Goth got some new direction in 1986 when Fields of the Nephilim made their debut with Dawnrazor. The band had previously released an EP, but made a major upgrade when they joined a subset of Beggar's Banquet to begin their string of metal-tinged, slightly psychedelic goth-rock. Nephilim is a band that has remained a somewhat fractured endeavor, but every time they do manage to get together to produce what is almost always a classic.
1986 was a time when many of the goth acts that had thrived so well in the early part of the decade began to lose cohesion under the stress of fame, touring, the rock and roll lifestyle, and inter-band tensions. The solid scene of the early '80s was dying, and the next thing to come along would lack the general center that united goth as a movement.
From '86 on, goth could be counted on to be always slightly at war with itself.
Tune in tomorrow for... 1994.
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