Album Review: Cairiss – Wilderness (Self Released)

South of England blackgaze architects Cairiss have broken a decade of silence to release their debut full-length album, ‘Wilderness’, arriving July 31st, 2026.

What were you doing ten years ago? I know I wasn’t listening to blackgaze, that’s for sure, but the times have changed, and these days, I’d call it one of my favourite subgenres. So, it should come as no surprise to learn that I approached this album with genuine excitement, even though I had very little knowledge of Cairiss’ past.

Forget the past though, it’s all about the here and now, and Cairiss do not disappoint. Offering up a stunning six-track cacophony of hauntingly gorgeous, blackened post and experimental gaze music. Where the vocals have both the capability to send you into a dream state and tear your face off. There’s no hyperbole here at all, it can be that intense.

There are many words that can sum up a track like Nervosa, but none that will express just how stunning a journey it is. As beautiful as it is dark, it’s a brash showcase of controlled chaos and I love it. However, The Guide, which comes after, is up there as one of my favourite tracks of the year now. The vocals, the melodies, the savagery. Hell, the intensity of it all, it’s engulfing stuff and I was left gobsmacked by what it offers.

A very tough track to follow but the heightened melodrama, relaxed ambience, and starry prettiness of Integrate certainly helps move things forward. Ready for the immense power of Dissociate, a track with a lot of vocal poignancy, wandering guitar melodies, and explosive blackened heaviness. The latter part is quite special.

Things then reach another immense, thought-provoking, atmospheric, and emotional high with Retrace. Where an impossible amount of feeling is injected into a near-nine-minute journey that demands patience and rewards the listener with something that matters. There is no fluff to be found, not in tracks as deep and moving as this.

Yet, it’s still not over as Wildfire ends things in glorious fashion. Delivering an untamed showcase of profound blackgaze and detailed melody that also happens to have an absolutely beast of a guitar solo too. Is it f**king dusty in here, or what!? An ending that feels like an ending.

It’s an album right up my street, but even then, I am stunned by how good it is. I may not have known who Cairiss were before, but I’ll not be forgetting them anytime soon now.

Cairiss – Wilderness Track Listing:

1. Nervosa
2. The Guide
3. Integrate
4. Dissociate
5. Retrace
6. Wildfire

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