trauma ray "Carnival" EP review

For many modern shoegaze lovers, the Texan band trauma ray are well and truly cemented as heavy hitters in the scene. From their debut EP, [trauma ray], to their first full album release, Chameleon, in late 2024, they have continued to create incredibly grungy and provoking pieces. This trend continues with their recent drop, Carnival, which is a culmination of their recent popularity and success in touring.

This record comes at a time when trauma ray has been on the road constantly. They began 2025 touring Europe with the LA-based post-hardcore act Touché Amoré, then headed back home to open for blackgaze legends Deafheaven across the US. This was followed by an equally extensive tour with the English heavy metal band Loathe. The point is that they have been reaching new and varied audiences, finding fresh inspiration that has resulted in Carnival.

According to their Bandcamp page, drummer Nicholas Bobotas captured the image in Brighton, England, that was eventually used for the album cover: a decrepit and abandoned amusement park ride. This visual highlights the core ideas of the album involving ever-increasing worry and misery, contradicting the notions of nostalgia and joy often associated with parks like these.

This uncertainty of what the future holds is reflected in the slow, plucking instrumental of the leading track, "carousel," backed by ominous and hazy synths. A slow, foreboding intro is new for the band, as they often drop you right into their signature heavy riffs; instead, we are eased into the next song. "Hannibal" is a gritty track with pounding drums and devastatingly raw lyrics written primarily by core songwriters Uriel Avila and Jonathan Perez. The catchy yet gut-wrenching chorus makes this song a personal favorite of mine; the yearning vocals echoing "You dissect" toward the end create a raw feeling when paired with the closing riffs.

The next two tracks, "Méliès" and "Funhouse," are both some of trauma ray’s slowest to date, which is a testament to how much this band can experiment with their sound and still make incredible music. In both songs, you can really feel the metal influences in the guitars—something not often seen in shoegaze—but the band truly makes it their own. Moreover, the aspect of trauma ray’s sound that constantly amazes me is how good they are at switching from loudness to quietness, which is demonstrated perfectly in this pair of songs. I know it would be an incredible thing to experience live.

The closing track, "Clown," lifts the tempo back up, and the riffs here are absolutely "drowning" in the best way possible. Beneath this wash of guitars, however, are lyrics that fully tie together the carnival theme of the record. Lines referencing "What a funny face" mix with lyrics of angst, invoking feelings of being made a fool of by someone you care about.

The connectivity of the content throughout the album is one of my favorite parts; carousels, funhouses, and clowns are all part of the classic amusement park experience, but the associated feelings of joy are completely inverted by the dark instrumentals and lyrics. Digging even further, the title "Méliès" refers to the French silent film director Georges Méliès, who made several films involving clowns as main characters, which truly brings the theme of the EP full circle.

In my opinion, trauma ray have further cemented their early legacy within today's alt-rock scene with this release, continuing a streak of EPs that refuse to fall flat. These guys never miss, and for them to produce work of this quality in the middle of so many tours is an impressive feat. I can safely say that Carnival will be on repeat for me for the next few months at least, and it is definitely one of my favorites of the year so far.