Fort Worth shoegaze quintet Trauma Ray finally returns with their first full-length album on Dais Records, Chameleon, which saw its release on October 25, 2024. This debut LP is made of 12 tracks running for 48 minutes. Chameleon epitomizes the sense of heavy shoegaze with strong underlines from Deftones and TAGABOW, combined with the introspective flair of Sunny Day Real Estate and the haunting depth of A Perfect Circle. Trauma Ray consists of Uri Avila on guitar/vocals, John Perez on guitar, Cole Pruitt on guitar, Darren Baun on bass, and Nick Bobotas on drums, who all make formidable contributions to the soundscape together. "Ember" opens up the album with a dark, hooky riff that brings the listener into a reflective heavy vibe that initiates an atmospheric journey. The second track is "Torn", an aggressive rhythm fully fit for live energy and bonded through relentless drumming and thickened walls of sound. The title track "Chameleon" presents this band most emotively. Avila’s vocals reveal raw vulnerability, screaming "I can still see you" over crashing cymbals and guitars in a heartfelt nod to bands like Blue Smiley and Duster. 

Early singles "Bardo" and "Bishop" show Avila's evocative voice and his trauma-laden lyrics, rightly so as they are fan favorites. Each note embodies the Trauma Ray ethos of mournful introspection fused with explosive, immersive instrumental sound designed to be as intense live as it is on the record. "Elegy" introduces a slower tempo, but just as listeners are lulled, Perez and Pruitt bring back the distorted harmonics that define the band's take on shoegaze. 

On "Drift," the album turns toward pure instrumental ambiance. Perez aptly described it as "a song for an elevator ride into space," a moody, almost weightless soundscape that appropriately launches listeners beyond the earthbound themes of the record's previous tracks. Then, "Breath" plunges back into familiar territory with cascading drums and dueling guitars before easing into "Spectre," a standout that mixes melancholy, angst, and raw beauty. Opening with a beautiful riff, the poignancy of Avila's question, "Are you afraid of me?", resonates deep and makes "Spectre" a quintessential Trauma Ray anthem. 

"Flare" is a cool interlude after the heaviness of "Spectre," shimmering guitars leading into the returned intensity of "ISO," which throws the listener back to the core sound of the album. "U.S.D.D.O.S." closes out the record with seven minutes of dark guitar playing and haunting vocals, its title named for a Chilean poem that roughly translates to "a dream within a dream." The listener is left floating in a quiet state of contemplation during this finale, with poignant feelings of sadness and isolation captured in a remarkably moving fashion. 

Chameleon is a love letter to shoegaze-cohesive, with nods to genre influences like Failure, Slowdive, and HUM, yet thoroughly original and sincere. Trauma Ray has come into their own here and cements themselves as a formidable presence in modern shoegaze. Haunting layers, masterful harmonics, and a deeply resonant emotional core, Chameleon stirs as a debut that raises the bar high for what comes next. 

10/10 - Chameleon is definitely one of the best releases of 2024, and shoegaze fan or not, this album's worth a listen.