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coldwave

(music genre, US) The industrial metal music genre in the 1990s.

ˈkoʊlˌdweɪvCurrent121 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
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Seen in the wild
4 citations · last seen May 2026

Seen in the wild

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#1·Apr 27, 2026

(music genre, US) The industrial metal music genre in the 1990s.

Modern industrial music subgenres and fusion-genres include EBM, futurepop, power-noise, aggrotech (terror-EBM), coldwave, elektro, dark-electro, and industrial-metal. Yes, it can be quite confusing.
Heard in the wild
  • “PLANET 9 - 001 Broadcasting from the dark side. Post-punk. Coldwave. Darkwave. Indie sleaze. Transmitting from PLANET Nine www.mixcloud.com/SPACEDOGSRAD...”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
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#2·Apr 27, 2026

(music genre) A European style of post-punk music in the 1980s.

Band member Azzedine Amrani reflects: “ Then, The Cure came to our ears; therefore we started to turn into coldwave music with brand new instruments [such as keyboards and drum machines].”
Origin: From , perhaps influenced by earlier genres such as new wave and darkwave. In France the post-punk genre was called la vague froide. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents

Coldwave means: A European style of post-punk music in the 1980s.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.

For ESL learners

coldwave means: A European style of post-punk music in the 1980s.. Register: neutral, standard English. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself. A formal-English equivalent (a synonym or descriptive phrase) is usually safer in writing. When in doubt, paraphrase rather than reuse the slang form.

Cluster: general
Heard in the wild
  • “🎭 De Crypte: The First Descent 📅 Zaterdag 30 mei 2026 ⏰ 20:00:00 📍 De Anti-Bar - Haarlem 🎵 coldwave, darkwave, goth, post-punk, ebm, industrial 🔗 https://nocturna.events/event/fb684cb9-f8e9-49e2-9ca8-ffdafdadabb2”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “Ok this one is genuinely cool and by far the least megachurchy, to put it mildly. Extra points for a flirting with blasphemy. Christian coldwave with a hint of 90s trip hop. B+ pamelacollier.bandcamp.com/album/open-d...”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “Ok this is genuinely cool and by far the least megachurchy. Christian coldwave with a hint of 90s trip hop. pamelacollier.bandcamp.com/album/open-d...”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
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