WRETCH – Featuring Former THE GATES OF SLUMBER Vocalist Streaming Two New Tracks

Indianapolis based doom metal trio, Wretch, will release their self-titled debut album, Wretch, on August 26th via Bad Omen Records. Featuring vocalist / guitarist Karl Simon, formerly of critically acclaimed underground legends The Gates Of Slumber, alongside drummer Chris Gordon and bassist Bryce Clarke, Wretch rises from the ashes of the musician’s past project, which ended tragically with the passing of Gates’ bassist Jason McCash in 2014. With Wretch, Simon carries on valiantly with the musical mission he began some 18 years ago. Two new tracks, “Running Out Of Days”, and “Icebound” are streaming below.

The creation of Wretch’s self-titled debut marked both a renaissance and a crucial tonic for Simon himself. In the wake of the death of his close friend, he was forced to make sense of a profound loss, and the creation of this album formed a crucial part of this process. Lest we forget, doom metal stands for much more than merely a collection of Sabbathian riffs, funereal tempos and enormous amp-stacks. It’s a form of music that issues forth from the heart, the soul, and the gut. It can be an alchemical force that functions as a process of catharsis in times of need.

“Making this record has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” says Simon. “Jason and I met just out of school and instantly became best friends. All of my memories as an adult feature him. All of the songs on this record are about him, about me, about our life and his death. I’m not yet close to getting over the grief. In a lot of ways I’ve lost my mind. I hope that people are touched by the record. I am often on the verge of tears while playing. It’s tough reliving those moments”

In Wretch, the trio has laid down a fearsome salvo of cast-iron riffage and heartfelt traditional metal heraldry, shot through with a steely conviction instilled by the experiences of recent days. Heavy in sincerity and emotion, these gritty yet grandiose songs follow in the lineage and spirit of classic crusaders like Saint Vitus, The Obsessed and Cirith Ungol with songs like the thundering “Running Out Of Days” and the downcast yet groove-laden “Icebound”. Meanwhile, a heroic essaying of Judas Priest’s early classic “Winter” sees Wretch connect with heavy metal’s most gnarled and vital roots. Defiant against all adversity, this debut stands proud as a fiery testimony to an indomitable spirit, one finding its way with grace and honesty through the trials and travails of the everyday.

“The days of swords and sorcery are pretty much over for me” notes Karl. “No more giant spiders or Ice Worms. There are real horrors that occupy my mind these days.”