Society of the Silver Cross & King Dude – “Wife of The Sea” [Song Review]

Seattle-based darkwave/Gothic-rock outfit Society of the Silver Cross has released their new single/music video, “Wife of The Sea,” a collaboration with dark neo-folk artist King Dude. Society of the Silver Cross will release their next album, Festival of Invocation, in June 2024.

“Wife of The Sea” marks the launch of their ‘Temple Hymns’ series of singles. Each new track will feature a different guest artist and be produced and recorded at the band’s Temple of the Trees facility, which American Songwriter magazine named “the spookiest studio in the world.”

Written by Society of the Silver Cross’ core of husband-and-wife Joe Reineke and Karyn Gold-Reineke and T.J. Cowgill, aka King Dude, “Wife of the Sea” will be released under the branding of ‘Temple Hymns, Vol. 1,’ with each subsequent single labeled as Vol. 2, Vol. 3, etc.

Speaking about “Wife of the Sear,” Joe Reineke says, “The concept of the song is a lonely man endlessly searching for a woman he loves, who has mysteriously disappeared. Through mystical events, he sees her everywhere, especially in the reflections of the water.”

Society of the Silver Cross’s sound has been described as haunting, gothic grace land, funeral home rock, and “yogic metal.” It’s a sound composed of traditional and unusual instruments such as the Swarmatron, an esoteric synth turned on with a car key and used mostly in film scoring, and the Drum Scape, a synth box by Folktek that makes “one-of-a-kind crafted noise instruments.”

“Wife of The Sea” features King Dude on lead vocals and acoustic guitar, Karyn on piano, harmonium, Hammond B-3 organ, and vocals, Joe on acoustic 12-string and backing vocals, Mark Etherington (drums), and Leeni Ramadan (Shahi Baaja, backing vocals).

Society of the Silver Cross, photo by Sven Doornkaat

Opening on dark, whetting textures vaguely reminiscent of a Hurdy-gurdy, “Wife of The Sea” rides a slow, rolling rhythm topped by King Dude’s portentous vocals. The lyrics are imbued with momentous brooding timbres, as if holding enigmatic colloquies with ghosts. Heavy with shadows, the melody oozes a tragic pavane of intimate, aching gloom as dirge-like harmonies float and hover in the distance, exuding a sense of murky imminence.

Drenched in unfathomable woe, “Wife of The Sea” evokes spine-chilling mythological darkness and hypnotic allure.

Run Time: 4:08
Release Date: March 22, 2024
Record Label: Independent