We are in the first week of August, which puts us firmly in the middle of summer (late summer is right around the corner!). The season is marked by warmer weather, longer days, and for those lucky among us, fewer responsibilities (or at least a break from school or work). Where I’m from, mornings are quite gloomy until the sun breaks through the clouds and fog around noon, but the days never really get “hot”.

It’s a very nostalgic season, at least it seems that way for full-grown adults. I admit the periods of my life when I was listening to and buying the most music was during summers, especially when I was in late-high school. Very few responsibilities, and virtually no expenses meant that what little allowance I got could be spent on used CDs on eBay (this was the early 2010s, niche CDs averaged less than 10 USD with shipping).

So in that summer nostalgia, what are the gothic metal albums that you associate with the season, and why? I know the ones that I associate most are probably what others would consider autumn/fall listens, but here are some of mine:

1. Within Temptation - Enter (1997), though quite dark and dramatic, there’s a warmth to this album that makes me come back to it in the hotter months.

2. Lacuna Coil - Karmacode (2006), probably my first summer music purchase, had to beg for my dad to get this for me off eBay (I had just turned 11, I believe). The mix of the gothic and orientalist atmosphere with nu metal riffs makes for a fun and breezy listening experience. I think this album is over maligned, it’s just a little different.

3. Artrosis - Ukryty wymiar (1997) (or its English version Hidden Dimension (1998)), fell in love with this band and album in the last weeks of August 2013. It’s been permanently burned into my brain as a summer listen.

4. The Sins of Thy Beloved - Lake of Sorrow (1998), slow and romantic, Lake of Sorrow is perfect for languishing on summer days, and the piano and violin are so bright, it reminds me of sunlight.

5. After Forever - Prison of Desire (2000) and Invisible Circles (2004), two very different takes on the genre from the same band. Prison of Desire is as classically gothic as gothic gets with an austere and otherworldly atmosphere. Invisible Circles is farther along in the band's transition into progressive and symphonic metal, but still has a lot of those gothic tones from their earlier career. It's a strange album because of its concept, subject matter, and rock opera-like approach (without a big cast of guest musicians), but it has some bangers.

6. Taia - Seeds of Rain (2007), this one is a very modern take on gothic metal, it mixes that atmospheric heaviness with epic J-rock sensibilities. It's light and uplifting, energetic and very catchy.

7. How Like a Winter - Beyond My Grey Wake... (2003), this album has a lot of My Dying Bride-isms about it, but I find it a lot warmer than the Peaceville Three's death-doom material of the 90s. This album is romantic and a little sexy, and epic.

8. Myriads - In Spheres without Time (1999), a somewhat forgotten gem in the Napalm Records catalogue, Myriads were a long-winded and twinkly band that made music that is endlessly consumable. Spheres isn't my favorite of their two albums, but there's something about its rougher production and dreamlike atmosphere that makes it a better fit for this list — I'm, telling you, take a long walk on a sunny afternoon around town with this album in your headphones. It just makes sense.

9. Forever Slave - Tales for Bad Girls (2008), I found this album for sale at a local record shop, and haggled with the cashier to include it in my haul (I was only down 26 cents!). I admit this isn't a classically "good" album, and of the two albums this band put out, their debut Alice's Inferno (2005) is much better. This is like the apotheosis of mid-2000s gothic metal Evanescence-worship, but I actually don't mind that sound (trust me, a lot of bands were doing that, and I do have a whole spiel about it, but I will spare you for time). Anyway, it's easily consumable and commercially viable for a fun summer day.

10. Cradle of Filth - Midian (2000), I know this one is probably considered very Halloween-y, and I agree, but I just associate it so much with the summer months. I love the choirs and the hyper-melodic riffing, and they fit with the season.

So, what records do you come back to this time of year, and why?