To get to the next level in Heavy Metal you are going to have to Undo The Chains and face the Wraith.

UNDO THE CHAINS

2ND FULL LENGTH ALBUM BY WRAITH

RELEASED SEPTEMBER 24, 2021

Artwork by Andrei Bouzikov
Layout by Chris Petkus
Recorded, mixed and mastered by CJ Rayson
Written and recorded from Aug 2019 to Jan 2021
All music written and performed by WRAITH
...In memory of donald c. schultz jr. 1956-2020

WHAT THIS ALBUM DOES WELL: Right from the start with the title track, which is a strong riffing intro, you get the sense we are about to shift into turbo gear and you'd better find something to hold onto real fast. That's when Dominator kicks in and the relentless nature of Wraith shows tenfold. Whether it's Matt Sokol and Jason Schultz setting a blistering pace on the dual guitars, to Sokol's smooth baritone growl and singing, to Chris Petkus' pounding Bass riffs that layer and track the amazing pacing, to Mike Symendera's pulsing drums that keep the timing in check, you get the strong sense of what this band does and how they do it. Right through the 1st bridge on Dominator into the anthem fist pumping choruses with songs like Gatemaster you get this incredible adrenaline of nostalgia. Wraith really takes you back to a time in metal when being fast and being dark didn't mean being sloppy, overwhelming, and just loud without purpose. Though it is as thrashing and blistering as any thrash/death metal out there it has this subtle art of being self aware and inviting at a pace that engages you and gets you pumped. From the lyrical content, to the song titles themselves, you get 33 minutes that really doesn't rely on anything but good old fashioned verses, bridges, solos, and hooks. Wraith proves without a shadow of a doubt that formula still works, especially with songs like Gatemaster, Cloaked in Black and Born to Die which have this anthem like prestige. This album is engineered with the right touch of polish and clarity that doesn't sound too perfect or over produced but doesn't sound liek 4 dudes in a basement on a reel to reel (look it up I have no time to explain that) . Sokol's consistency with his growls and bravado give this sense of comfort, even though the lyrics are intended to do anything but that. It really amazing how easily you get sucked into this album, settle in to head bang, and fly the devil horns high over your head like it was breathing. This is a great start to a band really at its beginning stages and an effort that made my Top 10 easily on the new podcast I co-host with Adam Johnson, Kingdom of Heavy. I suspect and hope I will be mentioning them on a many Top 10 list to come. 

WHY YOU NEED TO CHAMPION THIS ALBUM: Look if you are missing the days of "Kill Em' All", "Killing is My Business", and "Spiritual Healing" you will find this album to be a very suitable companion, and a not replacement but a great addition to that rotation. This is great old school thrash with a nice taste of Death/Extreme Metal. You will also be getting in on the ground floor of an incredible band sure to rise in notoriety and only get better. I am excited to hear the stories of how Wraith opened for so and so and blew them off the stage. Above all else and why this album is a need, sometimes you just need to head bang,  dance around, and let it all out into the air, Wraith is a great choice for that. 

YOU SHOULD LIKE THIS ALBUM AND BAND IF YOU LIKE: Early Metallica or Megadeth, Death, and Venom. 

YOU CAN GET THE ALBUM HERE

FIND OUT WHERE THIS ALBUM FALLS ON THE KINGDOM OF HEAVY PODCAST with Joe Compton & Adam Johnson. This is Top of 2021 episode.