The Arsonist

Since stepping out from their grave deep within the American South, Wailin Storms have caught fire with noisy and bluesy explosions of gothic rock. Hot on the heels of feverish critical praise and thunderous crowd applause alongside Acid Bath and Eyehategod, the band’s fifth album and first for Season of Mist fans their flame with reckless abandon. While surrounded by darkness from the outside world, The Arsonist burns with all of our heart’s desires.   The Arsonist can be traced back through Wailin Storms’ past. As a child, frontman Justin Storms was so hypnotized by fire that he came dangerously close to accidentally burning down his family’s house. Old folk songs, Baptist hymns, Flannery O’Conner and other influences are brought stomping and screaming into the light. Recorded by Matt Talbott of Hum in full analog, the album rekindles the band’s roots in raw-to-the-bone blues punk. Opener “Dead End” takes a Lynchian turn when its death rattle leads straight into a waking nightmare. “Calm night / Birds keep plucking out our eyes”.      Despite being haunted by a doom-soaked atmosphere, The Arsonist is inflamed by real life anxieties. “You Never Answered” is a deafening plea to put down our phone and answer the night’s call. The album rages against everyday trappings and never-ending wars, but even amidst its most chilling moments, Wailin Storms are fueled by the need for connection. “Like the wind controls the sea”, Storms croons during the slow-burning title track. “You always had a hold on me”. As the band are engulfed by the fiery pangs of love, they howl like the hounds of hell.    On The Arsonist, Wailin Storms deliver a fiery baptism of gothic rock.  

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