Indiana blackened thrash/speed metal band WRAITH will unleash their sixth full-length album, Descent Into Darkness, on November 13 via Prosthetic Records. The band has also revealed the record’s lead single, “Final Warning,” accompanied by a new music video.
Built around breakneck speed, razor-sharp riffs and an old-school thrash foundation filtered through modern extreme metal, Descent Into Darkness finds Wraith doubling down on the direct, no-frills approach that has defined the band.
“It’s relentless,” vocalist and guitarist Matt Sokol says. “It’s fast, but it’s simultaneously crushing and heavy. We always say, ‘We’re a no-gimmicks thrash metal band.’”
Recorded during 2026 with co-producer CJ Rayson, Descent Into Darkness draws heavily from World War I, with Sokol using his background as a history teacher to explore the conflict through perspectives that often exist outside traditional historical narratives.
“I majored in history, and now I’m a tenth-grade history teacher,” Sokol explains. “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.”
That concept extends to the album’s artwork, which depicts a World War I battlefield beneath a reaper looming in the clouds. Rather than simply recounting major battles, Sokol says the songs attempt to consider the experiences of ordinary people caught within the conflict, from soldiers who never wanted to fight to civilians working behind the lines.
The first taste of the record comes with “Final Warning,” an explosive combination of pummeling drums, tightly controlled riffing and Sokol’s harsh vocals before descending into a crushing breakdown and final guitar solo.
Lyrically, the track draws parallels between the warning signs preceding World War I and the dangers of ignoring instability in the modern world.
“It’s a story about ignoring warnings,” Sokol says. “At the start of WWI, there were signs politically that everything was soured and mistakes were being made. Unfortunately, it led to one of the largest military conflicts ever.”
“It’s a cliché, but history repeats itself. Don’t ignore the warning. If you do, it could be too late.”
Wraith — completed by guitarist Jason Schultz, bassist Chris Petkus and drummer Mike Szymendera — have built their reputation through an uncompromising combination of speed metal, thrash and blackened aggression. With Descent Into Darkness, the quartet channels that intensity into a historically informed record centered on warfare, destruction and the human consequences left behind.
Descent Into Darkness Track listing:
1. Descent Into Darkness
2. Final Warning
3. Atomic Queen
4. Terminal Embrace
5. Over The Top
6. Misery And Malice
7. Lord Of Wolves
8. Chainscraper
9. No Man’s Land
10. Back In The Trenches
Descent Into Darkness will be available on CD, vinyl and digital formats on November 13 via Prosthetic Records. Pre-order
WRAITH:
Matt Sokol — Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Leads
Mike Szymendera — Drums, Backing Vocals
Chris Petkus — Bass, Backing Vocals
Jason Schultz — Rhythm Guitar, Leads, Backing Vocals