trauma ray 'Chameleon'

Since first bonding over Slowdive at a Texas karaoke bar six years ago, Uriel Avila and Jonathan Perez have grown trauma ray into Fort Worth’s leading force in crushing shoegaze. Joined by bassist Darren Baun, drummer Nicholas Bobotas, and guitarist Coleman Pruitt, their debut album, 'Chameleon', captures their sound at its peak. Fusing melancholic hooks, heavy riffs, and atmospheric textures, the album delivers 50 minutes of emotionally charged amplifier alchemy, exploring themes of death and transformation. Tracks like “Ember” and “Bishop” showcase their dreamy yet devastating soundscapes, pairing towering walls of distortion with introspective, sorrowful lyrics.

Defined by their three-guitar attack, trauma ray blends subtlety with power, balancing graceful lulls and crushing intensity. Songs like “Bardo” and the title track alternate between eerie melodies and sledgehammer riffs, drawing comparisons to Unwound, Deftones, and Nothing. The album closes with “U.S.D.D.O.S,” a seven-minute epic inspired by Roberto Bolaño, where feedback and melody dissolve into an atmospheric descent. With 'Chameleon', trauma ray crafts a cinematic tempest, combining their shoegaze influences into a fresh, majestic vision of loud-quiet-loud dynamics and emotional depth.