The Birthday Massacre

Although The Birthday Massacre sometimes falls back on the chainsaw guitars and exaggerated loud/soft dynamic of modern goth bands like Evanescence, this Toronto band has a self-awareness and sense of goth history that the Evanescences of the world don't. On recent albums, they've tempered their brutal, industrial riffage with smart nods to Depeche Mode and Siouxsie and the Banshees, while having some fun with their stylishly dark image, filming creepy videos that bow to classic Italian horror movies and modern J-horror conventions (singer Chibi rarely misses an opportunity to dress in slinky costumes, including schoolgirl outfits). This August the band followed up its 2010 album Pins and Needles with Imaginary Monsters, an EP of new tracks and remixes.