NEWS RELEASE
Montreal, QC – December 18, 2025
Sit By “The Candlelight” And Listen To NIGHTWRAITH’s New Black n’ Roll Anthem
+ Announce Lauren Vieira (Dreadnought) To Line Up
|
|
L-R – Benjamin Pitts – Vocals/Guitar, Lauren Vieira – Keyboard/Synth, Jacob St. Amand – Bass, Igor Panasewicz – Guitar, Isidro “Spy” Soto – Drums
Photo Credit – Josh Massara – @permanent_ephemera_photo
Denver, CO’s NightWraith returns with a powerful new standalone single, “The Candlelight,” a hook-forward black n roll anthem that marks a bold sonic shift and a new chapter for the band. Alongside the release, NightWraith proudly announces the addition of Lauren Vieira (Dreadnought) as their full-time keyboard and synth player, further expanding the band’s dynamic soundscape.
Formed in 2016 by longtime friends Ben Pitts, Spy, and Igor, NightWraith emerged from Denver’s underground metal scene with a mission to break genre boundaries. With roots in technical death metal and a shared love for melodic Swedish metal, the band has evolved into a force of musical sophistication and emotional depth. Their sound? Melodic, melancholy, musical, unique, and thought-provoking.
Originally written during sessions for their previous album “Divergence,” “The Candlelight” didn’t quite fit the mold, so the band saved it for something special. The result is a mid-tempo, riff-heavy track that leans into classic heavy metal while retaining NightWraith’s signature blackened edge. With harmonized guitar leads, driving double bass, and evolving keyboard melodies, the song builds to a crescendo of instrumental harmony that begs for repeat listens.
Lyrically, “The Candlelight” is a romantic ode to a wild, creative era in frontman Ben Pitts’ life, specifically his time living in Denver’s legendary punk house, The Yellow Bordello. It’s a snapshot of youthful abandon, DIY shows, and fleeting romances, rendered with honesty and grit. Rather than indulging in nostalgia, the lyrics treat memory like postcards, personal, vivid, and emotionally resonant.
“It can be hard to take a leap of faith and think outside the box, but if an artist won’t take risks, then nothing new is ever going to happen. I hope listeners will understand our vision for ‘The Candlelight’ and are receptive to the risks we’ve taken by releasing a non-traditional sounding heavy metal song,” adds vocalist/guitarist Benjamin Pitts.
The single’s artwork, illustrated by Nate Burns (@revoltingworship), features an otherworldly woman conjuring Bacchanalian party magic. Done entirely in pen, the piece is rich in detail, especially in the hands and dagger, and evokes a dark, mystical energy. Rob Burelson completed the layout, making the final presentation a striking visual companion to the music.
The track was recorded at The Band Cave (Denver, CO) and mixed/mastered by Van Labrakis (NITE) in the Bay Area.
“The recording process was quick and easy, allowing everyone’s natural performances to shine. It was my third time engineering music with NightWraith, so we were all familiar with the process and each band member’s recording style. Because of our comfort level, we took a more creative and natural approach,” says Jacob St. Amand (bass, recording engineer).
While “The Candlelight” stands strong on its own, it’s also a harbinger of what’s to come. NightWraith is currently deep in the writing process for their fourth full-length album, which promises to be their darkest and most cohesive work yet. With a renewed collaborative energy and a lineup firing on all cylinders, fans can expect music that’s both emotionally resonant and musically daring.
For fans of Tribulation, Opeth, Mastodon, Kvelertak, and Ghost, NightWraith offers a fresh yet familiar take on heavy music, one that’s steeped in European melodic metal and driven by heartfelt storytelling.
“The Candlelight” can be heard via its premiere on Decibel Magazine HERE.
Single pre-save (out Dec 18th) – https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/nightwraith/the-candlelight
Bandcamp – https://nightwraith.bandcamp.com/
|
|
More info: Nightwraithband.com | Facebook.com/nightwraithband | Instagram.com/nightwraithband | X.com/nightwraithband
-30-
“Striking a delicate balance between the baroque stylings of a band like Dimmu Borgir and the more grandiose melodies of Inexorum, Denver’s NightWraith brilliantly capture the majesty of black metal on new single Perpetual Night. Drawing lyrical inspiration from 1927 sci-fi movie Metropolis – clips of which pop up in the music video – the track is a showcase of bald ambition and songwriting craft, playing up to the underground’s most aspirational aspects, hinting at bigger things to come on new album Divergence, out September 13.” – Metal Hammer (Perpetual Night off album Divergence 2024)
” Few American melodeath bands can hang their hats on a record that’s as creative, engaging, and just plain fucking fun as Nightwraith has done with Divergence. These guys are going places.” – NoCleanSinging (Album Divergence 2024)
“As you’ll quickly discover, in its opening phase it (Whispers of Dragonflies) presents an unusual amalgam of futuristic swirling keyboards and full-throttle blackened ferocity replete with raking chords, hammering drums, and scalding vocals. But it does begin changing, like a musical chameleon. Those changes include a beautifully ringing guitar melody backed by shimmering synths, musing bass tones, and gripping drum fills, and fronted by somber and melancholy singing with a bit of grit in the gears. That phase is a sublime experience, made even more sublime by a guitar solo that sounds like a beguiling prog-rock throwback. The intensity builds again, but without sacrificing the music’s increasingly head-spinning beauty, and that paves the way for the afore-mentioned concert-flute solo, which is flat-out mesmerizing. As also mentioned, the song then loops back to its beginning — hammering, slashing, scalding, and swirling once more, fierce but also glorious. The song is presented with a beautifully filmed video of the band performing the music. Enjoy!” – NoCleanSinging (Whispers of Dragonflies off album Divergence 2024)
“One thing that has done better than nearly all of their musical peers was throwing convention out the window and running it over a few times with their truck. This album stands out as one of the most unusual I’ve ever heard. It masterfully blends the raw intensity of fierce Black Metal with the soothing presence of smooth keyboards and intricate guitar harmonies. The contrast between the harsh vocals and the melodic, atmospheric layers creates a unique listening experience that feels both powerful and unexpectedly harmonious, pushing the boundaries of what music can offer. 10/10” – Metal Temple – Album – Divergence 2024)
“The tracks from the band’s upcoming album, Divergence, which What’s Left Records is releasing on September 13, are a mix of blackened death metal and prog. Caleb Jose Tardio’s (keyboards and synthesizer), Igor Panasewicz (guitar), Isidro “Spy” Soto (drums), Jacob St. Amand (bass) and Benjamin Pitts (vocals and guitar) have been at it since 2016 and call what they do “blackened dad rock.” But NightWraith isn’t your father’s metal.” – Denver’s Westword (Album – Divergence 2024)
“Denver’s Nightwraith seems to get labeled as a melodic death metal band everywhere, but the sounds you’ll find on their third album “Divergence” are so much more diverse and bountiful, with proggy dashes of synths alongside a healthy dose of black metal in a rather folky, airy Enslaved-style. Add to that some cool guest parts like the baritone sax in ‘One Flower’ or Dreadnought’s Kelly Schilling adding a mesmerizing touch to ‘Whispers of Dragonflies’ with her flute, and you’ve got a diverse and unique cocktail that’s inherently Nightwraith. Don’t miss out on the Bandcamp/CD only bonus track either – a very surprising rendition of Pink Floyd’s ‘Us and Them’. ” – The ProgSpace (Album – Divergence 2024)
“As far as melodic death metal goes, NightWraith have to be one of the nerdiest bands on the block. Granted, the subgenre is already the geeky nephew of the acne-ridden linebacker that is death metal, but Divergence takes it even further by embracing progressive rock and heavy metal. It gets to the point that songs like “Whispers of Dragonflies” and the title track edge closer to the melodic and emotive progressive rock of the ’70s, albeit with tighter runtimes and the looming promise that NightWraith can crank up the aggression at any moment. They adopt the mindset that jam sessions can happen whenever and build their tracks around that potential. Therefore, songs tend to begin slowly and unspectacularly, but then venture down the tri-forked path of harmonic noodling, death metal riffing, and big metal energy without a compass. Divergence is September’s most unassuming album, easily.” – Consequence Heavy (Album – Divergence 2024)
—
ASHER MEDIA RELATIONS
Jon Asher – Music Publicist
#.514.581.5780
jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
Facebook @AsherMediaRelations
Instagram @AsherMedia
Tweet @AsherMedia
ashermediarelations.com 
Comments
Trackbacks & Pingbacks
No incoming links found yet.