Rockpedia

Compare

Two genres, side by side. The ratings are editorial judgements on a ten-point scale, not measurements. Where they come out level, the difference is in the prose underneath them.

First genre

Gothic rock1979

Second genre

Post-punk1978

Head to headGothic rock vs Post-punk
Gothic rock: heaviness 4, melody 8, speed 4. Post-punk: heaviness 3, melody 6, speed 5.Heaviness4 / 3Melody8 / 6Speed4 / 5
Each corner is a ten-point rating. The further out, the higher.

The difference, by ear

Goth is post-punk's darker wing hardened into a scene with an aesthetic. Musically they overlap almost entirely at the start; the difference is that goth chose a look and stayed there.

Both are sung cleanly, but post-punk is a little faster: 110 to 150 bpm against 90 to 130. To hear the difference, play Bauhaus next to Joy Division. Gothic rock grew out of post-punk, a year later. United Kingdom appears in the origins of both.

Put together from each genre's vocals, tempo, song length, key acts and place in the tree.

In figures

Heaviness
Gothic rock4
Post-punk3
−1
Speed
Gothic rock4
Post-punk5
+1
Melody
Gothic rock8
Post-punk6
−2

Gothic rock

1979 · United Kingdom · 1 subgenre

Where it sits

Rock › Punk rock › Post-punk › Gothic rock

In short

Post-punk with reverb, chorused guitar and a baritone voice. Its aesthetic passes straight into gothic metal and doom.

How it sounds

  • Guitar with chorus and flanger, thin and cold, drenched in reverb.
  • Melodic bass up front; some bands use a drum machine instead of a drummer.
  • Baritone vocals, often declaimed, with literary and funereal lyrics.

Key acts

  • Bauhaus
  • The Sisters of Mercy
  • The Cure
  • Fields of the Nephilim

Start here

The pickBauhaus - Bela Lugosi's Dead. Nine minutes that founded an entire subculture.

Full page →

Post-punk

1978 · United Kingdom · 7 subgenres

Where it sits

Rock › Punk rock › Post-punk

In short

Punk asking what comes next: melodic bass up front, dry guitar, space and cold. Possibly the most fertile branch in all of rock.

How it sounds

  • The bass carries the melody; the guitar plays short, dry figures with chorus or flanger.
  • Dry-toned drums with plenty of space in the mix - you can hear the room.
  • Irregular structures, cold dynamics, abstract or political lyrics.

Key acts

  • Joy Division
  • Wire
  • Gang of Four
  • Public Image Ltd

Start here

The pickJoy Division - Unknown Pleasures. Martin Hannett's production is half the record.

Full page →