11 Goth Metal Songs Guaranteed to Make You Cry

Paradise Lost not only served as an architect of death-doom and gothic metal, they also set the gold standard.

“Christendom,” the penultimate song on the canonical Icon (1993) that leads to the instrumental “Deus Misereatur,” crushes our souls with its mix of refined beauty, raw passion, and oozing toxicity: “Loss of hope, failing situation / Readapt, death is life’s temptation / Dying slow, I’ll blame it all on you.”

While Denise Bernard originally provided the heavenly female vocals, which contrast perfectly with Nick Holmes’, Heather Thomas Mackintosh, the wife of guitarist Greg Mackintosh, instead lent her angelic touch to the glorious re-recording dubbed Icon 30 (2023) — an effort flawlessly produced, mixed and mastered by the highly accomplished Jaime Gomez Arellano.

During their 21-year lifespan, Type O Negative showered audiences with Bloody Kisses and earned much adoration, not least due to the magnetism of their late frontman, Peter Steele.

“Red Water (Christmas Mourning)” from October Rust (1996) conjures a sense of primal loneliness caused by the loss of loved ones. “Red Water,” the title of which actually refers to wine, was inspired by the holiday season that followed the passing of Steele’s father, Peter P. Ratajczyk, on Valentine’s Day of 1995 — a topic also explored in “The Dream Is Dead” and “Todd’s Ship Gods (Above All Things).”

This slow, agonizing, and haunting track will forever be a go-to among metalheads seeking a musical accomplice with which to escape into misery during December festivities.

Sentenced’s timeless “No One There” from The Cold White Light (2002) pierces the chest with icicles: “It freezes my heart, my desperate heart / To think we both will die alone.” The heavy metallic strength of Ville Laihiala’s charismatic vocals proves overpowering as a blow from a gravedigger’s shovel. “No One There” imparts such monumental feelings of hopelessness and powerlessness that it becomes infuriating and thus might just inspire you to engage in the mass destruction of household objects.

Of course, we could indulge in Nordic gloom all day and night to Laihiala’s intoxicating voice (and Juha-Pekka Leppäluoto’s) in Poisonblack as well: “Scars are there to remind…”

Although Sweden’s flamboyant and fabulous Deathstars are known for their naughty sense of humor, “Via the End” from Night Electric Night (2009) allows for no such thing in order to give us a true taste of the blade of anguish.

The multi-talented Emil Nödtveidt, a.k.a. “Nightmare Industries,” composed “Via the End” the very summer night that he learned of the suicide of his brother, Dissection’s Jon Nödtveidt, in 2006.

Vocalist Andreas Bergh, or “Whiplasher Bernadotte,” who knew Jon and has a very special way with words (After all, he only started writing for Sweden’s leading paper at the age of 17…), penned the lyrics: “I lit my scars in a new cigarette’s light / The heart crawls to meet the shock / As the tender steel hits the naked skin / So life has first begun when death wins.”

The priceless gem “Sort Tulipan,” or “Black Tulip,” hails from the revered Seigmen’s sophomore masterpiece, the goth alt-rock/metal Total (1994), which was produced by Grammy-winner Sylvia Massy and presaged the Spellemann / “Norwegian Grammy”-awarded Metropolis (1995). This hypnotizing violin-infused work of pure art transports listeners into the abysmal heart of despair, yet it is almost impossible not to sweetly sing along like a chorister.

While Kim Ljung’s gorgeous lyrics to “Sort Tulipan” seem to provide the perfect soundtrack to a suicide on the one hand, Spirit Tomb’s Leon Kristoffer, who has brilliantly covered the track, eloquently offered an alternative explanation in conversation with Metal Insider: “I view them as a beautiful story of accepting that things have come to an end, and even though it might not be exactly what one wanted or hoped for, there is peace and serenity in knowing that it somehow still feels right. It is to end things in a treasured state.”

Sweden’s legendary Katatonia is always expanding the possibilities of dark music and appears to be among the bands with the most top-notch songs of the lethally depressing variety.

The partially upbeat “Lilac” may not be Katatonia’s most obvious pick for this list, but it bears the weight of the group’s long history within its fabric. Moreover, this masterfully crafted sonic scythe forces us to give “up on true belief” and ultimately pulls off the all too savage kill with undeniable precision: “The river of Lethe / Dreary and cold / It broke my body and destroyed my soul / All our memories, love / Reduced to vapor.”

Indeed, frontman, composer, and lyricist Jonas Renkse never ceases to demonstrate his genius when it comes to crafting mysterious and all-encompassing new worlds, which often threaten to suck us into the void via artfully placed sinkholes, as is the case here.

Whether “The Path” or “The Funeral of Hearts,” HIM’s bittersweet offerings will overwhelm you with joy and sorrow, unless, of course, you are “The Heartless.”

The plea for reconciliation that is the tragic “One Last Time,” the conclusion to the classic Razorblade Romance (2000), should turn all sentient beings into sentimental messes. This track begins with the sound of bullets and leaves us feeling, to make an Ozzy Osbourne reference, “Shot in the Dark” by frontman Ville Valo’s disarming tenderness and charm.

Listeners must also check out or revisit Razorblade Romance’s especially chilling demo material.

Like Paradise Lost and Katatonia, My Dying Bride proved crucial in defining death-doom and goth metal.

“Tired of Tears,” which appears on The Ghost of Orion (2020), focuses on vocalist Aaron Stainthorpe’s emotions surrounding his daughter’s battle with cancer. “Two Winters Only,” the penultimate number on The Angel and the Dark River (1995), far predates her birth yet seemingly prophetically takes on similar subject matter.

Especially when considering Stainthorpe’s real-life struggles, it becomes nearly impossible, but also obligatory, to listen to the harrowing pain expressed in both profoundly meaningful tracks.

Here, we have yet another pioneering British band.

“One Last Goodbye,” a stand-out from Judgement (1999), grieves love of the sort that returns to make itself felt in dreams.

This song is dedicated to the mother of Anathema’s Vincent and frontman Danny Cavanagh, Helen, who passed away in 1998 during the making of Judgement. Danny composed both the music and lyrics.

Polarizing take: Marilyn Manson has had an undeniable impact on goth music and fashion; thus, though the infamous “Antichrist Superstar” may be a wolf without a pack, he does, in fact, belong on this list.

“Man That You Fear” certainly seems to be Marilyn Manson’s most devastating song: “When all of your wishes are granted, many of your dreams will be destroyed.”

As Marilyn revealed in his autobiography, The Long Hard Road Out of Hell (1998), he came up with the track’s key line while receiving a barrage of dirty looks in church during the wedding of his cousin Chad: “The boy that you loved is the man that you fear.”

This poetic jewel contains a reference to the sad yet disturbing fact that Marilyn’s mother kept an aborted fetus in a Folger’s coffee can.

The ex-Агата Кристи, or “Agatha Christie,” legend Gleb Samoylov, an outspoken rebel raised in Asbest, boasts endless terribly depressing songs in his vast catalogue.

“Готика,” which can be found on Gleb’s genre-fusing and delightfully provocative debut with The Matrixx, is a death march that eventually turns out to be for oneself. This unshakable nightmare should make even pious listeners want to drown in floods of vodka, which, after having heard “Сердце и печень,” or “Heart and Liver,” earlier on the album, we actually do not recommend.

Glebushka’s uncanny ability to move audiences was perhaps best demonstrated by the fact that Агата Кристи’s “Порвали мечту,” or “They Tore Apart the Dream,” made the influential lyricist, author, publisher, and fellow dissident Ilya Kormiltsev cry, leading the Russian rock star to dedicate it to Ilya’s memory.