Christian Death formed in Los Angeles in 1979, founded by vocalist Rozz Williams, and their 1982 debut Only Theatre of Pain became one of the defining documents of the American death rock and gothic rock movements. After the original lineup dissolved in 1983, the band continued under the direction of guitarist Valor Kand, with Williams later forming a parallel version and the two camps existing in dispute for years before Williams' death in 1998. The band retains an active presence and continues to record and tour under Kand's leadership.

Portland, Oregon's Hoaxed formed in 2020 as a dark rock duo of vocalist and guitarist Kat Keo and drummer Kim Coffel, later expanding to a trio with the addition of bassist April Dimmick. Their debut full-length Two Shadows followed in 2022, and the Relapse Records album Death Knocks arrived in 2026, blending gothic rock atmospherics with hard rock melody and metal heaviness. The band draws from a range of influences from classic gothic rock to occult rock, with Keo's vocals and the group's moody dynamics placing them alongside a resurgent wave of dark rock acts.

Unto Others formed in Portland, Oregon in 2017 — initially under the name Idle Hands — out of the dissolution of traditional metal act Spellcaster, led by singer and guitarist Gabriel Franco. The band revived gothic metal's classic sonics alongside post-punk and new wave influences, drawing comparisons to Sisters of Mercy and Type O Negative at a time when interest in those sounds was resurging. Their second album Strength (2021) on Roadrunner Records and third album Never, Neverland (2024) on Century Media solidified them as one of the most prominent acts in the gothic metal revival.