The Wraiths

The Tragical Tale Of Wednesday The Ectoplasm

Written by: TL on 14/10/2008 20:22:36

Are you, dear reader, a fan of The Misfits by any chance? If the answer to that question is a yes, then you can safely read on counting on this review being interesting to you. Otherwise? I make no guarantees. You see the band who's up for review is Italy's The Wraiths, and if there's one thing you're certain after listening to their debut album "The Tragical Tale Of Wednesday The Ectoplasm", it is that classic goth/horror punk bands like Misfits did not exist in vain.

If the introduction didn't spell it out for you, let me just clarify that what we're dealing with is old fashioned punk rock with a ghastly gothic tint to it, no exceptions, from the vocals to the song structures and the guitar riffs and solos, this record is a sonic visit back to the days where goth was the old emo, and while The Wraiths might have learned about eyeliner, pseudonyms and fancy getups from their American contemporaries, drawing a parallel from goth punk to Aiden and My Chemical Romance means in this case that you might as well get the fuck out of this review.

For twelve (eleven, first track's an obligatory 'spooky' intro) tracks, The Wraith dish out simple three-chorded melodies on top of classic punk rock drumming - And by classic I mean just count the variations of the D-beat here. On top, vocalist Dorian croons away in a manner that might not impress vocally obsessed people around the world, but at least it fits the music very well, and when he spices things up by ending lines here and there in a semi-scream (as on "Night Of The Living Dead"), it's actually quite cool. If nothing else, that at least makes for a decent attempt at sweeping me away with the music.

As you might've figured already though, these guys are a bit too unoriginal and unambitious to merit the use of any really impressive adjectives. They have a distinct style and they play it well, but basically, all the songs on this record sound the same, and they all sound like they're played at a Misfits tribute party. I wouldn't at all be surprised if The Wraiths have enough energy and confidence to kick off a very entertaining liveshow, but for them to make any real impression on the music scene on record, ambitions and originality have to be amped up a notch.

Download: I Speak Rock 'n' Roll, Night Of The Living Dead
For The Fans Of: Misfits, Danzig
Listen: myspace.com/wraithsband

Release Date 27.09.2008
Hurricane Shiva Records

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