trauma ray is an American shoegaze and alternative metal band from Fort Worth, Texas, formed in 2018 — one of the most exciting acts in the current shoegaze revival, ranked by Dais Records among the highest at "capturing its complexity, intensity, and expressive devastation." Their name was inspired by the German word for "daydream" or "dream state." Founded by core songwriting duo Uriel Avila and Jonathan Perez — who first made waves with a self-titled EP in 2018 — the band expanded to five members with bassist Darren Baun, drummer Nicholas Bobotas, and guitarist Coleman Pruitt. Avila's background in a devout Pentecostal community gives his lyrics about guilt, purgatory, and passing to the other side an emotional authenticity that cuts through the music's majestic volume. Their 12-track Dais Records debut Chameleon (October 25, 2024) — a stormy fusion of downer hooks, apocalyptic beauty, and bulldozer riffs synthesizing and transcending influences from Slowdive to Nothing to Hum — established them in the current shoegaze revival and launched extensive touring supporting Deafheaven, Loathe, and Touché Amoré throughout 2025. The title track, described by Perez as "the song that best captures our shared tastes — heavy, catchy, pretty, all at the same time," became a fan favorite. Follow-up EP Carnival (2026, Dais Records) — nodding to Failure and the omnipresent Loveless — delivers some of their strongest, most exploratory work yet, cementing their evolution from underground discovery to formidable live force.
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