UK blackgaze/post-metal band Cairiss premiere new single »Retrace«; debut album »Wilderness« out July 31st!

Southampton, UK based blackgaze/post-metal band Cairiss premiere new single »Retrace« taken from their upcoming debut album, »Wilderness«, set to release on July 31st, 2026.

Tracklist:
01. Nervosa
02. The Guide
03. Integrate
04. Dissociate
05. Retrace
06. Wildfire

Atmospheric metal collective Cairiss have officially broken a decade-long hiatus to announce their highly anticipated debut full-length album, »Wilderness«, releasing on 31st July 2026.

To mark their re-emergence, the band has delivered two powerful visual introductions to the album’s core themes. This includes the official music video for lead single »Nervosa« – a bleak, cinematic portrayal of psychological isolation, featuring stark black-and-white performance footage interwoven with unsettling imagery of water and binding rope – alongside a stunning, completely hand-animated music video by vocalist Freya Brown for the track »Wildfire«.

Cairiss first redefined the boundaries of the underground scene with their landmark 2014 demo »Disgraced« – a single track that went on to amass over 2 million streams. Ten years in the making, »Wilderness« is less of a standard comeback and more of a total reclamation of their sonic identity. The record bridges a ten-year gap between survival and integration, mapping the dissociative fragmentation of the self following life-altering trauma.

Photo credit: Marie Korner Photography

Musically, Cairiss sit precisely where black metal’s cold intensity meets the immersive haze of shoegaze. Their sound is a study in majestic contrast: tectonic, blackened guitar fury and harsh vocals plunge into a maelstrom of noise, only to be seamlessly offset by orchestral harmonies, major-chord shifts, and ethereal choral arrangements. The result shifts the genre away from traditional themes and toward the crystalline, ’80s arthouse aesthetic of the iconic 4AD label, echoing the raw intensity of Oathbreaker and the atmospheric despair of Unrequited.

Meticulously recorded over several years at the band’s own ELM Studio, »Wilderness« was mixed and mastered by guitarist Ethan Bishop. The production intentionally prioritises natural acoustic character and raw emotional authenticity over sterile digital precision, creating a listening experience that feels simultaneously expansive and claustrophobic.

»Wilderness« arrives on 31st July 2026. Pre-order the album HERE.

Music by Ethan Bishop, Martin Williams and Freya Brown.
Lyrics by Freya Brown.
Mixed and mastered by Ethan Bishop.
Artwork by Freya Brown.

Cairiss is:
Lydia Williams – Vocals
Freya Brown – Vocals
Ethan Bishop – Guitar, Vocals
Martin Williams – Guitar, Vocals
Alex Taylor – Bass
Connor Frapwell – Drums

Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well