We Came As Romans have shared a sci-fi-inspired video for their new song, “Darkbloom.” The visual follows the band performing in a mysterious, gloomy corner of space that exhibits signs of some kind of extraterrestrial consciousness.
“Darkbloom” is a powerful track, full of thunderous bass, propulsive riffs and jagged synths. The gritty vocals of Dave Stephens passionately proclaim, “The light may fade/But I won’t wither away,” as clouds of cosmic debris whirl around him. Check out the music video below.
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Guitarist Joshua Moore explained the meaning behind the captivating visuals and vocals of “Darkbloom” in a press release.
“The idea behind ‘Darkbloom’ is that even through the darkest, most difficult times of life, there is still the potential, or possibility, of personal growth,” Moore says. “As long as we’re not willing to completely concede to the negative emotion or thought that feels like it has taken over, then we can be strong enough to overcome and push through to a different future. This song is about having the mind to be able to acknowledge the reality of situations we’re in, but having the strength to weather the adversity. It’s about making the choice to keep putting the effort forth to move your life forward, in the face of the most difficult times you’ll experience.”
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This song helps to usher in a new era for We Came As Romans, one that honors the legacy of their late singer Kyle Pavone. “Darkbloom” comes after the 2019 release of “From The First Note” and “Carry The Weight,” the first songs that were released by the band after the passing of Pavone in August 2018.
Moore discussed the challenges of creating new music and touring after suffering such a tragic loss in an interview with Alternative Press.
“[‘Carry The Weight’], specifically, was about what I felt playing shows again without Kyle,” Moore explains. “We went on a tour with Bullet For My Valentine about a month after losing Kyle, and I hated every moment of it. There were a few times on that tour actually where a few of us almost went home. We were onstage every night playing these shows, everyone is crying and I can’t even face the crowd. I was kneeling, facing our backdrop. It was a terrible experience to go through, and it influenced ‘Carry The Weight.’
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“Then I talked to the guys, and we decided we didn’t want to write a bunch of depressing lyrics,” he continues. “We have never been that band, and we didn’t want to be that band now. When you lose someone, you feel all the emotions. There is the sadness and grief, of course, but then there is the memory of the person and the impact that person had on your life. Being able to take that angle with it for ‘From The First Note’ was a lot easier.
“A lot less tears were shed writing that song because it was nice to look back on the last 10 or 12 years we had been together,” Moore says. “It was a chance to celebrate and cherish that. Being able to find an ounce of gratitude that we had those times together is really important, and I think it’s great we found a way to show both sides of the coin with these tracks. We hope fans pick up on that as well. To quote, ‘Feel the good emotions with the bad.’ We are trying to find a way through this time.”
The Kyle Pavone Foundation was established in 2018. The website states, “If you are an artist in need of support through your struggle, we have created the foundation in Kyle’s honor to help.”
We Came As Romans rescheduled their anniversary tour for their 2009 album, To Plant A Seed. It was originally slated for spring 2020 but had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the tour will kick off September 2021 with support from the Devil Wears Prada, Dayseeker and Hollow Front. You can check out the full list of dates below and purchase tickets here.
We Came As Romans tour dates:
09/29 – Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts
09/30 – Baltimore, MD @ Rams Head Live
10/01 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw
10/02 – New York, NY @ The Gramercy Theatre
10/03 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
10/05 – Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
10/06 – Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa
10/07 – Greensboro, NC @ The Blind Tiger
10/08 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
10/09 – Orlando, FL @ House of Blues
10/10 – Tampa, FL @ The Orpheum
10/12 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
10/13 – Dallas, TX @ Canton Hall
10/15 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Pressroom
10/16 – Las Vegas, NV @ 24 Oxford
10/17 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
10/19 – Pomona, CA @ The Glasshouse
10/20 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent Theater
10/22 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
10/23 – Berkeley, CA @ UC Theatre
10/24 – Reno, NV @ Cargo
10/26 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
10/27 – Denver, CO @ The Oriental Theater
10/29 – Lawrence, KS @ Granada Theater
10/30 – Minneapolis, MN @ Skyway Theatre
10/31 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
11/02 – Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl
11/03 – Columbus, OH @ The Athenaeum
11/05 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls Theatre
11/06 – Detroit, MI @ St. Andrew’s Hall
11/07 – Detroit, MI @ The Crofoot