[Suzerain of Sheol]

Well, I think it might be more that all the goth metal bands I know are following in the same tradition and they just approach the same theme from a different angle.

Theatre of Tragedy is probably the oldest goth band I listen to. Their older stuff is more "literary gothic" than "Hot Topic gothic" which is cool. A lot of their lyrics are in Shakespearean English. My favorite song of theirs is "And When He Falleth" based on the Masque of the Red Death by Poe. They actually have a rather unique sound compared to all the bands that followed on their coat-tails.