Shadows

Wraith are a defunct Black Metal band from the United States. Formed in 2002 and signed to Graveless Slumber Records, the band have released two full-length albums before splitting-up in late 2005. Wraith are a two man band consisting of Warlock on vocals and Grim Wormtongue handling all instruments.

"Shadows" is the second of the two albums and the only one i've heard thus far. This is your standard Black Metal release. Dark, misanthropic and melancholic. Relying heavily on a dark and ambient type of music to express it's themes, as well as haunting wails of agony and despair. Generally slow to mid paced, occasionally straying to a faster sound with uncompromising blastbeats this is an incredibly atmospheric piece of music. As mentioned by previous reviewers, you can sense elements of the Dark Ambient genre, as well as Doom Metal influences. Wraith have a tendency to create sweeping music which entrances the listener and drags you along for their ride without being fully aware, perhaps this deters from the actual good content of the album as you could be forgiven for losing concentration as the album progresses. Notable influences include Silencer and Leviathan due to it's dark ambience and tortured atmosphere. Very repetitive and highly monotonous. As with most Black Metal bands, it's incredibly minimalistic, not highly creative or dynamic, but for most it should keep your interest for long enough. Distorted and twisted. Melodic and flowing. Nothing spectacular can be found here, but it's good enough to merit a listen.

Highlight: Omens From The Mist.

Wraith is a fairly decent band. This album was the first that I have heard of them. I wasn't disappointed, most likely because I didn't set my standards high enough. I thought that they would be just like Morionor (another band from Atlanta), but they have something that Morionor doesn't have. Wraith has the ability to make the most untalented riffs I've heard since Hecadoth sound darker and more disturbing than Abruptum and Silencer.

The album opens up with the song "Orlok". The song has the usual intro of rain splattering and thunder rolling. At first I thought that it would build up into something heavier, but to my dismay, it did not. Instead, the music stayed on the current dark path. The guitar riff was like that of a leaking faucet. It repeated the same chord over and over again, not even bothering to switch chords. Then, the vocals came in. They sound almost like that of a cemetery ghost. They aren't the best vocals I've heard, but they do manage to make the music a lot more disturbing.

If you're discouraged from the album after hearing the first song, then don't. The second song "Omens from the Mist" is excellent if you're a fan of Silencer. The familiar Silencer-like piano piece is heard after a few minutes of slow, almost doomish, metal. This band had obviously taken much influence from ambient bands. You hear the band linger more and more towards a dark ambient sound than a black metal sound.

The guitar riffs do change after the first song. They're a perfect blend of black metal, doom metal, and ambient music. Not many bands have achieved this level of mixing in quite a long time. The riffs manage to stay dark all the time, and there is not one moment where the music lightens up. The artists of this band want you to stay within that feeling of darkness and never come out for a second.

The occasional piano piece adds to the ambient effects. I'm a big fan of this type of thing. The piano adds some change in the musical feelings. It creates more and more tension within the listeners. However, the piano parts do rip-off Silencer in the biggest way. I'm half-expecting Nattramn to show up whenever I listened to it. It's usually a good idea to create your own style of playing.

Overall, this album is one of my favorites. If you're a fan of Silencer, Leviathan, Xasthur, or Amaka Hahina, then you will love this album. However, if you have a short attention-span, then don't waste your time. It is easy to lose concentration with music like this.