In passing years among those times, I found that rock stars like Evanescence took on a new form of Goth Nu Metal rose, especially with Slipknot, which I actually like, The Subliminal Versus the most and wasn’t big on Iowa, but their debut album was insane. I found their bands along the way, and I went through an extreme black metal obsession. Among these bands, I found Cradle of Filth.

Cradle of Filth is still my favourite band of all time, which I love the band’s versatile sound over the years, especially with the goth themes, well-written lyrics, and lead vocalist Dani Filth. Such as well-written details of the macabre, death, love and other goth themes. And very well-orchestrated music and lyrically done.

My stance, because Cradle of Filth “Is not Goth,” is what upsets me about the goth community lately and a huge hive mind mentality that Goth music is all surrounded by the music and what is considered “Goth” or not.

Well, Cradle of Filth is pretty much goth and amongst other types of genres. Because the metal community itself blends genres all the time, and yet the goth community is so dogmatic about it and yet they promote individualism if you obey unwritten rules. Such as you “Must like goth music in general,” But there’s so much more than the music and the aesthetic and fashion.

To me, as for band-wise, any band or genre can and should be considered goth. No damn rules to say otherwise.

Like, I love Poppy, she’s unique and has a cool sound ranging from pop music to death growls and screams, and if you listen to her lyrics, they’re goth and metal too. Other bands I consider goth are: Opeth, Marilyn Manson, horror punk (All of it), Slipknot, Cradle of Filth, Motionless in White, In This Moment, My Dying Bride, Mortiis, Deathstars, Within Temptation, Wednesday 13, and Ashnikko. Only some examples, really.

For me, the 2000s changed a lot with the music and the fashion, as well as with other interests that grew in the community. Such as the love of taxidermy, other oddities like animal bones and medical equipment, usually all antiques. And love and obsession for the past.

For me, I became obsessed with the Victorian Era gradually over time since I was a kid. My mother would always put on PBS or Masterpiece Theatre and introduce me to the world of Charles Dickens, Jane Austen and a lot of poetry.

Over time, I fell in love with time, romance, the courtship and the way people loved each other. Eventually, I learned it all or mostly anyway. This pretty much is what my goth aesthetic is around, and that of nature, the fae, being a Frankenstein Monster Girl, and a proud person with mental illnesses, such as my main condition, which is high-functioning borderline personality disorder.