North Carolina’s southern gothic rockers Wailin Storms premiere fiery fifth album »The Arsonist«; out today via Season Of Mist!
Durham, North Carolina based southern gothic rockers Wailin Storms premiere their fifth album, »The Arsonist«, which was just released this Friday, July 10th, 2026 via Season Of Mist.
Tracklist:
01. Dead End
02. Heart Of Mine
03. You Never Answered
04. The Arsonist
05. Never Rest
06. Saved
07. Patient Night
08. The Wind
09. It’s All Dark Now Where Your Eyes Used To Be
Courtesy of Season Of Mist:
Wailin Storms are catching fire with their noisy and bluesy explosions of Southern gothic rock. Hot on the heels of feverish critical praise from Brooklyn Vegan, CVLT Nation, Treble, Decibel and other outlets, the Durham natives are fanning the flames even higher on their fifth album and first for Season Of Mist. While surrounded by darkness from the outside world, »The Arsonist« burns with all of our heart’s desires.
“These nine songs don’t feel buffed, corrected or sanded down,” writes Decibel, who are premiering »The Arsonist« in advance. “They feel scorched.”
»The Arsonist« comes out this Friday, July 10, 2026 on Season Of Mist, but you can hear all nine simmering songs today by listening to the full album stream at Decibel Magazine’s website.
“I’ve always been fascinated by fire,” Wailin Storms vocalist and guitarist Justin Storms says. “It speaks to our inherent attraction to danger and annihilation, but also, our hope for transformation.”
Order »The Arsonist« HERE.
Available formats:
• Digital download
• CD digipack
• 12” Vinyl Gatefold (Black)
• 12” Vinyl Gatefold (Yellow, red and white marbled)
• 12” Vinyl Gatefold (White with crusher effect in black and pink)
Photo credit: Kent Corley
Wailin Storms are igniting the stage this summer with a headline U.S. tour. The band will perform songs off »The Arsonist« for the first time, along with crowd favorites from across their critically-acclaimed discography.
Wailin Storms 2026 The Arsonist U.S. Tour:
July 17 – Durham, NC @ Stanczyk’s [Album Release Show]
July 29 – Johnson City, TN @ The Hideaway
July 30 – Atlanta, GA @ Star Bar
July 31 – Knoxville, TN @ The Pilot Light
August 1 – Cincinnati, OH @ Motr
August 2 – Youngstown, OH @ Westside Bowl
August 3 – Columbus, OH @ Dirty Dungarees
August 4 – Pittsburgh, PA @ The Government Center
August 5 – Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery
August 6 – Brooklyn, NY @ The Gutter
August 7 – New Hope, PA @ John and Peter’s
August 8 – Richmond, VA @ Cobra Cabana
»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 in Corpus Christ, Texas. Old folk songs, Baptist hymns, Flannery O’Connor, René Magritte and other influences are brought stomping and screaming into the light. With its sideways gust of riffs and moaning chorus, »The Wind« blows loud enough to wake the entire cemetery.
Recorded by Matt Talbott of Hum in full analog, »The Arsonist« rekindles Wailin Storms roots in raw-to-the-bone blues punk. “Some of these songs are more primitive and stripped down, hearkening back to the four-track recordings that the band started with,” Storms says. “The recordings contain flaws but remain human in all the right ways. They could be a murder ballad or an old folk song that’s sung around the campfire.” Opener »Dead End« takes a Lynchian post-punk 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.
Wailin Storms are:
Justin Storms – Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Ben Melton – Lead Guitar, Backup Vocals, Rhodes Organ, Piano
Steve Stanczyk – Bass
Mark Oates – Drums
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well