I'm a serious music addict, and my list of Great Bands is longer than I am. I'm always open to new influences though, so here's a thread for posting about Those Bands... you know... the ones that noone seems to know about but everyone should. Really. Yeah.

Here are a few of the bands I love to pimp:

• Course of Empire
- Amazing industrial-tinged alternative rock band who made three outstanding albums and then disappeared. You think REM's Monster was alt. rock? Think again.

• Last Rites
- Started by ex-Fields of the Nephilim members, the Wright brothers, Last Rites have a sound all of their own. Heavy, complex and layered gothic rock. Deeply recommended.

• Love Is Colder Than Death
- You like Dead Can Dance? You wish there was more stuff like what 4AD released? LiCtD aren't a copy of DCD, but they have a lot of similarities. They're also great and even more amazing live.

• Sundown
- Cynical, jaded, bitter and seriously pissed-off, Sundown is a heavy, pounding industrial metal project by Cemetary main man, Mathias Lodmalm. "Glimmer" is possibly the best album of its kind that I have ever heard.

• Pale Forest
- A Norwegian, semi-progressive pop/rock band with influences from the gothic scene and an unique and wonderful sound.

• Paatos
- A Swedish, progressive jazz-rock ensemble, sporting a strange and wonderful style as well as a penchant for doing the unexpected.

• Estampie & Qntal
- Two projects based around the same two people: multi-instrumentalist Michael Popp and the immensely talented singer, Syrah. Estampie is altogether medieval/folk music done with staggering skill and flair, while Qntal takes the same music into the third millennium with quirky electronica and processing added to the mix.

...I could go on, of course, but I'll stop here. Hope something of this sounds interesting. Which are your favourites?