When Molchat Doma hits Vegas, the city’s already established goth undercurrent is in for a change of tack. Formed in 2017 in Minsk, Belarus, and now based in Los Angeles, this trio—Egor Shkutko (vocals), Roman Komogortsev (guitar, synthesizer, drum programming) and Pavel Kozlov (bass, synthesizer)—is more than just a post-punk synthwave revival band; they’re the sound of cold, clinical melancholy stitched with danceable beats.
The band’s name translates to “the houses are silent” and hints at the vacant isolation they conjure through throbbing, haunted synths and deep, droning Russian vocals. Picture the sterility of Eastern European architecture (as depicted on the album art), laced with the vibe of ‘80s goth and industrial. It’s both a call to the dancefloor and an existential meditation.
Molchat Doma’s rise to prominence, especially after TikTok propelled their tracks into the viral stratosphere, may have irked the gatekeepers of the genre, but there’s no denying their unique blend of darkness and rhythm appeals to the masses. Their 2024 album Belaya Polosa continues this trend, with a sound that’s both a nod to the past and unmistakably their own. Free-form electronic interludes pulse through tracks, demanding listeners to sway along to the cold and hypnotic melody as Shkutko militantly shouts his lyrics of sorrow and longing.
Vegas is no stranger to the dark and danceable, from the shadows of the Griffin’s packed backroom to the never-not-jammed corridors at Oddfellows. But for one night, Molchat Doma, along with post-punk dance darlings Sextile, are primed to take it to the next level. This is the first stop on the band’s 30-day North American tour and the arrival feels like a perfect fit, bound to draw out the city’s lost darklings.
MOLCHAT DOMA With Sextile, January 16, 7 p.m., $35+, the A-Lot at Area 15, area15.com.
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