Various Artists - The Wraith / Screaming Dead - Split

The Wraith and Screaming Dead teamed up with Plain Disguise Records to release a very cool split cassette that says DIY all over it and captures the glory days of punk cassette culture. The slip cover (no plastic) and liner notes add to the nostalgia and mystique of the release. The artwork screams "This better be on a shirt!" with skulls, top hats, reapers, graveyards, nuclear explosions and other noticeable tropes we quickly desensitized ourselves to. The artwork is very well done and certainly stands out as punk-as-fuck and calls to your darker tastes. 

U.K.'s Screaming Dead have been around since 1979 belting out the sounds of the underground. Their catalogue of music is vast and glorious and worthy of further exploration. Their sound could not be contained to any one genre. Mixed with elements of goth rock, death rock, punk and new wave, Screaming Dead solidified themselves as one of the driving forces of inspiration for future generations of punk inspired music. Fans of early T.S.O.L. (up to 1986), The Subhumans and early Killing Joke will appreciate anything Screaming Dead released. The band returns with a solid powerful new track called "Pretty Mess" that provides a quick fix of the modern day Screaming Dead direction. It's a far cry from the early days of speedy aggressive punk tunes. "Pretty Mess" certainly gives off a Killing Joke vibe mixed with the 80's goth / horror punk style that the Screaming Dead  helped flesh out in the mid 80's. I was fortunate to see Screaming Dead live several years back in NYC. From the skull face-paint to the sounds of a previous generation that I hold in the highest regards, it was a great night that I will always cherish!


The Wraith continues their onslaught of generous gift giving to the fans with a brilliant cover of the U.K. Subs "Warhead" off their legendary 1980 LP Brand New Age. The Wraith utilize their signature sound to amp up this rendition of "Warhead". The original is an iconic track and The Wraith respects that with their gritty take and tribute to one of the best punk bands to ever exist. Get ready to chant "Warhead, Warhead, Warhead". The Wraith have some great material to explore. Their first album Gloom Ballet is a must have and all the reviews back that statement up. If you love the artwork and the music, check out The Wraith on Bandcamp. They have tons of merch with all the reapers and skulls you could ever ask for. The members have changed since their inception. Davey Bales and Kaz Alvis along with current drummer Anatoly Levotchkin have been around a while and are no strangers to making great music. Check out their previous bands especially Davey Bales when he was the imposing frontman for the mighty post crust punks Lost Tribe. 


There are still a few cassettes left. Look on the Bandcamp sites for the artists and the label to purchase your cassette or digital files. Plain Disguise continued the split cassette theme with Detoxi / New Skeletal Faces cassette single. Feed your ears!
Feb 23 2021