FRAYLE

It's thrilling when an artist creates something totally new, refreshing and real. What's even better is when that artist or band starts to get recognized and noticed on a national and international scale.

Such is the case with FRAYLE. Hailing from Cleveland, FRAYLE make a raw, wild form of heavy, sludgy music with gorgeous, powerful vocals. The band has performed at some of the biggest heavy music festivals, from Inkcarceration to Deserfest to Knotfest, and now, they're on their third full length album, "Heretics & Lullabies", out on Napalm Records.

On "Heretics & Lullabies"FRAYLE churn out their own blend of doomy, atmospheric heavy metal with dark themes and sepulchral sonics. It's perfect for the Halloween season. From the slow moving, sludgy, reverb-heavy "Walking Wounded" to the building, elegiac and emotive "Souvenirs Of Your Betrayal", FRAYLE are bridging a gap between heavy metal, goth, and experimental rock.

Frontwoman Gwyn Strang has a unique, eerie vocal sound that usually comes mixed with reverb and delay, making listening to her a trippy, otherworldly experience. "Hymn for the Living" is a standout for Strang, with her vocals taking centerstage as she moans and sings in a wispy, feminine voice over heavy riffs. Another strong number for Strang is "Run", where her breathy vocal sits on top of the mix and brings the sparce instrumentals together in a dramatic fashion.

Elsewhere, "Boo" is a mid-temp sludge anthem with multidimensional vocals and crushing hooks and guitars, while "Summertime Sadness" offers a doom take on the popular Lana Del Rey song. Who would have guessed that Lana Del Rey would sound so good as doom metal? While recording covers is nothing new, FRAYLE truly take it to the next level here.

"Heretics & Lullabies", which was produced, mixed and mastered by Aaron Chaparian, takes the listener on a musical journey through heavy music and strong textures, but it also wraps the listener in softness and beauty. It's fantastic to hear Strang and guitarist Sean Bilovecky creating such unique music and builds excitement for what's to come.