Asheville gothic punks, Secret Shame, emerge with an incredible bang, their first single aptly titled, Dark, off a very much promising debut album, Dark Synthetics, which comes out September 6th, 2019 via Portrayal of Guilt Records.
The rising five-piece band comes through with their own version of moody and energizing deathrock, something analogous to the superior post punk darkness of the eighties, and akin to a few all time favorites, like the the sound of the early Siouxsie, Specimen and 45 Grave. With a deadly sharp sound, and tackling on themes such as domestic abuse and mental health, the band recorded their upcoming debut in January 2019 at The Ward in Richmond, VA with engineer Ricky Olson.
"If I couldn’t sing or play music, I would tear my skin off," says vocalist, Lena, who's fully hands on with the band, and also the illustrator behind the remarkable album and singles art. "There's not a single word I didn’t write from the pit of my stomach," she states. "The entire record- even though the song dynamics change- has one solid emotion, which is the struggle of inner turmoil and being trapped inside yourself. It’s the feeling of holding a scream in the back of your throat."
Secret Shame are Nikki (lead guitar), Lena (vocals, synth), Matthew (bass, synth), Nathan (drums) and Billie (rhythm guitar, synth).
Dark is fast, visceral and sharp, and something that could appeal a whole lot to the introverted and the disenchanted, yet, such skillfully executed music can be easy for anyone to relate, despite the unconventionality.
"Some people avoid writing music that puts them in a vulnerable place, but that’s the place I’m trying to get into," Lena comments. "That’s where you’re your most raw and hopefully people will be able to experience it through you. There’s nothing else like it."
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Cover art by Lena
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