TRAITRS - Possessor

Alongside the melancholic Preoccupations and the more wide-ranging Actors, for years now Traitrs have stood as one of the flagship names of the Canadian post-punk scene. Indeed, as early as their first albums ("Rites And Ritual" and the remarkable "Butcher's Coin"), the Toronto duo had made a name for themselves on the international dark circuit for their rather stripped-back and gloomy style, in the wake of the most anguished Cure.

"Possessor", their fourth full-length, follows in the footsteps of the past while also trying to inject new impulses into a formula that, already with the previous "Horses In The Abbatoir" (2021), seemed to be starting to run out of steam. After all, Sean-Patrick Nolan and Shawn Tucker could never betray what they do best, which is why this comeback opts (even chromatically, as seen in the grey cover art) for an even stronger tie to their earliest work, through an emotional dimension heightened by the harsh Canadian winter (Tucker himself has said he conceived the record during the coldest, stormiest days).

This black-and-white, almost cinematic vision comes through most deeply on the album's most inspired tracks: "I Was Ill, You Were Wrong" is the record's undisputed gem, a passage where tears become the only means of communication amid despair ("And I see your sadness, is it cold and grey? As we dance with tears in the rain. And I feel your sadness, is it just like mine? Then why is life just so unkind"). The refrain is flawless, and it's steeped in all the drama that has made Traitrs one of the most beloved acts on the international darkwave scene.

The other single "Burn In Heaven" also works well, as do the closing "Japanese Picture Pony" and "Crawl" (a love letter worn down by time and tinged with strongly introspective atmospheres).

That said, the cold tones around which these ten compositions revolve don't always strike straight to the heart, hampered by the almost obsessive repetition of a formula not particularly inclined toward variety, which is why a track like "Prayertaker" comes across more as filler, a pale copy of Traitrs at their best. Better, then, to dwell on the icy stride of "Cold Skin" or the meatier "Mourn", beyond the easy comparison with Robert Smith's band, of which this duo embodies a kind of coldwave offshoot.

The overall result is enough to satisfy longtime fans, but at this stage of their career it was fair to expect a sumptuous leap forward that never arrives. The emotions fall like rain, but "Possessor"'s embrace is that of a ghost passing through us without leaving an indelible mark.

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17/03/2026