The new year for music is finally starting to kick up again with anticipated new releases and exciting new shows already stacking the first quarter of 2026. Today is no exception with Turkish goth group She Past Away dropping their new album Mizantrop right before their upcoming show at the NOVO in Los Angeles on 2/7. To celebrate the year starting to pick up more steam, Janky Smooth is reviewing four albums today instead of just two; with anticipated new releases from black metal founders Mayhem, Maynard James Keenan’s freaky side project Puscifer, and kings of industrial dance KMFDM as well. No matter what your taste in the darker side of music is; February 6, 2026 has you covered from every angle.
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She Past Away: Mizantrop (released February 6, 2026): Creature Comfort
Turkey’s She Past Away has long led the resurgence of true goth and death rock music. The tones and vibes of the soundscapes utilized by the duo feel like updated versions of the infectious, moody, macabre, and danceable tracks of the 80s. Now, many years into She Past Away’s career, long after the ripples of the initial splash have reverberated through goth scenes around the world, the band is back with an album that cements their legacy, delivering bangers that show a whole new dimension of the band.
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Mizantrop begins with “İçimdeki Düşman”, a dark, mournful saunter through the cemetery by way of the discotheque, making ghostly whispers something the listener can dance to through some strange magick. The vocals here are minimalist and sunken into the music, never soaring on top to deliver a message. Here, the vibe is the message.
The pace and vocals pick up with the title track, “Mizantrop”, featuring gothy guitar jangling and a headbanging beat beneath vocals that feel almost religious. The track is complete with an all out breakout dance moment, spotlight on you, going absolutely wild in a bloodrave as all the vampires watch on and feed on your vibe.
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“Sessiz Orman” begins with a morose intro that builds into another dance hit reverberating with cold vocal muttering. This song’s beat seems to cascade into multiple layers that disjoint the psyche as you enjoy them. It’s a great goth club song to disassociate to in public.
“Inziva” is my favorite track on the album, livening up Mizantrop with more bounce behind the beat and a vigorous feel that gives you the sense this is goth meant to grab a person by the collar so you can scream the lyrics into their face.
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“Kaygan Kayalıklar” opens like a funeral procession with electronic odes to Dead Can Dance. The song descends like a coffin into the grave, layered with sorrowful, dark, murky gothic sound.
“Kuyu Mezar” feels like a darker, minimalist take on Depeche Mode, with keys that strike the listener with an evocative tone that is simultaneously goth past and goth future.
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The album’s closer, “İçe Kapanış III”, is a riveting goth jam that animates the phantasm haunting the rest of the album with just enough life to allow it to pass through daylight. Much of this album requires a certain context to hit as hard as possible. That context is preferably indoors, at night, in a basement, with the volume blasting and everyone there to dance. Many of the tracks have a harder time existing in your headphones if you’re, let’s say, on the subway going to work at 6am. Though, I suppose it depends on which subway. If it’s Hollywood and Highland to Hollywood and Vine, then yeah, things can get pretty gothic down there.
Mizantrop isn’t a total evolution of the band. It’s a deepening of the sound and sonic character they created and injected into modern goth music. Had it not been for She Past Away, goth itself wouldn’t sound as deep and meaningful as it does today.
Other NEW February 6, 2026 Releases:
In addition to Mizantrop, a few other notable bands released music this Friday, February 6th. They include:
Puscifer: Normal Isn’t (Released February 6, 2026): Alchemy Recordings
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Heavy metal’s most psychedelic satirist, Maynard James Keenan, is back with new music from his most hilarious band, Puscifer. The album, Normal Isn’t, is anything but normal. Lovers of hard alternative rock, from Queens of the Stone Age to Primus, should check this album out, as it delivers Maynard’s signature wit grounded in undeniable rock jams.
Mayhem: Liturgy of Death (released February 6, 2026): Century Media Records Ltd.
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Black metal’s original saviors, Mayhem, are back with a new guttural, frigid effort from hell. Liturgy of Death isn’t just a heavy, brutal, punishing ripper of an album. It’s a cinematic journey through music that is far more nuanced than Mayhem’s original pure black metal efforts. The creators of Norwegian black metal are not one trick ponies. They have so much art left to share with the world, and this release is another distinct addition to their enormous legacy.
KMFDM – ENEMY (released February 6, 2026): Metropolis Records
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The legendary industrial group is back with new music in 2026, outlasting nearly all of their contemporaries with an album that retains the band’s mechanical dynamism while adding a slower, more contemplative edge. This isn’t as blasting or relentless as some of KMFDM’s classics, but it’s cyberpunk music for an age where AI is beginning to develop a heart and soul.
We wish you a happy Janky Fresh Friday. Enjoy your new music!
Words by Robert Shepyer
