Gothic rock
According to Cult guitarist Billy Duffy, the iconic introduction effects were the result of all the guitar effects pedals being on at the same time. The recording was edited to include the introduction with the effects, whereas earlier versions started the song more abruptly. Duffy says he found a violin bow lying around the studio and started playing the guitar with it “like Jimmy Page” to amuse singer Ian Astbury, hit every effects pedal he had “to make it sound weirder”, and then played the middle section of the song. “And we decided to start the song with that mystical sound.” wikipedia
I miss “back in the day” too, but music is much more varied now. Now everyone in the world has access to media creation and distribution tools. If you escape The Algorithm you can find music from all kinds of genres on YouTube, Twitch, Bandcamp, etc.
I think you’re right! My bf is much more into music than I am (and was), and he’s always finding new and interesting stuff on You Tube, Amazon Music etc. He used to be into punk, amongst many other things, and has quite a varied palette