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WRAITH “Descent Into Darkness”
WRAITH “Descent Into Darkness”
By Theron Moore
Indiana's sons of dark metal riffage, WRAITH, are gearing up to drop their newest record, Descent Into Darkness, November 13 via Prosthetic Records. And yep, it's fire – if that’s what you were wondering. Per their press release, “Descent Into Darkness” is rooted in the bloodied battlefields of World War I.
Matt Sokol (vocals, guitar) states, "“I majored in history, and now I’m a tenth-grade history teacher,” he notes. “I find a lot of inspiration from certain eras, so “Descent Into Darkness” is heavily themed around WWI. Most of the songs pull from some battle or phase of conflict." Let’s talk about the first two singles released off this disc.
"Over The Top" isn’t just military jargon for trench warfare, it's also the title of WRAITH's first single and arguably one of the most powerful if not prolific tracks on this disc. It's a churning-circle-pit-mosh-stomp of tasty, blackened thrash that slams home the horror of war like you haven’t heard before. "Final Warning" is a full-fledged beatdown a mile wide and ten bodies deep. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention standout tracks, “Misery and Malice,” “Chainscraper,” and “Back in the Trenches.” Hell, how about the whole record, right? It’s damn good – and I don’t often say that about most records I review.
I need to point out that “Descent Into Darkness” is more than just metal – peeling back the layers are lyrics coupled with music that’s laden with anxious, doomy vibes that shift back and forth into frenzied D-beat assault, all of it coming front and center to create the grinding tension of war and chaos. It’s not an understatement to say that WRAITH are at the absolute peak of their powers right now.
For fans of high-speed aggression who dig a bit of a dark, historical edge to their metal, this record is an absolute must and easily one of the most compelling releases of the year. Buy “Descent Into Darkness”, stream it, do what you need to do, but don't let this one pass you by.
4/5 Stars
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