With over a decade of experience in the music scene, deathcore heavyweights Traitors are gearing up to release their fifth studio album, Phobias, on February 21st. The band has amassed over one hundred thousand followers on social media and has close to 150 thousand monthly listeners on Spotify. This should come as no surprise due to their hardcore touring schedule and ability to thrive regardless of who is on the touring line-up.
The band has released a few of singles from the album, “SBC,” “Break,” and “Release,” and each release was better than the previous. Traitors truly encapsulate when it means to be THAT band. Similar to Knocked Loose in staying true to that heavy-sound roots, Traitors doesn’t hold anything back on Phobias. Each song makes you want to shotgun an energy drink, throw it down in the pit, and headbang until you forget how to do simple math. I cannot find the correct words to use when describing the itch that listening to this album scratches. My personal favorite has to be “Trauma Bond” due to its relentless catchiness and the fact that it is basically like a 3-minute-long breakdown. How could you not love that?
When speaking on the album, vocalist Tyler Shelton has this to say:
"(The album) delves into the darkest corners of the human mind, exploring themes of mental anguish, inner torment, and destructive cycles. As a successor to the EP Night Terrors, this collection of tracks amplifies the intensity, confronting fears and personal demons head-on. The lyrics paint vivid pictures of isolation, manic episodes, self-loathing, and violent outbursts. Each song grapples with the overwhelming weight of trauma, regret, and fractured identity, offering no resolution but instead laying bare the relentless mental battles within. It's an unfiltered expression of pain and the struggle to survive amidst chaos."
Let’s put it plain and simple. 2025 deathcore belongs to Traitors. Their ability to effortless showcase that true deathcore sound while mixing it with sludgy chugs, bone-shaking blast beats, and vocals that infest you to your core should be proof enough to rocket Traitors to the top of the heavy music scene. When this album is released, everyone needs to drop what they’re doing and play it on repeat until your ears cannot manage another listen. Once that happens, throw it back on for another listen.
Joined by Crown Magnetar and Yosemite in Black, Traitors will be embarking on the Phobias Tour 2025 starting on the 6th of March. Tickets are available here.
