1THIRTY8 has introduced its first single, “In Vain,” with an official music video, accompanying the announcement of a signing with Wormholedeath. The Australian hard rock/metal project led by guitarist and songwriter Karl Szulik is preparing its debut album, A Reckless Game, which the label has announced for November 13, 2026.
“In Vain” opens the ten-track album. The announcement presents the song as the first introduction to a project that began as an outlet for writing outside Szulik’s other bands and projects, including DIVINE ASCENSION, LIVING THROUGH MIRRORS and UNKNWN.
Szulik handles guitars, bass and keys, with guest vocals from Emo Alaeddin and drums from James Knoerl. According to the announcement, the musicians recorded in studios on opposite sides of the world. Communicating arrangements and keeping the recordings consistent across the album were initial challenges, with Alaeddin and Knoerl helping bring the material into its finished form.
The stated songwriting aim was to combine heavier metal passages with melodic material while keeping the songs accessible. The project also allowed Szulik to explore different time signatures, layered arrangements and lyrical ideas. These are the intentions described in the announcement, rather than a listening assessment of the record.
The album’s lyrics draw on everyday situations and experiences, addressing frustration, relief and sadness through separate stories. The announcement credits Simone of Domination Studio with production and identifies his work with DGM as a reference point admired by the project.
Discussing the label agreement, 1THIRTY8 stated: “Carlo and the team were extremely supportive and showed a genuine interest in the music I had written and produced on A Reckless Game when I sent it to them for review. It was quite humbling to read the kind words they sent back to me after listening to the album.”
The statement continued: “I am eager to work with them on this release and hope we can give all the fans of progressive music something to rock out to and enjoy.”
The announcement also includes the album cover and describes the visual presentation as part of the complete album experience. It credits Jonathan with developing images for the cover, booklet and CD around the concept of someone doing something reckless. No surname is supplied in the announcement.
A Reckless Game contains the following tracks:
- In Vain
- Suffer Silence
- Frustration Divide
- Aligned Again
- Inside A Mind
- Chaos Control
- Where Confusion Lies
- Paper Is Not A Colour
- Still Breathing
- Delusional Sin
