DISCLAIMER: SURF WITH CAUTION. THESE SITES ARE OLD AND ARE OFTEN NOT SECURE. I DO MY BEST TO CHECK THINGS OUT BEFORE POSTING ENTRIES, BUT I CAN'T GUARANTEE THE SAFETY OF EVERY LINK YOU MAY ENCOUNTER.
Dark Side of the Net Contains lists of links under categories such as "Halloween," "Dark Art," "Horror," and "Gothic Links." Links on the main page are mostly functional, and lead to pages with lists of external links. I checked out some of the external links and many of them work. This is an archived version of the site circa 2006.
GothPunk.com(Munity) A resource featuring various articles and tutorials focused on the Goth and Punk subcultures. Most of the interactive stuff doesn't work anymore, but the various error pages are quite entertaining.
A Study of Gothic Subculture: An Inside Look for Outsiders A good overview of Goth and what it is and isn't, featuring a list of links to informative articles on topics such as Music, Drugs, Occult, and Vampires. Aside from the Message Board and the collection of external links on the "Goth Links" page, all of the links I checked are functional. News articles go back as far as 1994. The site was last updated in 2009.
Vamp.org A seemingly endless rabbit hole of 90's content, containing zines and Usenet articles galore, as well as a Siouxsie and the Banshees page.
Goreyography From their Information page: "A graphical galleria of gratuitous Gorey, a continuous choreography of calamitous characters. Both bibliographical and biographical, Goreyography delivers a comprehensive collection of information about the works of author-artist Edward Gorey. Showcasing not only Gorey's enigimatic genius, Goreyography also exhibits works of lesser known individuals, including but not limited to their paintings, photographs and other forms of artistic expression." Copyrighted 1997-2002, the site is in good condition, and all internal links appear to work.
Lilith's Coffin Last updated in 2012, this is a Spanish-language personal blog mainly focused on dark art as well as black and gothic metal. There is also some fashion-related content. The text is styled in painfully tiny blackletter, which isn't very easy to read, but looks cool.
Tattered Rags Doll Gallery Creepy cloth dolls made by Jodi Cain, available for sale through this site or on her Etsy shop.
Viona-Art Fantasy photography with dark, mystical, and fairytale themes, often centered around female subjects. This is a Model Mayhem profile which was active between 2008 and 2011. The artist's personal site appears to be defunct.
GawthDecor GothFaeri's compilation of creative tips for decorating your space on a budget, with sections on painting walls, lampshades, and window treatments. // GawthPallor Also from GothFaeri, recipes for skin-lightening concoctions and advice for those who are hell-bent on getting as pale as humanly possible.
Gothic Gardening Active from 1995-2001, this charming site addresses topics related to flowers and herbs with dark or gothic connotations. The section on Theme Gardens contains lists of plants for each theme, with titles such as "The Night Garden," "The Little Greenhouse of Horrors", "The Garden of Ill Omens", and "The Botanic Cathedral." The Ye Olde Gothick Herball section links to pages with copious information on the history, lore, and medicinal uses of plants such as wormwood and cypress. Potpourri contains an assortment of fascinating articles on topics such as "Moondials," "Just Say 'I Hate You' With Flowers," "A Mummy's Herbal," "Natural Black Dye," "Cemetery Horticulture," and "Garden Necromancy." Gothic Plant Tales comprises an assortment of plant-related stories and legends, including "The Apple of Immortality" and "The Blood Tree." The navigation links all work, although many of the images won't load. Also accessible through banner below
Gothic Martha Stewart "DIY Home Decor for the Morbidly Inclined," with an assortment of craft projects and design themes such as Victorian, Techno-Modern, Cemetery, Egyptian, and Punk.
The Webmistress' Lair A repository of graphic elements such as backgrounds, bars, and icons, which can be used in designing websites. Pages are themed according to aesthetic categories such as "Gothic Romance," "Biomechanix," and "Egyptian," and introduced with colorful descriptions as though the visitor is exploring various rooms in a shop.
Amphigory Started in 1996, Amphigory is run by a couple in Indiana. They mostly used to sell cosmetics, along with some wigs, jewelry, and ritual supplies. Cosmetics were not branded and presumably independently made. I used to get their white and lavender loose powders. Click "site map" for full navigation. This is an archived version of the site circa 2005; the current site can be found here. (All cosmetics are discontinued, and as of 2022 they only sell wigs, incense and oils.)
EvilNeedles A collective of women who modified band t-shirts into dresses and tops. There's a large variety of bands, with a few goth bands here and there. A majority of the images are accessible. They also have a bio and a section promoting new music releases. Last modified in 2005, this is an archived version of the site circa 2006.
GoodGoth Their online shop sells clothing, jewelry, cosmetics, and novelties. In business since 1996. This is an archived version of the site circa 2004; the current site can be found here.
Ipso Facto Ipso Facto sells Gothic clothing and music while also creating a space for art and events. Their physical store has been open since 1989 in the Los Angeles area; they also have a YouTube channel. // Stone 588 Band Page The music project of Ipso Facto founder Terri Kennedy. Their old Geocities page is here.
Kambriel Elegant and romantic historically-inspired clothing. Kambriel has been around since 1994. This is an archived version of the site circa 2005; the current site can be found here. Also accessible through panel on right; scroll down on panel for more
Radiance Bound Collars and bondage accessories with an elegant touch. Images are only viewable as thumbnails, and some don't load, but you can get a decent idea. This is an archived version of the site circa 2008.
Rose Mortem Legendary Goth designer active from the 90's through the teens, Rose Mortem created romantic dresses and skirts with lots of velvet, corset lacing, and sheer, flowing fabrics. Images and navigation links are functional. Bio under Details. This is an archived version of the site circa 2006.
A Crazy Thing Called Goth Heretic's Goth page, including an explanation of Trenchcoat Day and a compilation of Goth Jokes.
How to be Goth (in less than an hour) An amusingly satirical tutorial for would-be goths, divided into six illustrated steps.
The Dead Lounge A virtual lounge, home to delightfully dark time-wasters including The Goth-O-Matic Poetry Generator, Gothic Ipsum, The Gothic Offramp, and Sarco's Blood Bar & Grill.
The Freak Test From Chateau Bizarre, an online boutique of miscellaneous oddities (accessible through banner below). This test contains humorously specific items such as "You've gone out to the club in eveningwear and woad." Unfortunately it will not yield a score, as clicking "Am I truly a Little Dark Pumpkin of the Night?" simply reloads the test page. This is an archived version of the site circa 2004.
The Goth Test Version 1.1 Not meant to be taken seriously, this test includes some obscure questions like "Do you tie an obscene number of scarves to your waist?" Clicking the green link at the bottom will take you to some other tests, such as The Insanity Test, The Dr. Seuss Purity Test, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show Quiz.
The Autumn Cemetery Text Completed in 1996, this literary work by Lloyd Warren Ravlin III (a.k.a. September) offers a unique perspective on Goth, advice for newcomers, and some cool poetry.
Gothic.net "Bone-Chilling Literary Culture" featuring darkly-themed short stories and book reviews, as well as a forum. This is an archived version of the site circa 2006; the current site can be found here. Also accessible through panel above; scroll down on panel for more
Starvox Book Reviews A small collection of book reviews from Starvox Music Zine (see Music section). A few of the entries don't contain links for whatever reason, and the external link to "Punk, Pop, and Iggy: The Roots of Goth" connects to a 404 Not Found page, but the rest of the entries link to readable articles posted on Starvox.
Cinema Strange // The Deadfly Ensemble The now-defunct official website of Lucas Lanthier's two bands, Cinema Strange and the Deadfly Ensemble. (CS) Most photos are inaccessible and many links direct to error pages, but much of the text content is still there, including lyrics. The links to the articles are all dead. I have print copies of a few of the articles which I may upload. (DE) Only the Main and Gigography sections are functional.
Cruxshadows A history of the band, with links to detailed profiles of each band member, including lists of likes, dislikes, favorite quotes, etc. The site also contains lyrics, album info, and even a functional guestbook. However, a number of the navigation links no longer work or direct to empty pages. Clicking "Home" will take you to the current version of the site.
Dichroic Mirror Another lesser-known 90's band associated with Stone 588 (see "Ipso Facto" under category Fashion), with whom they frequently collaborated. Contains a bio, discography, lyrics, photos, etc. All links are functional.
Fear Cult The old website of the band Fear Cult, last active in 2004. // Newgrave Magazine A magazine created by Fear Cult frontman Matt Riser. It is out of print, but a digital version of the first issue from Aug/Sept 2000 (London After Midnight) can be found here. // Lola Goth Also from Matt Riser, a Gothic Lolita-type character that appeared on various merchandise. The design gallery and arcade are no longer available because they ran on Flash.
Fear of Dolls From their bio, "Avant-garde childrenβs music for children who prefer rusty toys and moldy candy, bringing you back to a time when you still believed monsters lived under your bed. Formed in 1995 by Greg Forschler, the band released four CDs between 1995 and 2005." Includes discography, photos, reviews, and performances as recent as 2016. All of the links I checked are functional.
London After Midnight This site is currently active, but looks like it hasn't been redesigned since the noughts. It has news, interviews, music, lyrics, pretty much anything you might be looking for. The news and tour dates are current, but the most recent photos are from 2007.
The Sisters of Mercy Ultimate Resource Guide Last updated in 2009, this site has details on all of their albums and gigs going back to 1981, as well as recording sessions, videos, lyrics, interviews, etc. Although the site looks archaic and hasn't been updated in 15 years (at time of writing), all of the links I checked are functional, including links to YouTube videos, and there are tons of images. Overall very comprehensive and well put together.
Starvox Music Zine Active until 2006, this online goth music zine features a wide variety of articles, reviews, and interviews. Most of the internal navigation links are functional, but most of the external links are dead. I don't recommend clicking on the "Merchandise" link in the sidebar, as it redirects to a sketchy-looking site in some kind of Asian language. The articles are worth checking out, however many of the photos in the photo gallery are inaccessible. Also accessible through banner below
By the Very Fangs of mAlice The personal site of Gothic Gardening creator mAlice. Contains pages on Erzsebet Bathory (content warning: torture), a wrecked car, Phineas Gage, the evolution of the letter X, gothic and death-related holidays, and origami spiders, as well as a link to the aforementioned site on gothic gardening (see DIY section). All navigation links work, and most of the images load. This is an archived version of the site circa 2002.
Melusine's Madness Melusine's Angelfire site, active from around 1998 to 2001. The Wanderings section contains external links; about half of them work. Ravings contains writings, and a piece about a film called The Succubus. Lieblings is a sort of personal photo album, but most images are no longer viewable. The site belongs to several webrings.
Night-Time Lovesongs Created by Carrie a.k.a. Cassandra, this site contains pages on Music, Aesthetics, and Myths & Misperceptions about Goths. Links at the bottom include a Personal page, as well as a page called Temple of Herman devoted to the worship of a fuzzy orange bunny. The site is in good shape and all navigation links appear to be functional.
The Ninth Circle The personal site of A Study of Gothic Subculture: An Inside Look for Outsiders creator Alicia Porter Smith. Contains a profile section, a poetry page, and a history of the aforementioned site, as well as a page called "Am I Goth?" and a photo gallery of the creator with different hair colors. All of the links are functional.
Pendragon's Place The personal site of Goth Test creator Wayne Michael Owens, last updated around 2002. Contains sections on Goth, Vampires, and Computers.
Alchemy World Not specifically Goth, but may be of interest. The menu on the left links to various alchemy-related topics. Many of these lead to unfinished pages devoid of content; however, the section titled "The Seven Operations of Alchemy" is fairly comprehensive.
The Goth Code Version 2.5A Posted on Usenet by Peter T. Caffin in 1996, this describes an elaborate system for distilling your personality, interests, occupation, location, etc. into a code which could be used in online interactions.
Gothic Cat Rescue Online Created in 1999, this site offered a directory of listings for black cats in need of adoption. All of the in-site navigation links, as well as a majority of the external links, appear to be working.
Taphophilia "A repository of morbid curiosities" covering "thanatology and taphophile issues, cemetery, funeral industry and death-related news." Most of the links lead to dead ends (hah) but some content is still accessible. Try the Taphophilia Interests section, or What's At Taphophilia? > "Archived Articles", where you can find such gems as "3 siblings lived with dead parent for nearly a decade, police in Japan." This is an archived version of the site circa 2005.
Tina the Troubled Teen A Goth parody of the virtual pets that were popular in the early days of the Internet, Tina was a little animation of a Goth girl that you could insert into the HTML of your personal webpage, accompanied by a speech bubble with various quips. Unsurprisingly, she no longer works, but the page contains a still image of Tina and a short description of why she was created.
