Embrace the filth and join us on a journey into the darkest corners of extreme metal with British deathcore unit WRITHE. The exciting band offers glimpses into the “hellscape of cosmic horror” in a sound they describe as “unrelenting, atmospheric and intense.”
WRITHE started life during the Covid lockdown, when guitarist and producer Sebastian Smith began experimenting with different vibes that he wanted to take further. He brought bassist Rocco Roberto Macchia on board, having previously played in band called Orchestrate The End. Drummer Cam Booth joined up after hearing their early demos before discovering vocalist Jack Tyrrell.
And describing the sound they’ve crafted since, Sebastian told us: “A blend of relentless aggression with eerie, suffocating atmosphere.”
Our latest taste of this is the intense Host, which was released last month and tells the story of an alien parasite transforming its victims into zombified hosts. It opens up with filthy low-tuned guitars before wild vocals take over with support from heavy guitars and menacing synths. The guitars pick up pace alongside breakneck drums, then drop into sinister vocals and a mass of wild guitars and vocals with cool harmonic guitars jumping in. The intensity doesn’t relent, as manically fast drums support a mass of instrumental carnage before dropping into a pulsing synth sound. Everything suddenly drops out before launching into all manner of darkness led by feral vocals and crushing guitars.
On the track, Sebastian said: “Host has been an absolute joy to bring out to the world! After the warm reception to our Debut EP, In Filth, we wanted to make something grotesque, void of any semblance of hopeful melody. Pure catharsis and ignorance. The reaction from our followers and new listeners alike has been met with pure stank face and we couldn’t have asked for a better response!”
If you like where that came from, then WRITHE do not disappoint. It follows on from their impressive 2023 debut EP In Filth, which featured the band’s previous vocalist and offers up tracks like wild opener Hollow and the vicious Vermin.
The WRITHE sound has been inspired by a wide range of music, from the heavy metal bands you’d expect to a few more niche influences. Sebastian tells us he’s influenced by heavy music with haunting melodies and aggressive rhythms, from Black Sabbath , Whitechapel and Vildhjarta to producers like Aphex Twin and LORN.
Cam brings a love of black metal, tech death and modern jazz to the mix, Jack loves in-your-face hardcore prog and… Justin Timberlake, and Rocco embraces harmony and composition with a deep interest in jazz and other contemporary styles.
And on what inspires them to write music, Sebastian explains: “For all of us in the band, it’s always an ever-changing mix of influences. To write music, it’s hard to say, it just feels natural at this point. Regarding themes, cosmic horror lends itself well to providing a consistency that borders on the unknown and a never-ending scale of unbound emotion. I find it frees us from the boundary of having to sound a certain way whilst keeping the core values and aesthetic of the band intact.”
There’s plenty more to come from WRITHE, who have new music and gigs ready to be revealed, including playing at London’s New Cross Inn on 19 June and a run of shows supporting Beyond Extinction in August (tickets here). So stay tuned more from this excitingly heavy band soon. As Sebastian adds: “WRITHE will continue to be a nightmare lullaby, exploring beauty in darkness and finding harmony in dissonance. We’re on the ride as much as our listeners and we can’t wait to see how it unfolds.”
You can follow WRITHE on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, and check out their music on Spotify, Bandcamp, Apple Music and YouTube.
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