With “With Thorns Of Glass And Petals Of Grief,” Balmora presents a piece of music that lingers deeply in the listener’s emotions. The title already gives a hint of the direction: it delves into emotional depths that are both beautiful and painful.
Musically, the album moves in areas that fans of Undying will immediately recognize. It combines raw power, dense atmosphere, and strong emotions. At the time, this shaped an entire musical genre. Balmora takes up this sound and carefully carries it forward. The guitars alternate between sharp harshness and sad melodies. The drums combine driving power with calm, almost contemplative sections. The melody lines are particularly striking. They run through the pieces and give the album a great sense of unity.
The recording strikes the right balance between genuine, unadulterated sound and depth. It is strong enough to convey the heaviness, but clear enough to bring out all the subtleties of the complex arrangements. An album for quiet moments and dark evenings.