Balmora is a melodic metalcore group from Conericot who proudly wear their influences on their sleeves. Taking influences from groups like Undying and Prayer for Cleansing they manage to be at the forefront of the somewhat new 90s/early 00s metalcore revival (thanks to Ephyra, The Coming Strife and the often forgotten Wretched Record label). What sets them apart from other bands in their scene is their fully realized sound. While some bands seem to only want to imitate or "copy & paste" the sounds before them in an entertaining and sufficient way Balmora sets to use their influences as a stepping stone than just revivalist rehash.
Not a moment on
With Thorns of Glass and Petals of Grief goes to waste. After a brief and somber piano intro they immediately kick off into a dueling twin guitar lead that reminds a little of something off of In Flames second album
The Jester Race, followed by a pummeling salad of riffs and a really heavy building breakdown that leads into one of my favorite moments in recent hard/metalcore memory with the chanting, chaotic, breakdown of "IS ONE LIFE NOT ENOUGH, IS ONE DEATH NOT ENOUGH".
The EP never really lets up after that. Every note feels well placed and thought out, plenty of intensely brutal and oddly uplifting moments placed all over. Trimming all the fat, leaving only the meat and never overstaying its welcome. Aesthetically pulling a medieval/"Dark Souls" (& obviously "Morrowind") influence, making you feel like you're storming a castle or heading to battle with the Undead. "July, Unending", an obvious standout and a great song to check out if you're curious about Balmora, is essentially the perfect melodic metalcore song. Checking all the boxes with dueling leads, blast beats, and a monstrous breakdown that manages to lead into an ascending epic concluding second half.
While not reinventing the metalcore wheel,
With Thorns of Glass and Petals of Grief refines and perfects in some ways what was being done in the early 00s via bands like State Craft and Endthisday. If you enjoy that era of metalcore or even if you're new to melodic metalcore as a whole, you owe it to yourself to give this EP a spin or two.
