Aspiring “death pop“ trio Corlyx is set to unleash their most ambitious project yet: Purple Pain. Releasing on February 14th, 2025, via Out Of Line Music, this double album is a sprawling 19-track exploration of everything the band loves about the darker side of music. With influences ranging from 80’s synthpop and post-punk to darkwave and alt-rock,Purple Pain is a thrilling mosaic of gothic soundscapes.
Originally from Los Angeles, Corlyx are now living between the UK and Italy, consisting of Singer-Songwriter Caitlin Stokes, Guitarist/Producer Brandon Ashley, and bassist Davide Rocco. Having toured Europe, UK and the US with Blutengel, Twin Tribes, Double Echo and Unzucht, and through collaborations with artists like Lord Of The Lost, Massive Ego and Ashbury Heights, Corlyx have quickly grown a solid fan base.
With their 3rd studio album “Purple Pain” Corlyx will take the dark music world by storm, showcasing the band at their most inventive and daring.
“Purple Pain—yes, a nod and a wink to Prince—is a culmination of years experimenting with the gothic genres we adore,” says vocalist Caitlin Stokes. “It’s emotional, sensual, and creative, but it’s also a bit spooky, camp and fun. Goth can hold all those things at once.” Featuring both deeply personal tracks like "Death Is The Beginning"—a poignant reflection on Caitlin’s loss of her mother—and infectious dancefloor anthems, the album unfolds like a movie, carrying listeners through its dramatic highs and introspective lows.
For guitarist Brandon Ashley, the creative process for Purple Pain was as natural as it was exhilarating. “When we started writing, the songs just kept coming. One after another, we couldn’t stop. Caitlin suggested we push further and create a double album, and it came together effortlessly. We embraced more of my 70’s rock influences this time, adding a bluesy grit to our signature sound.”
CD1
1. Wasted And Alone: is a trip back to our destructive self-sabotage past. Both Brandon and I were teenage druggies; we had a lot of trauma to unpack before we were capable of taking better care of ourselves. This song doesn't glorify substance abuse. It's the acknowledgment of our very real and human coping mechanisms. We party, we isolate, we numb, we were all young and sad once."
It's the first track and has already been launched as a single. Here we have a more New Wave minded synthpop track with a haunting melody. The music nicely puts up the lyrics and content. Well done!
Listen here: https://corlyx.lnk.to/WastedAndAlone.
2. Ghost Of The West Coast: is a story of transformation and new beginnings. As Caitlin Stokes reveals, the track symbolizes their escape from Los Angeles – a turning point that led to new identities and the inception of Corlyx. The city's duality, brimming with excitement yet heartbreak, continues to echo in their music as a spectral presence of their past selves.
This one also has been launched as a single, has a higher drive/tempo. You can feel the song is screaming deliverance! I adore the global sound and has been since day one part of my personal playlist and yes it’s climbing towards the top! I like the guitar play and the drums, just as the haunting vocals.
here: https://corlyx.lnk.to/GhostOfTheWestCoast.
3. Up On The Cross (Feat. Blutengel) mixes 2 great bands from the same record label. I hope to see them together on stage any day soon! The guitar play is excellent. I hear a retro New Wave sound but also the gothic touch coming from Blutengel. I also hear a bit of influences from The Sisters of Mercy! Or like I posted it in July 2024: The result is a catchy electro/gothic anthem with a catchy chorus and nice beats. Fans will be delighted with this one, so enjoy!
4. Apocalipsis starts with whispering and something I can describe as minimal wave. The synths reign. I hear some Mexican, must have been the influence from when the band was still located in Los Angeles. Somehow this song reminds me about the movie: From Dusk Till Dawn and for sure the passage in The Titty Twister bar.
5. Downtown sounds nice, with a retro guitar sound, good drums and a gothic minded (smoked out) voice. The relance is great and I’m sure it will work out fine on stage taking it to a higher level and ending with a boom.
6. Kill Cave (Feat. Suzi Sabotage): "Kill Cave" is more than just a song; it's a statement, a movement, a rallying cry for darkwave lovers and those who find beauty in the shadows. Echoing the song's themes, it invites listeners to embrace their true selves beyond the facade that the world sees.
This was also a single and was a very special duet. I love the strong vocals and the message behind the song.
Listen here: https://corlyx.lnk.to/KillCaveftSuziSabotage
7. Psycho Sensual: has a nice tempo, a part that you can use as clap in your hands moment. I also hear sexy sounding passages. The guitar sound is excellent as always. I’m pretty sure fans will love this one too!
8. Darkness Is The Future has a catchy tune, sharp guitars, a gothy touch and something for the dancefloor. It’s really a great song with the perfect beats!
9. Pretty sounds loud, raw and a bit chaotic with also some slower moments. It’s as if meant for Halloween. So far this is totally different from the previous tracks.
10. Death Is The Beginning is a slow dreampop minded thingie with a bit of electronics (percussion). It’s a bit unexpected to end like this, but I also think they do it on purpose.
CD2
1. The Letdown. The Band about the song:
“I wanted to express the overwhelming waves of sadness that come from childhood traumas, something I’m always confronting, sometimes music is the only way through for me. I hope others will connect and dive through the oceans of grief with me on this track.” - Caitlin Stokes
“The Letdown has a drive coming from the guitars unlike any of our other songs, it is quite haunting an gritty, once again I’m taking from 70’s with my solos and combining that with a Goth Rock backbone, while maintaining the Corlyx Darkwave sound everyone loves. It’s definitely my favourite song from Side B, and we didn’t plan on it becoming a duet initially but while I was mixing, it just felt right and came together that way.” - Brandon Ashley
This song has a great tempo and was well chosen as a single! It has something catchy and performs well in my personal playlist. Can’t add anything more then what is written above as it just nails it.
2. The Sacrifice: Caitlin Stokes of Corlyx. "I wanted to tell a story of a forest witch who was wrongfully murdered and resurrects to seek her revenge. She is also a euphemism for Mother Earth and the destruction of nature, her fury continues to wreak havoc on the wickedness of man...we are her sacrifice."
It’s a great gothic rock track with a haunting mood and a good message. The chorus reminds me a bit of The Sisters of Mercy. The slower moments are pretty sensual. It’s a great song!
Listen here: https://corlyx.lnk.to/TheSacrifice.
3. Zombie Kid has also been launched as a single and is according to me the best track on this double album: a great tempo, perfect sound and a catchy chorus. I want to dance when I hear it and not just on a square meter but going from one side to another and move really in a real wild style. I hope this song was huge hit as it‘s totally deserved!
4. Witches Dance is some kind of Pagan song but with a more electronical sound, lesser pagan rock minded (Don’t even think about Inkubus sukkubus).
5. Creatures Howl is a slower one and sounds a bit like part 2 of the previous song with a bigger focus on the creatures and a more gothic minded approach.
6. Take The Money sounds very catchy, has great guitar play, roaring synths and nice percussions. Caitlin sounds very well here. I would call it Death pop/Gothic. I can hear the typical Corlyx stamp here.
7. Midnight City starts with a great guitar sound, soon joined by Caitlin’s voice and a synth/drum. It feels as a pre-party track! Warming up for the real thing and getting in, the right mood.
8. Our Shadows sounds nice, builds up slowly, has a strong chorus and might become a single (at least it has it in it). It has great potential!
9. The Underground closes down the double album. The sound is great, almost catchy and with a haunting chorus. I also feel al lot of emotions and a bombastic touch. I feel this one might be the last song of a regular set.
Conclusion: great singles! Some more tracks with potential and a lot of inspiration. It’s nice to see artists just do what they want and deliver a great double album! Can’t wait to see them on stage and perform at least half of both albums!
