NEW ALBUM "RITUAL DECAY" OUT AUGUST 29TH
New MNRK Heavy signees lowheaven have announced a Northeast U.S. run of tour dates in July, leading up to the release of their debut album "Ritual Decay" on August 29th.
They will be accompanied by Tan and Handsome, starting July 18th in Pittsburgh, PA and finishing in Brooklyn, NY on July 24.
Tickets go on sale tomorrow, Friday May 30th.
July 18. Pittsburgh, PA - Preserving Underground
July 19. Harrisonburg, VA - Golden Pony
July 20. Kingsport, TN - VFW Post 4933
July 21. Charlotte, NC - Milestone's
July 22. Baltimore, MD - Ottobar
July 23. Sellersville, PA - Sellersville Theater
July 24. Brooklyn, NY - The Woodshop
Their debut album, Ritual Decay, pulls heavily from ‘90s influences like Cave In and Deftones, and feels nostalgic in nature. Produced by Brett Romnes and mastered by Mangus Lindberg, the ten-track offering explores the reality of complete social isolation and the acceptance of what it means to lose faith in life and yourself. Following the dissolution of his previous band and the mandated COVID-19 isolation, the very foundations of Thomson’s identity crumbled. Several unfortunate medical diagnoses led to a great deal of change, many of which would alter his life forever.
Similarly, each of the bandmates experienced a great deal of grief at the start of 2020, whether that be the sudden loss of relationships or dramatic changes in circumstance. The culmination of these seismic shocks were five full notebooks of lyrics grappling the line between self-hatred and forgiveness. In an effort to maintain this elevated emotional state, Romnes had the band record both Ritual Decay and lowheaven ’s debut EP, Collapse,in a centuries old New Jersey church. Romnes’ intensity allowed the band to retap into their darkest emotions. According to the band, “everything that could be done to bring out performances or emotions was immediately on the table.” This meant watching David Cronenberg and various other horror films at all hours of the day on a television in the church. Specifically, the brutal and psychological nature of films like Cronenberg’s Crimes Of The Future and Julia Docournau’s Titanenot only helped to set the tone for the recording process, but also to directly influence the final versions of the songs themselves. Many nights, the band members were only sleeping four or five hours and channeling this exhaustion into the hopelessness of the music.
In advance of the record’s release, the band has unveiled the first single and its accompanying video, “Chemical Pattern.”
Elaborates Thomson, “This song has taken on a weight of its own, when you see what's been going on all around us since the beginning of this year, which is kind of wild since the song was written three years ago. This song was definitely a personal response to the fact that everything around me was melting; there wasn't a semblance of comfort or familiarity. While a significant amount of Ritual Decay is intensely personal, ‘Chemical Pattern’ is a look outwards. Let's be honest, everything is fucked. And I don't have the way out. Uncertainty is terrifying.”
Buchta concurs, “‘Chemical Pattern’ embodies the term structured chaos which in itself is what lowheaven communicates. It’s the most punk lowheaven gets. It’s a driving force with the drums behind the wheel.”
Adds Pley, “‘Chemical Pattern’ helps set the album off right; tension builds the entire song and only releases when the song finishes. When piecing together a live show, there wasn't a question that this was going to be in there—even before being chosen as a single.”
