Los Angeles-based dark punks The Wraith present a new video from their debut album, Gloom Ballet, which saw worldwide release through Southern Lord in late November. The new visual accompaniment to the track “Ballad Of Aeon” has premiered.

“We wanted to work with videographer Michael Kallio again because he did such an amazing job with our ‘Barbed Wire Somber’ video a couple of years ago,” the band offers on the “Ballad Of Aeon” video. They continue, “The apocalyptic imagery in the video marries references to ‘Ballad of Aeon’s’ refrain (‘A thousand years, Dark centuries’) to more topical concerns. The performance footage was shot in a disused L.A. storefront that was being used as storage space (and, by the looks of it, as some sort of nocturnal drug den). Among the stuff being stored there was Cher’s dressing room mirror from one of her Las Vegas residencies, which the band was happy to use. Lighting equipment used for the shoot included leftovers from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. As The Wraith was between drummers at the time of the shoot, a mystery stand-in was used.”

“BALLAD OF AEON” OFFICIAL VIDEO

The Wraith’s post-apocalyptic Gloom Ballet was recorded by Puscifer guitarist/producer Mat Mitchell, mastered at Audiosiege by Brad Boatright (From Ashes Rise, Tragedy, Alaric), completed with artwork by Rebecca Sauve.

Gloom Ballet is available worldwide via Southern Lord Recordings at the label webshop, Bandcamp, and through all digital retailers. Also see the previously released “Wing Of Night” video .

29/02/2020 Hong Kong Inn – Ventura, CA w/ Change Today, Detoxi

06/03/2020 Five Star Bar – Los Angeles, CA w/ Radolescents, Stalag 13

07/03/2020 Viper Room – Los Angeles, CA w/ TSOL, Decry

Gloom Ballet is the first deathrock record to be released by Southern Lord Recordings. “Southern Lord owner Greg Anderson has been amazing to work with, and we really appreciate his willingness to incorporate a different sound into his roster,” said guitarist Kaz Alvis.

Infused with ‘80s UK post-punk (Death Cult, Killing Joke, Chameleons) and SoCal deathrock (T.S.O.L., Samhain), The Wraith was founded by imposing frontman Davey Bales, formerly of apocalyptic Virginia punks Lost Tribe, and Alvis shortly after they separately washed up in L.A. in 2016. Their irresistibly distinctive sound – skeletal basslines and tribal beats propelling Alvis’ textured swathes beneath Bales’ poetic, anguished bark – gained an instant following, with homemade demo “Comatic Romance” racking-up thousands of YouTube views.

Convulsive West Coast US shows honed the songs that became The Wraith’s lauded 2017 EP, Shadow Flag. A couple of videos and lineups later – the band is now completed by Brit bassist Paul Rogers and Russian drummer Anatolii Lövochkin – their cultured songwriting and lived-in authenticity earned the ear of Mat Mitchell, who has worked with Love and Rockets, The Flaming Lips, Meat Puppets, and more. “The Wraith” is a flashback to many of the bands that inspired me to start making music,” said Mitchell. “Given the opportunity to work on an album with them, how could I turn it down?”

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