1 week ago
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Rising metal force Balmora have announced their long-awaited debut album These Graven Halls, set for release on May 29 via DAZE.
Three years in the making, the record blends metalcore with melodic black metal, while pulling in unexpected influences ranging from Requiem for a Dream and Silent Hill to minimalist composer Philip Glass and avant-pop figure Bladee. The result, the band say, is a forward-thinking take on heaviness that balances brutality with atmosphere and introspection.
To mark the announcement, Balmora have dropped new single "OPHELIA" – a volatile cut that swings between razor-sharp riffs and fragile melodic passages, before collapsing into a crushing breakdown. The track also features a guest appearance from Brie Percy of Holder, and really reminds me personally of being like, 14 again. It's awesome.
Guitarist Jay Torblaa said of the song: "'Ophelia' is a story of betrayal, heartbreak, revenge, and forgiveness. It's meant to highlight the nature of initial anger, action, and remorse in a hanging balance system."
Recorded at The Source in New Haven, CT, These Graven Halls was produced, engineered and mixed internally by Torblaa and bandmate Chaz Torok, before being mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege. The album also features contributions from members of I Promised The World, Upon Stone, Empty Shell Casing and Holder.
Live, the band are wasting no time capitalizing on the momentum. Balmora are set to hit the road imminently alongside Poison the Well, Converge and Spy, before launching a US headline run in June. In July, they'll join the stacked Summer Slaughter Tour alongside Hatebreed, Devourment, Incantation and others – including appearances at Hellfest and The Rumble.
w/ Poison The Well, Converge & Spy
4/1 Syracuse, NY Silver Street (Balmora only)
4/2 Cleveland, OH House of Blues
4/3 Chicago, IL Concord Music Hall
4/4 Pontiac, MI The Crofoot
4/5 Indianapolis, IN Healer (Balmora only)
4/6 Pittsburgh, PA Preserving Underground
4/7 Toronto, ON HISTORY
4/8 Montreal, QC Newspeak (Balmora only)
4/9 Worcester, MA The Palladium
4/10 Queens, NY Knockdown Center
4/11 Philadelphia, PA Fillmore
4/12 Baltimore, MD Nevermore Hall
w/ Holder & Azshara
6/5 Sterling, VA Crooked Run Brewing
6/6 Richmond, VA The Camel
6/7 Raleigh, NC Kings
6/9 Hollywood, FL TBA
6/10 Tampa, FL Skatepark of Tampa
6/11 Jacksonville, FL Hard Love
6/12 Pensacola, FL The Handlebar
6/13 Baton Rouge, LA Mid City Ballroom
6/14 Houston, TX The End
6/15 San Antonio, TX Paper Tiger
6/16 Denton, TX Rubber Gloves
6/17 Oklahoma City, OK OKC Farmers Market
6/18 Memphis, TN Hi-Tone
6/19 Springfield, IL Abraham Lincoln Church
6/20 Milwaukee, WI X-Ray Arcade
6/21 Grand Rapids, MI 6th Street Hall
6/22 Columbus, OH Dirty Dungarees
6/23 Buffalo, NY Buffalo Tap House
6/24 Troy, NY No Fun
6/25 Burlington, VT St. Anthony’s Church
6/26 Portland, ME Geno’s Rock Club
w/ Hatebreed, Devourment, Snuffed on Sight & Face Yourself
7/2 Reading, PA Reverb
7/3 Virginia Beach, VA Elevation 27
7/4 Jackson Township, NJ Hellfest Festival
7/5 Worcester, MA The Palladium
7/7 Cincinnati, OH Bogart's
7/8 Nashville, TN Brooklyn Bowl
7/9 New Orleans, LA Tipitina's
7/10 Houston, TX House of Blues
7/11 Austin, TX Emo's
7/12 Tulsa, OK Cain's Ballroom
7/14 Denver, CO Summit Music Hall
7/15 Omaha, NE The Admiral
7/17 Chicago, IL The Rumble Festival
w/ Hatebreed, Incantation, Snuffed on Sight & Face Yourself
7/19 Saginaw, MI The Vault
7/21 St. Louis, MO Pop's Nightclub
7/22 Fort Wayne, IN Piere's Entertainment Center
7/23 Toronto, ON Phoenix Concert Theatre
7/24 Buffalo, NY Town Ballroom
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