Thrilled to let you know about the new album Neon Goth from Berlin based artist William Bleak via Breathing Records. He shares, “Neon Goth was originally going to be a simple compilation of all 2024 singles. However, the death of a friend inspired me to create a complete piece of work – something uniquely personal that expresses the feelings, ideas and experiences that have led to this point. There is an ongoing meta narrative hidden within the lyrics, one of slowly losing control and abandoning humanity altogether. Maybe you have been in this position as well – feeling like you are no longer human, like you will never find your place in this world, like the world wants you gone. Yet upon writing the somewhat secret final song “BLACK AND BLUE”, I found a renewed lust for life. After letting out all this pain and suffering, maybe there can be a whole fresh palette of emotion to be felt.”
William Bleak has led an unending crusade of gothic aggression, playing with the likes of She Past Away, Clan of Xymox and Traitrs – and playing shows in Mexico, the US, UK and all across Europe. Now signed to renegade underground label Breathing Records, his debut LP a scorching, visceral journey through industrial, EBM and gothic desperation.
https://williambleak.bandcamp.com/album/neon-goth
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William Bleak begun writing music in 2016 after the dissolution of his previous band ‘I am the svn’. He spent a few years working jam sessions, playing surf-inspired garage rock in different line-ups. With the release of the first full album “Songs of Death”, while still searching for his true artistic voice, he established a dark, melancholic sound, at the time still deeply infused with influences from surf and all manner of dark rock.
After relocating to Berlin, he reimagined the project, re-introducing the gothic sounds he grew up with. Forming a new trio, he recorded the second album “Viva Lost Love”, largely inspired by the dreamlike atmospheres of Silent Hill, introducing impressionist and ethereal textures to his dark sound. While gigging around Berlin, this iteration also did not find success.
In the summer of 2023, while sick with COVID, William Bleak received a text message from the rest of the band – both bassist and drummer chose to quit the band over a lack of gigs. At this emotional low point, William read an article about the creation of the second Sisters of Mercy Album “Floodlands”. Inspired by this, he bought a drum machine and rebuilt his sound from the ground up.
Finding access to a more honest, direct artistic voice, fuelled by anger and frustration, he recorded a series of singles starting with “Es wid schon” while also assembling a DIY US tour with the help of a few indie musicians from the states. Before this tour kicked off, he released “Crows and Ravens”, a dark post punk song and committal towards the goth scene, marking his first visible hit in the goth scene.
After a chaotic tour run in the United States, William continued at a neck breaking pace. Releasing near-monthly singles while opening for such legends as Clan of Xymox and She Past Away, at the same time honing a new, aggressive sound.
At the cusp of 2025, the twin releases of “Blood Red” and “Beat and Bleed” marked a further shift towards EBM and Industrial, while “Delirium” and “Never Feel” provided a new fusion of gothic rock, punk and some hidden influences from visual kei.
By this point William Bleak became known as a volatile and energetic live performer, often breaking the boundary between audience and band. Along with supporting Ductape on their unending tours, he also opened for She Past Away to a crowd of 1300 guests, along with appearances at the Infest Festival in Manchester and NCN Festival in Germany.
In the summer of 2025, a close friend and former band member of William Bleak died in a motorcycle accident. The emotional impact of this happening pushed William into temporary isolation. Obsessed with creating something of lasting value, he wrote and recorded the album “Neon Goth”, a bitterly pessimistic piece of industrial gothic, with clear influences from NIN, Killing Joke and the Industrial Metal of the 2000s.
While emotionally devastated and physically drained, he still performed opening for Rosegarden Funeral Party, played a series of gigs including a French debut in Toulouse at the Setmana Santa festival, and kept pushing himself into harder and heavier live performance.
Defeated and exhausted, for the first time in his career William reached out for outside help – and Breathing Records responded.
The completed album caught their attention, securing a record deal which was signed on January 6th, 2026. The resulting album, retitled “Neon Goth” is out now.
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