An image conscious, heavy yet melodic twin guitar Hard Rock act. Formed in 1988 by Gregg Russell following the demise of Nottingham Glam act DEUCE the original line-up featured ex-DEUCE personnel drummer Emmy (a.k.a. Simon Hemstock) and bassist Rimmo (a.k.a. Steven Rimmington) alongside ex-OCEANIA and LOVECHILD vocalist Jedd Clarc (a.k.a. 'Raz' / Jeremy Clark) and former Punk ex-ABDUCTERS rhythm guitarist Scott "Scarey" Carey.

WRAITH released a self financed single 'Lonely' / 'Rock They Stand For' on PBM Records distributed by FM Revolver bolstered by an impressive advertising campaign. Indeed, Carey had in fact been financing the band up to this juncture by way of his football 'Play by mail' game, hence PBM Records. The single received solid reviews prompting a six track, 12" mini-album 'Naked Aggression', again a self financed effort on the Aztec Communications label, produced by the team of ex-LIMELIGHT guitarist Glenn Scrimshaw and SAVAGE guitarist Andy Dawson. Only 500 copies were manufactured. The track 'Under The Hammer' was co-written with UFO bassist PETE WAY, the renowned musician being enticed into the scenario by way of purchasing a discounted Jaguar car from Scott Carey. This recording firmly placed WRAITH in the British Metal camp.

Carey was replaced in the studio by former CHAINMAIL, ORION, ESPRIT and DEUCE guitarist Ken Tilley but within weeks the new candidate was out of the band and bringing a court action against Russell for grievous bodily harm. Russell's method of informing Tilley he was no longer in the band involved a headbutt and the loss of Tilley's front teeth. Further troubles beset the guitarist as he was famously charged with 'Causing an explosion'. This story, which made the national newspapers, stemmed from Russell's attempts at a pyrotechnic display for a fellow local band APB ending up in both band members and audience being wounded by shrapnel as his home made devices misfired. These unfortunate episodes were followed by an extensive series of WRAITH club gigs throughout England, Scotland and Wales.

Rimmo and Hemstock were given their marching orders. The drummer sessioned on 1992 demos for THE FIRING SQUAD. Rimmo, now billed as 'Steve Dans', joined the FIREBYRDS in 1993 with ex-TATTOOED LOVE BOYS and PRAYING MANTIS drummer Mick Ransome along with the guitar pairing of former RED DOGS man Paul Guerin and CRYWOLF's Nick Singleton. His tenure would be brief, the ex-bassist subsequently joining the Police force.

Hemstock subsequently joined SLEEZEPATROL then another Nottingham band SIX GUN, this band, at one stage fronted by ex-DEUCE singer Iain Dilley, retitling themselves CRITICAL MASS in 1996. Although CRITICAL MASS recorded an album this was never released.

Amidst almost complete media apathy the band again stuck their hands in their pockets to finance a full length album following on from a tape for sale only at gigs entitled 'Desire'. During this period new members second guitarist Andy Gamble, drummer Andy Reynolds and bassist Steve Clark joined the fold. The band impressed producer Guy Bidmead enough to handle studio duties and cut the album in three weeks. However, the resultant tapes were not what the band expected from a known producer and the project was put on ice while the band gigged and searched for a label.

New label Warhammer Records, a subsidiary of Games Workshop PLC, picked them up and the album tapes were re-mixed by UFO bassist PETE WAY and guitarist Laurence Archer and released as 'Danger Calling' in 1992. WRAITH toured across the UK constantly upon its outing including supporting UFO and LEGS DIAMOND on UK tours and shooting a promotional video for the track 'Hungry'. Unfortunately this clip, featuring porn star Tara, was banned by MTV. Nevertheless, with the first album selling well abroad the second album was recorded with engineer Mark Bruce at Rich Bitch Studios in Birmingham.

The album 'Riot' was a superb slab of British Heavy Metal showing great songwriting potential and is highly recommended. The media however, had different ideas and slated WRAITH for ignoring the Grunge bandwagon and labelling them 'Trad Rock', in those fickle times almost a term of abuse. After a series of successful French festivals the band called it a day in 1993. Just prior to their demise a handful of local Nottingham gigs were conducted with erstwhile BRAZZEN HUZZY, DEUCE, APB and PSYCHOWRECK frontman Iain 'Fang Sabre' Dilley as frontman. Regrouping with Jedd Clarc once again, they regrouped in a far poppier guize under the name FREE SPIRIT dispensing with bassist Clark, who took on a career in medicine. FREE SPIRIT issued a solitary 12" EP, 'The Next Big Thing', in 1994.

In 1995 Russell had resurrected WRAITH together with Reynolds and Gamble, the latter now having switched to bass guitar. Clarc was then replaced by ex-PANIC IN DETROIT vocalist Mike Barker. Gamble departed as recording for the fourth album, 'Schizophrenia', began, his position being quickly filled by the high profile figure of American ex-PHANTOM BLUE bassist Kim Neilsen. The Japanese version of the album was to have featured a cover of JUDAS PRIEST's 'Starbreaker' but this recording remained consigned to the vaults. Earlier albums 'Danger Calling' and 'Riot' were re-released for the UK and Japanese markets, on Pony Canyon Records, both sporting new sleeve designs and boasting extra tracks.

WRAITH were in discussion with ex-RADIUM and CHAINGANG drummer Tonka in 1996 although this union never transpired and former MARS, GODSEND and SLEEZEPATROL man Mole (a.k.a. Ian Etheridge) deputied for a while. WRAITH, now complete with ex-members of PANIC IN DETROIT, were still a going concern during 1999 although Russell was known to be earning on the side as a tattooist and more exotically as a stripper named Ice. Former guitarist Scott Carey followed in similar fashion, making a new career for himself in the porn industry. Drummer Andy Reynolds relocated to Spain, finding a new vocation as a bar owner in Lanzarote. He would keep his hand in with music though, composing the theme tune for a Spanish cable show 'Cuidado Con Me Culo' and came very close to representing the Canary Islands in the European song contest with a song called 'Mi Madre Tiene Cojones'.

In 2003 Russell was back on the musical map, having joined the reformed TIGERTAILZ in the bass role billed as "Greggz". Former WRAITH bassist Kim Nielsen featured in the AC/DC tribute band WHOLE LOTTA ROSIES featuring PHANTOM BLUE colleagues Tina Woods, Kim Nielsen and Dyna Shirasaki plus Stephanie Leigh of NO SHAME. The bassist also worked with ABYSS, later DARK LIGHT SPECTRUM, CAPTIVES OF THE SUN and sessioned on ASIA's 2004 album 'Silent Nation'.

In March 2006 Gregg Russell and Andy Gamble, working again with singer Myke Barker, revealed plans for a new WRAITH album with a working title of 'Evolution'. The album was wrapped up in June, recorded by Russell, Barker, Gamble and drummer Jon Roland. Subsequently Glen McCarthy took over on bass. Esteemed Science Fiction author Arthur C. Clarke composed and narrated the album intro. 'Evolution' surfaced in February 2007.

The following year saw Gregg Russell re-billed as 'Special Ed' in the Southern Rock band PICKUPS 'N' PITCHFORKS.