Recipients of high praise from NPR, The Needle Drop, Brooklyn Vegan, Decibel and Metal Hammer, Wailin Storms have caught fire since migrating to North Carolina in 2014. Now, the Durham natives are fanning the flames even higher with their upcoming fifth album and first for Season of Mist. On The Arsonist, the band deliver a fiery baptism of Southern gothic rock.
Today, Wailin Storms are premiering a suspenseful music video for the third and final advanced single from The Arsonist with Treble. With the ghost of David Lynch riding passenger seat, “Dead End” takes a harrowing post-punk turn.
“‘Dead End’ is about seeing yourself after you die”, Wailin Storms vocalist and guitarist Justin Storms says. “It’s the first song on The Arsonist and one of the first that was written for the album. It flowed out of me while I was messing around with my Strymon El Capistan guitar pedal. It sets the tone by jolting you straight into a fever dream that’s filled with cryptic messages from beyond.
Watch the music video for “Dead End” Below:
The Arsonist comes out July 10, 2026 on Season of Mist
Pre-order & Pre-save
Wailin Storms are igniting the stage this summer with a headline U.S. tour. The band will perform “Dead End” and other 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] [TICKETS]
July 29 - Johnson City, TN @ The Hideaway [TICKETS]
July 30 - Atlanta, GA @ Star Bar [TICKETS]
July 31 - Knoxville, TN @ The Pilot Light [TICKETS]
August 1 - Cincinnati, OH @ Motr [TICKETS]
August 2 - Youngstown, OH @ Westside Bowl [TICKETS]
August 3 - Columbus, OH @ Dirty Dungarees [TICKETS]
August 4 - Pittsburgh, PA @ The Government Center [TICKETS]
August 5 - Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery [TICKETS]
August 6 - Brooklyn, NY @ The Gutter [TICKETS]
August 7 - New Hope, PA @ John and Peter’s [TICKETS]
August 8 - Richmond, VA @ Cobra Cabana [TICKETS]
While shrouded by a doomy and dreamy atmosphere, The Arsonist is inflamed by real life anxieties. Taking inspiration from René Magritte, the album’s cover art, which is heavily shadowed except for a tiny house gone up in flames, was painted by Storms himself. “These songs are steeped in the trials and tribulations of everyday life”, he says. The title track is slowly engulfed by love’s eternal flame. “Like the wind controls the sea”, he croons over the gentle sway of his guitar. “You always had a hold on me”. The thunderous climax surges with such feverish intensity that it threatens to send the night of passion up in smoke.
Amidst the wreckage of The Arsonist, Wailin Storms do find a semblance of peace. “It’s All Dark Now Where Your Eyes Used to Be” ends the album with a ghostly flicker of gothic romance. “I know a place where we can sit and grow old”, Storms offers with grim assurance. A piano tolls like death’s bell as he glimpses up at a church that resembles a skull. “There’s a sliver of hope in coming to terms with death”, he concludes. “Life is temporary and that's where its beauty lies”.
On The Arsonist, Wailin Storms deliver a fiery baptism of Southern gothic rock.
Lineup
Justin Storms - Lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Ben Melton - Lead guitar, backup vocals, Rhodes organ, piano
Steve Stanczyk - Bass
Mark Oates - Drums
Recording credits
Recorded at Earth Analog in May 2025
Production Credits
Produced and engineered by Matt Talbott
Mixed by Mike Lust at Phantom Manor ("Dead End", "Heart of Mine", "You Never Answered", "The Arsonist", "Never Rest", "The Wind", It's All Dark Now Where Your Eyes Used to Be"
Mixed by Dave Downham at Gradwell House ("Saved", "Patient Night")
Mastered by Dave Downham at Gradwell House
All lyrics written by Justin Storms
Cover art
Justin Storms
Layout and design
Steve Stanczyk
Pre-order & Pre-save
https://orcd.co/wailinstormsthearsonist
Available Formats
Digital Download
CD Digipack
12” Vinyl Gatefold (Black)
12” Vinyl Gatefold (Color)
Follow Wailin Storms
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2e1J5JQpROgSuT7RcsUbZ2
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/wailin-storms/451185826
Bandcamp: https://wailinstorms.bandcamp.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wailinstorms7
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wailinstorms/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wailinstorms/?hl=en