Secret Shame Debut Whirling Old-School Gothic Rock in Their New Song “Dark”

It may be the middle of summer, but this autumn, something wicked this way comes with Secret Shame’s new album Dark Synthetics, a seven-song tempest of guitar-driven dark post-punk in the vein of band’s Skeletal Family, Rubella Ballet, and Look Back in Anger.

The first track to be shared from Dark Synthetics is the titular “Dark”—a fast-paced whirling dirge of old school gothic rock, that lyrically delves into the perils of fraught with psychological torment, through lead singer Lena’s vocal wail.

Lena explains:

“This song is about mental health and watching your own mental health crumble as a result of everyone else’s crumbling around you. It’s about being helpless to your own mind, which is a common theme, if not the most common, within the album. This song was a challenge and a success for everyone involved.”

Listen to “Dark” below:

Last January, the band entered The Ward studios in Richmond, VA with engineer Ricky Olson (Shadow Age), resulting in this absolutely formidable debut Dark Synthetics. Secret Shame are self-releasing the record on September 6th—the day before they perform their biggest show to date at the renowned Hopscotch Music Festival in North Carolina, along with Moon Duo, and Chvrches.

A rare thing these days, the band is a five-piece lineup with Ryynikki, Nathan, Matthew, and Billie,  backing Lena’s exorcising vocal performance.

“There’s not a single word I didn’t write from the pit of my stomach,” Lena says. “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.”

“Some people avoid writing music that puts them in a vulnerable place, but that’s the place I’m trying to get into,” Lena says. “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.”

Pre-Order Dark Synthetics via Bandcamp here, and pre-save the album for Streaming here