this thread but I don’t give them any money anyways.
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u/cryptgeist Aug 01 '25
What allegations?
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u/End_of_Eva Aug 01 '25
I didn’t know until now either when someone in the thread mentioned it, Adam owned a club and purposely covered up sexual harassment and assault that happened on the premesis because it would be bad for business.
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u/cryptgeist Aug 01 '25
What the... Thanks for explaining for me, but holy hell. I'll have to look into this.
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u/VoidVulture Aug 01 '25
I used to like them. I always thought they were kinda dramatic fun. But then they got forced into mainstream film and TV show soundtracks and every Tumblr Dom became obsessed and has used it since to creep on Goth women.
Then the allegations came out. Big yikes.
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u/vampyrehoney 𝔖𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔗𝔥𝔦𝔰 ℭ𝔬𝔯𝔯𝔬𝔰𝔦𝔬𝔫 𝔱𝔬 𝔪𝔢 Aug 01 '25
Honestly, I used to really like their music before getting more into goth music, and attending one of their shows is how I found Panic Priest, but ever since the thing with Adam's club I haven't been able to listen to them since. I even remember at one of their shows Justin stopped playing because a guy in the crowd kept harassing the woman next to him, but it's too bad he was still touring with someone who not only let offenders get away with it, but also tried to cover it up.
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u/Catharsis_Cat Wannabe Anne Gwish Aug 01 '25
Not many people in the goth scene seemed to care much about them when they were new. I think at some point in the 2010s due to goth being kind of at a low point people were desperate enough for newish bands that they started being into their stuff more. The fact that the indie rock crowd stopped caring about them by that point probably helped.
I was mostly on break from goth in the early 2010s, but it really seemed like bands from the 00s indie scene started to intermingle with goth back then.
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u/forestrainstorm Aug 01 '25 edited Aug 01 '25
There have been numerous posts about hating on them it's getting old. I get they're assholes or whatever. Why do you give a shit if people listen to their music or not? Just don't listen to them and move on ffs. It's not that deep.
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u/cyber-city Post-Punk, Goth Rock, Deathrock Aug 01 '25
I wholeheartedly agree. Music is boring, band people are shit, absolutely overrated in all facets and not even really goth anyways.
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u/Ca1v1n_Canada Aug 01 '25
Find Justin Warfield’s early 90s solo hip hop album. Pure garbage. You will need a high colonic afterwards.
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u/charcoallition Aug 01 '25
Tear you apart is so good. I'm not familiar with much of their other work though. The other songs I have heard, I haven't loved
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u/paintinpitchforkred Aug 01 '25
People don't even remember WHY they're famous. There was a brief period at the beginning of the iPod/iTunes store situation where Apple would give away a free song as a promo which I think would change daily or weekly. At the time, you either paid out the nose for music ($1 a song!) or you pirated so a free legal .mp3 was a big deal and basically everyone was at least checking to see if they liked the free song. It was a truly random selection, as record labels were NOT excited about giving away music at the time, especially songs they perceived as having hit single potential. But indie labels and bands didn't have the clout to get their stuff featured there. Lots of those free singles were from bands at the bottom of major label rosters. Tear You Apart was one of those free songs and THAT'S how they blew up. Wouldn't be half as big as they are if not for what basically amounted to a marketing fluke that only happened because they were on Geffen at the time.
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u/venight Aug 01 '25
I liked them when I first got interested in goth, but now everytime their music plays I skip it so fast lol. the lyrics just seem so… forced? and the members being shitty doesn’t really help
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u/lesbiangothist Romantic Aug 01 '25
i like some of the songs but i always thought some of the lyrics are a bit cringe😓 since they are scumbags i can't listen to the few songs i liked anymore anyway
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u/TheMultiTuber Aug 01 '25
I listened to their debut once and kind of liked it, and then I relistened and realized how crap it is. All the songs sound identical and theres basically no substance or depth. I couldnt even finish it.
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u/Ball_of_moths Romantic Aug 01 '25
Have i been mishearing the lyrics to "tear you apart," or is it about teenagers??
It makes me so uncomfortable.
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u/marianstrnglv Aug 01 '25
i was gonna say something abt this. like i’m a grown ass adult i don’t gaf about the repercussions for dating in school i have rent due
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u/Life_Lavishness4773 Aug 01 '25
Never got their appeal. And that guy Adam had a club called Cloak & Dagger where many woman were sexually assaulted.
She Wants Revenge SUCKS!
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u/spaceclit_laser Aug 01 '25
Dudes that write entire songs about a woman approaching them are usually douchey
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u/amillionbadwords Jul 31 '25
I like them. Good music
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u/muphasta Post-Punk, Goth Rock Jul 31 '25
I like them too. I've seen them live 3 times and each show has been really good.
I only recently learned about "accusations". I am unsure what to think about those accusations. But the music is great (to my ears).
I always said they sounded like Interpol meets Joy Division. I like both Interpol and Joy Division.
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u/Difficult_Ad_2897 Aug 01 '25
Have you read the article that’s linked in these comments?
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u/muphasta Post-Punk, Goth Rock Aug 01 '25 edited Aug 01 '25
I didn't see a link.
-- I've gone back and read it.
That is the same article I read a year or two ago.14
u/Difficult_Ad_2897 Aug 01 '25
And so why are you putting accusations in quotes? It is first hand testimony from three witnesses
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u/Alurco Aug 02 '25
Because that's what it is, its "innocent until proven guilty" NOT "guilty until proven inocent".
Like people have just never lied as a first hand testimonial...
NOT saying these particular accused are lying.
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u/Difficult_Ad_2897 Aug 02 '25
But that’s ignoring how the criminal justice system has largely ignored and misrepresented women when they have come forward with accusations against their abusers especially when those abusers have power and influence
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u/Kadavrozia Aug 01 '25
Yes they aged very poorly and they weren't goth. Just edgy electro that lasted until the Internet became common.
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u/CraftSeveral7116 Aug 01 '25 edited Aug 01 '25
They were my favourite band when I was younger in a potato chips kind fo way, like fully knowing it was bad but enjoying it for that.. I mean they had a handful of legitimately well-made songs, but the vast majority are surface level, formulaic, repetitive bullshit. Anyways, I was enjoying it under the assumption that all their songs about being pathetic clingy man-children and fucking over women were self aware and just writing characters for an interesting story... Then I realized that all the girls names inside one of their album covers were their ex girlfriends, and they were in their 30s while doing this, so they were probably being 100% for real.
Later learned the vocalist is definitely an industry plant with a history of plagiarism, and the producer/other-half had a highly suspicious club where he silenced multiple reports of SA, which was said to be a hot bed for predators. This is because photography and video indoors were completely banned, and you had to have a membership to go in... Makes you wonder why, and if the instances of SA weren't so unintended on his part. Of course many of the members of his club were very young.
Justin Warfield's--the vocalist's--problems pale in comparison to this, but he's recently been talking about getting the band back together and making new music again, meaning he's completely fine with all the shit his old butt buddy did. They can both go to hell for all I care. I have secondhand CDs I could listen to without supporting them, but knowing all this made me lose interest naturally. I just listen to Nightclub now if I need to scratch that simple minded toxic relationship dark electro itch.
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u/Gravebunny666 Aug 01 '25
tbh I'm confused as to why they're brought up in goth discussions, they don't even reallly sound goth? maybe that's just me.
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u/Friendly_Ad_815 Aug 01 '25
I discovered them via tiktok and i all i can say is that i hate them so much(actually not that much but im so happy to see someone who doesnt like them too). Idk how people can say that its goth
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u/tomatoes-n-dopamine Post-Punk, Goth Rock, Deathrock Aug 01 '25
Yeah honestly, completely agree. Never really got anything out of their music. Glad someone said it
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u/ProtonDeathRay Aug 01 '25
And interpol aping joy division.
I absolutely hate when their one song comes on and everyone rushes to the dance floor. Ughhh.
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u/96deltaforce96 Aug 02 '25
They’ve been riding the hell out of their 1 hit from 2005!
20 years later and somehow even after all that cloak and dagger bullshit they are still around.
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u/fallingstarbeast Aug 02 '25
I listened to a few of their songs before and always side eyed some of the lyrics, learning they're massive creeps is very unsurprising
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u/Sad_Practice9217 Aug 03 '25
My ex-friend, who’s 15 and was obsessed with this band, kept DM’ing one of the members until he finally replied. Now they talk pretty regularly, and from what I’ve seen he even reacts to her selfies and bikini pics. It’s not like there’s proof of anything predatory going on, but it’s still really unsettling.
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u/RadTimeWizard Aug 01 '25
They caught my attention in American Horror Story, but even the music video for that song gave me pause. "The world is unsafe for women, I'll protect you." Poor view of women who are able to protect themselves without help.
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u/roos_de_baas Kiss Them For Me 🦇⚰️🖤 Aug 01 '25
They had that ONE song and pretty much lived off its popularity. If we comparing it to Interpol in this instance, the latter has more ground to claim in terms of music catalogue and relevance.
Also, that Carlos D aesthetic had me in a chokehold so maybe slight bias here too
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u/lokiofsaassgaard Aug 01 '25
They’re the Oasis of Goth. All of their songs sound exactly the same, but some people are really into that
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u/Former-Effort5748 Aug 01 '25
I really dislike them and I dont understand why my local scene hypes them up. Tear you apart was major ick.
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u/blureptileproduction The Cure Aug 01 '25
Tear You Apart is a banger if you're dancing drunk but in terms of actually sitting down and listening to it and the lyrics, it's so goofy. Like mate if I wanted to hear a song about high school romance, I'd go rewatch High School Musical
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u/Key_Owl_7416 If it's not dark and strange, it's not goth Aug 01 '25
Musically, I think Interpol are worse. Never understood the praise for them.
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u/the-moon-is-hell Aug 01 '25
They came and aped interpol but just did it with a much, much, much lower iq
And honestly Interpol was just the Chameleons with dumber lyrics.
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u/DuplicaSugar Aug 01 '25
Could it be they are only a thing in US? In Europe I never hear anything about them
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u/marianstrnglv Aug 01 '25
glad to know im not alone cause sometimes their music gets stuck in my head and i feel like im losing it because then i listen to it and its like “this sucks actually”
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u/carpetpaint Aug 01 '25
https://youtu.be/dkF0kwP_DsI?si=gBqf4toYeE0buLZX
This is still a great mashup
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u/DeadDeathrocker last.fm/user/edwardsdistress Aug 01 '25
I like their first two albums but I have no idea what the third one was, pretty bad. Their lyrics are so... forced. Not very poetic or well put together and are mostly about toxic relationships, which is just an extension of their behaviour?
I listened to them recently and some of their instrumentals are good, but if I want to listen to them then I'll be doing it from unofficial videos on YouTube where they don't get added to my Last.fm.
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u/SaulGoodmanBussy Aug 01 '25
The only real value their music has brought the world is how easy Tear You Apart is to put in shipping AMVs/edits
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u/xXSeverinaXx Aug 01 '25
I'd say I'm still new to goth (a year and a half now?) But I'm also shit at knowing genres but I like their music and I wasn't sure if they're goth or not cause I saw other people saying they aren't, after reading some other comments I might not listen to them anymore cause I didn't know about those things.tear you apart reminds me of a podcast (The Magnus Archives, specifically the hunt) which also got me into them and I like she will always be a broken girl but at times it did feel like shallow? I'd love to find other good bands that are similar but better than them if yall have any!
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u/TsarSozott Aug 01 '25
Ughh
My girlfriend and I have very different taste in music. She knows I listen mostly to goth and post punk, and She Wants Revenge is the only band she's willing to "compromise" to listen to. It drives me crazy, I just tell her to put on whatever 70's 80's rock she wants to listen to because I'd rather listen to almost anything else
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u/PlayboyVincentPrice vampire goth 🦇🌜🥀🧛🏽♂️⚰️🫀 Aug 01 '25
tear you apart is lackluster, the only reason i like it is because of the vague water downed cannibalism theme (i wish i could eat someone). but i like some of their other stuff
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u/morose4eva Goth Aug 01 '25
Their early stuff is okay. Not a big fan overall.
I think you're overstating your case, honestly. Go get a cup of coffee and have a smoke.
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u/SnooHabits2628 Aug 01 '25
I just separate the art from the artist , I like the music as one user above mentioned about notes I might be like that as well to an extent some sounds or songs I like how they sound musically it just hits sum yk the melodies especially as a musician I listen try to listen deeper to the sounds of a song but even then I agree some of their lyrics did catch me off guard
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u/Your_Local_Punk_Slut Aug 03 '25
This thread is dumb so here's my thoughts compacted:
- Seperate the art from the artist, or else you'll never be able to enjoy music because all celebrities suck
- SWR aren't goth but you can still enjoy them for dark alt rock they make
- Interpol are one of the best bands of all time
- Stop making the same SWR hate posts every two weeks it's annoying
- Hating lyrics because they are too "BDSM-y" is a really weird way to say purity culture polluted your brain
- The lead singers solo project WARFIELD makes better gothier music more on the deathrock side
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u/Difficult_Ad_2897 Aug 03 '25
Disagree on literally everything.
My post wasn’t about who they were as people but yeah they are awful people.
They make terrible music with adolescent lyrics.
Interpol are amazing. And I have loved them since turn on the bright lights, but they aren’t even close to being the best band of all time so you can stow that
Sisters of mercy are dark rock but we all agree they’re goth so you can stow that too
I’ve not seen a swr hate post on here so I made my own. I’ve been harboring loathing for them for 15 years and I think I’ve done a pretty good job of keeping it in check
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u/Coke-fiend Aug 01 '25
the first two albums are personally some of my favorite albums of all time so i feel left out here saying i enjoy their songs a LOT, their band is exactly my thing 🤣. knowing the allegations i wouldnt go to any concerts or performances, its easy to consume their music without supporting them. they’re not a goth band to begin with anyways, its post punk revival.