‘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’Connor 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.