Photo by Cristian Danner
Preview/purchase WRAITH’s Descent Into Darkness HERE.
Descent Into Darkness, the sixth full-length from Indiana-based blackened thrash/speed metal goliaths, WRAITH, is out now and streaming via Prosthetic Records!
Descent Into Darkness is at once uncompromising and undeniable. Lauds Sonic Perspectives, “The world of violence and horror that it builds in 35 minutes of time is vivid enough to rival a full-length feature film, and no self-respecting extreme thrash fan worth their salt will want to miss this premier.” Metal Epidemic concurs, “Beyond the sheer speed, Descent Into Darkness excels in its execution. The production strikes a tight balance as it retains the raw hostility of blackened thrash while benefiting from a clear mix that gives every bass line room to rumble and every kick drum real weight, without losing any guitar or vocal power.” Adds Meat Mead Metal, “the band… ravages with blackened thrash, feeling like a more acidic Motörhead in spots, bruising with grim fury in every spot. The rage and disgust watching the human race fall on its face matches the pace of the music, which can easily leave you bruised.”
Descent Into Darkness is available on CD, LP, and digital formats. Preview/purchase the record HERE.
Watch WRAITH’s previously released video for “Final Warning” HERE and “Over The Top” HERE.
With WRAITH, what you see is what you get. Favoring focus and fire over frills and flash, the Indiana quartet – Matt Sokol (vocals, guitar), Jason Schultz (guitar), Chris Petkus (bass), and Mike Szymendera (drums) – summons the speed of old-school thrash through a prism of 21st century extreme metal accelerated at a breakneck pace. The Midwest-bred outfit allows the riffs, solos, furious beats, and haunting lyrics to speak on their behalf, conjuring imagery with the high-octane action of a big-screen historical epic.
Descent Into Darkness was recorded with co-producer CJ Rayson. More than ever, Sokol leaned into inspiration from his day job as an educator, rooting much of the album in World War I. The process provided an opportunity to fully step inside of the subject matter he teaches on a daily basis.
“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. Even the artwork depicts a WWI battlefield with a reaper in the clouds. We’re telling stories from various perspectives. I’m interested in what these events were like for the people you don’t necessarily read about: the folks working in the mills or the soldiers who didn’t want to be there. I try my best to envision the experience within the music.”
“It’s relentless,” says Sokol. “It’s fast, but it’s simultaneously crushing and heavy. When we play, it’s lean and mean. We definitely let the music do the talking.”
Ultimately, WRAITH makes thrash with the potential to endure. “We’re doing our best to push the boundaries,” Sokol concludes. “I’m immensely proud of this body of work. We’ve matured, but it’s still a WRAITH record.”
Descent Into Darkness Track Listing:
- Descent Into Darkness
- Final Warning
- Atomic Queen
- Terminal Embrace
- Over The Top
- Misery And Malice
- Lord Of Wolves
- Chainscraper
- No Man’s Land
- Back In The Trenches
“WRAITH’s death-dusted thrash sounds mighty as ever on Descent Into Darkness, a record that’s a massive warning shot to a society solely crumbling into madness.” – Meat Mead Metal
“Digging in their heels, they’ve entrenched themselves in the perfect middle ground between Seasons In The Abyss-era Slayer and Behemoth at their fastest. At the same time, these Midwest marauders wield history like a weapon, mining subject matter like WWI as inspirational fodder thanks to frontman, vocalist, and guitarist Matt Sokol’s job as a high school history teacher.” – The Song Review
“…another thoroughly enjoyable collection of blackened thrash that demonstrates both their consistency and their continued development as a band. It’s an album that understands its influences but isn’t entirely dependent on them, combining the spirit of early extreme metal with a darker contemporary edge and a concept that gives the music something meaningful to explore.” – Moshville Times
“… a highly original restatement of what makes the darker side of the thrash coin work as well as it does. It seamlessly blends the atmospheric aesthetic that typified the original early staples that were Sodom’s Obsessed By Cruelty, Bathory’s The Return, and Celtic Frost’s To Mega Therion with the more impact-based thrashing mayhem that followed suit on Sodom’s subsequent ‘80s albums and the concurrent height of the Teutonic and darker Bay Area thrash titans of the same decade.” – Sonic Perspectives
“WRAITH have crafted a record that matures their songwriting exponentially without diluting an ounce of their signature brutality. Descent Into Darkness is definitely a peak mark for modern blackened thrash.” – Metal Epidemic
“…an uncompromising, riff-heavy assault that combines the spirit of old-school thrash with a darker, more contemporary edge. WRAITH are building serious momentum, and this record should do absolutely nothing to slow them down.” – Rock & Load
“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.” – Wormwood Chronicles
“With ten tracks of concentrated metallic violence, Descent Into Darkness proves that WRAITH have lost none of their appetite for destruction. No unnecessary gimmicks, no polished commercial compromises — just a furious, riff-driven assault from a band that knows exactly how to make old-school thrash sound dangerous again.” – Rock ID
“The melding of groove metal and darkened thrash is a very appealing approach to heavy music, and Wraith is among the most successful bands at this tactic. Highly recommended.” – Flying Fiddlesticks
“WRAITH isn’t interested in making another mindless collection of war-themed thrash songs. On Descent Into Darkness, the band takes a darker, more personal approach, exploring what warfare looks and feels like to the people caught in it.” – The Classic Metal Show
WRAITH:
Matt Sokol – vocals, rhythm guitar, leads
Mike Szymendera – drums, backing vocals
Chris Petkus – bass, backing vocals
Jason Schultz – rhythm guitar, leads, backing vocals
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The post WRAITH: Descent Into Darkness Full-Length From Indiana Blackened Thrash/Speed Metal Assault Out Now On Prosthetic Records! first appeared on Earsplit Compound.