Sparkly Darkly – TBM

“The night is short. It weighs heavy, but the light always awaits us,” begins the tagline from vocalist Chibi about ‘Diamonds’, the forthcoming eighth album by The Birthday Massacre. A darkly poetic line that could easily describe her band and its music.

 

While often exploring the lower octaves with minor chords and midnight dance beats, there is always a shining beacon of hope and light within.

An exciting series of dark and light moments that is a trademark of the band’s music, ‘Diamonds’ explores themes ranging from heartbreak to anguish and from lust to love. “‘Diamonds’ is a current reflection of where Falcore, Chibi and I are at creatively,” states guitarist Rainbow. “For my part, I think the lyrics are quite contemplative and philosophical. Underneath the surreal metaphors and imagery are some very raw and personal sentiments.”

Set apart from their post-punk contemporaries by their distinctive soaring synths and guitars that are paired with Chibi’s beautiful familiar and reassuring vocals, The Birthday Massacre have mastered the art of balance. Exploring the darker register of music and songwriting, their songs beg to peek into the depths and look inside, while at the same time offering hope and joy…and, with their pounding beats and rhythms, an invitation to dance.

From the epic and majestic opener ‘Enter’, with its pounding bassline and soaring guitar textures, to the chugging guitars of ‘Run’, the propulsive beats of ‘Mirrors’, right through to the atmospheric and contemplative album closing ‘Parallel World’, ‘Diamonds’ is a consistently cohesive album that highlights the searing guitar work of Falcore and Rainbow, the textured keyboards of Owen and the solid rhythm section of drummer Rhim and bassist Nate Manor, all anchored by Chibi’s pristine and vibrant vocals.

“Throughout the writing process we had the opportunity to collaborate with some of our closest and dearest friends,” recalls Rainbow. “We did some writing sessions in L.A. with Amir Derakh and RyanShuck from the band Julien-K. The guitar solo on the track ‘Flashback’ was actually written and performed by Amir. We also worked with Brett Carruthers from the band A Primitive Evolution [Metropolis label mates] for much of the recording process. Kevin James Maher of Fake Shark also contributed some melodies and inspiration. And former member O.E. returned to contribute vocalmelodies and lyrics throughout the record.”

Preparing for the release of ‘Diamonds’, the band is excited for the next step, especially in terms of live shows. Known for their exhilarating live performances, The Birthday Massacre are excitedto get back on the road. “Touring will take up the major part of the year in 2020,” adds Falcore.

“Beginning on March 27th, we kick off a US tour that will take us around the country in 35 days. Many of the shows are already showing signs of selling out and extra shows have been added in New York City for May.”

The band are also popular in the UK and mainland Europe, with live dates also on the agenda. “We headline the Amphi Festival in Germany in July,” continues Falcore. “We are anxious to get back to our European fans and so a full tour of European major capitals is planned for October, just after we return from South America. Add Russia to the front of the European tour and the UK to the back and that will take us into November.”

With the new album coming and a busy touring schedule, the band remains firmly grounded and fully appreciative of its audience. “It’s going to be a great year getting out there to see our fans,” he concludes. “From our very first website all through each of the albums, the fan support has been a major reason for our success and so it is always important to us to include them as much as possible in what we do.”