In the past few years, something fascinating has been happening in the hardcore underground. A wave of extremely young bands has been reviving the most epic metalcore sounds of the late '90s and early '00s, dialing into that stuff with sincere intensity and scholarly focus. The snarky term for this stuff is "angel statue metalcore" — even when the bands don't have ornate tombstones on their cover art, that stuff is spiritually there. But why be snarky about this phenomenon? It's fucking awesome. Bands like Holder, I Promised The World, Azshara, and A Mourning Star have dug deep into this sound, and they've built enthusiastic audiences and made powerful music. But the band at the center of this revival is Balmora.
Balmora come from Connecticut, wear enormous jeans, and take their name from a Dark Elvish phrase in the video game The Elder Scrolls. Late last year, I saw Balmora open for Fleshwater and Chat Pile, an incredible show all around. Balmora had the biggest pit of the night, which was also the biggest pit I've ever seen in that particular venue. Former Balmora singer Senti founded Ephyra, the label that has been at the center of this current metalcore revival. Earlier this year, though, Senti mysteriously departed Balmora; their new frontman is Paul Cole, formerly of the like-minded Ephyra band Since My Beloved. I have no idea what's going on with that! It's weird!
Balmora have released a bunch of EPs since 2023, including last year's Prologue, and now they're finally ready to announce their full-length debut These Graven Halls. The band recorded the LP at the Source in New Haven, with members Chaz Torok and Jay Torblaa producing, engineering, and mixing it. A press release mentions a fascinating list of influences: The Black Dahlia Murder, On Broken Wings, Requiem For A Dream, Silent Hill, Philip Glass, Bladee. Members of bands like I Promised The World, Upon Stone, and Empty Shell Casing make guest appearances, and Holder frontwoman Brie Percy is on lead single "Ophelia." (Holder just released their own sick two-song single, and they'll join Balmora on that band's upcoming headlining tour.)
"Ophelia" sounds enormous. The song packs a whole lot into four and a half minutes. There are fast, ugly death metal parts and gigantic mosh breakdowns, and there are also moments of melody and impressionism. I'd say it bodes extremely well for the album. Guitarist Jay Torblaa describes the song as "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."
Balmora will do a whole lot of touring in the months ahead. First, they'll join Spy as the openers on tour with resurgent metalcore giants Converge and Poison The Well. Then, they'll do their own headlining tour with Azshara and Holder. Finally, they'll be part of Hatebreed's Summer Slaughter tour. Below. check out "Ophelia," the tracklist for These Graven Halls, and Balmora's tour schedule.
TRACKLIST:
01 "Balmora"
02 "Ammonite" (feat. Empty Shell Casing's DJ PunchDrunk)
03 "Ophelia" (feat. Holder's Brie Percy)
04 "...an apology everlasting..."
05 "The Beautiful Writing" (feat. I Promised The World's Hunter Wilson)
06 "Inheritance & Solitude"
07 "Needles & Rags"
08 "The Day You Died"
09 "Augustyne" (feat. Upon Stone's Xavier Wahlberg)
10 "...an effigy to the star of all sorrow..."
11 "Moon Light Hysteria"
12 "Timor Mortis"
13 "NGV" (feat. LdPckWntr, LORD THOMPXZON, & k420k)
TOUR DATES:
4/01 - Syracuse, NY @ Silver Street
4/02 - Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues *
4/03 - Chicago, IL @ Concord Music Hall *
4/04 - Pontiac, MI @ The Crofoot *
4/05 - Indianapolis, IN @ Healer
4/06 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Preserving Underground *
4/07 - Toronto, ON @ HISTORY *
4/08 - Montreal, QC @ Newspeak
4/09 - Worcester, MA @ The Palladium *
4/10 - Queens, NY @ Knockdown Center *
4/11 - Philadelphia, PA @ Fillmore *
4/12 - Baltimore, MD @ Nevermore Hall *
6/05 - Sterling, VA @ Crooked Run Brewing ^
6/06 - Richmond, VA @ The Camel ^
6/07 - Raleigh, NC @ Kings ^
6/09 - 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 ^
7/02 - Reading, PA @ Reverb #
7/03 - Virginia Beach, VA @ Elevation 27 #
7/04 - Jackson Township, NJ @ Hellfest
7/05 - Worcester, MA @ The Palladium #
7/07 - Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart's #
7/08 - Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl #
7/09 - 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
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 ~
* with Poison The Well, Converge, & Spy
^ with Holder, & Azshara
# with Hatebreed, Devourment, Snuffed on Sight, & Face Yourself
~ with Hatebreed, Incantation, Snuffed on Sight, & Face Yourself
These Graven Halls is out 5/29 on DAZE. Pre-order it here.
