Indiana blackened thrash/speed metal band WRAITH have released the official music video for “Over The Top,” the latest single from their upcoming sixth studio album, Descent Into Darkness, arriving November 13, 2026, via Prosthetic Records.
Drawing inspiration from World War I, the track captures the fear and uncertainty experienced by soldiers preparing to leave the relative safety of their trenches and enter the battlefield. Opening with an ominous bass line and a creeping guitar groove, “Over The Top” quickly accelerates into a relentless display of old-school thrash aggression.
Vocalist and guitarist Matt Sokol explains the song’s concept:
“It’s my interpretation of what it would be like to go ‘Over The Top,’ which is the military expression for entering the battlefield from the trenches. This character isn’t sure what’s going to happen, the whistle blows, and it’s time. The momentum of the track is similar. It goes from slow and plodding to fast.”
A World War I-inspired journey into darkness
Descent Into Darkness marks WRAITH’s sixth full-length release and follows their 2024 album, Fueled By Fear. Recorded with co-producer CJ Rayson, the new record combines the band’s signature blackened thrash intensity with historical storytelling centered on World War I.
Sokol, who works as a high school history teacher, drew heavily from his academic background when developing the album’s themes.
“I majored in history, and now I’m a tenth-grade history teacher. 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.”
Rather than focusing exclusively on major military events, the album explores the experiences of ordinary people caught in the conflict, including soldiers and civilians whose stories are often overlooked.
Musically, WRAITH continue to combine breakneck thrash rhythms, aggressive vocals, and blackened metal influences, maintaining the raw energy that has defined their sound over the past decade.
Describing the new material, Sokol adds:
“It’s relentless. It’s fast, but it’s simultaneously crushing and heavy. When we play, it’s lean and mean. We definitely let the music do the talking.”
Descent Into Darkness tracklist
- Descent Into Darkness
- Final Warning
- Atomic Queen
- Terminal Embrace
- Over The Top
- Misery And Malice
- Lord Of Wolves
- Chainscraper
- No Man’s Land
- Back In The Trenches
The band previously released a music video for “Final Warning,” offering another preview of the forthcoming record.
Descent Into Darkness will be available on CD, vinyl, and digital formats through Prosthetic Records on November 13.
Find preorders at wraith.ffm.to/descentintodarkness
WRAITH lineup
- Matt Sokol – Vocals, guitar
- Jason Schultz – Guitar, backing vocals
- Chris Petkus – Bass, backing vocals
- Mike Szymendera – Drums, backing vocals