The Awakening emerged from Johannesburg, South Africa, quickly becoming the country’s number one darkwave/goth act – it now pulses through the underground scenes of the U.S., led by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Ashton Nyte.

Since the late ’90s, Nyte has crafted a sound that slips between Gothic Rock, Post-punk, Industrial, and Darkwave, releasing 12 albums and headlining stages across South Africa, Europe, and the U.S. Known as “Johannesburg’s Bowie” for his shape-shifting style and theatrical flair, Nyte has collaborated with legends from The Cure to Peter Murphy, with his songs woven into film and television like Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin and The Purge.

The Awakening’s self-titled 12th album dropped October 18, with the lead single “Mirror Midnight” already building serious momentum.