Since the announcement of LA dark rockers, The Wraith, signing to Southern Lord, the underground punk scene has been in suspense and anticipation of the coming of their debut album. The homemade demo, Comatic Romance, came first, followed by their 2017 EP, Shadow Flag, and the standalone single, Prevail. The fully fledged full length, Gloom Ballet, comes out November 29th, 2019.
The Wraith are Davey Bales (vocals) - formerly of Virginia peace-punks, Lost Tribe; Kaz Alvis (guitar, vocals); Scott Raynor (drums) - formerly of Blink-182; and former Paul Rogers (bass, vocals). The upcoming album was recorded and Puscifer guitarist and producer Mat Mitchell, who has also worked with Love And Rockets, The Flaming Lips, Meat Puppets, King Crimson, and more.
The namedropping is definitely impressive, but so it the band's sound which derives from good old eighties post punk and deathrock, like a fine fusion between Samhain, Killing Joke, Play Dead and The Southern Death Cult.
Lead single Wing of Night is thoroughly characteristic of the immense darkness and jaggedness the band convey. "Wing of Night is about not just surviving the pain and struggle of living in a dark world, but also welcoming these," says vocalist and lyricist Davey Bales. "Embracing hell and rejecting heaven as your reality, but in a positive way."
Artwork by Rebecca Sauve
Artist photo by Michelle Shiers
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