Dark Matter is the current project of Stephen Cogle, a legendary underground musician from New Zealand who has led such other bands as Vacuum, The Victor Dimisich Band, and The Terminals. Dark Matter features a combination of late post-punk and goth rock without keyboard-heavy elements. On their self-titled debut, recorded in 2011 but just released this year, Dark Matter explores life in the 21st century with both honesty and grand romanticism. Cogle’s baritone voice adds to the poignant and dramatic mood of the lyrics and sound.

RIYL: Johnny Cash, Nick Cave, Late The Stranglers, Television Personalities, and late Bauhaus.

FCC WARNINGS: 4
Recommended Tracks: 1, 2, 3, and 5

1. (4:06) **Broken – Bleakest track on the entire album. A superior achievement.
2. (5:23) *The Long Count – A downbeat guitar driven track with time as subject.
3. (5:26) **Dark Matter – Great guitars. Solid track. “The dark matter that covers your skin”.
4. (6:01) The Face Of Evil – FCC (Bulls***) – So evil, FCC is on its side!
5. (4:13) **Tomorrow – Another great guitar driven track. Their optimistic side here.
6. (5:32) The Weight Of Memories – Introspective Lyrics, effective guitars, nice conclusion.