Balaam And The Angel release new single/video from their acclaimed new 4-track EP – ‘Love Death Wealth Water’ out now via Darklands Recordings
Watch the video for ‘Fear Of Poison Water’ HERE
The band continue their widely acknowledged return to form with another striking collection of powerfully dark and atmospheric tracks and embrace their musical legacy with an autumn tour to celebrate 40 years since the release of the classic “The Greatest Story Ever Told” album.
Following their recently released new four-track EP ‘Love Death Wealth Water’, enduring alt-rockers Balaam and the Angel have now issued a video for one of the EP’s key tracks. Titled ‘Fear Of Poison Water’, the sinister song was written in response to a real-life story that emerged about a botched cyber-attack on the systems and databases of South Staffs water company. The criminals involved claimed that they were in a position to easily change the chemical balance of the water supply using the companies own systems making the domestic supply to thousands of customers poisonous. It exposed the way that criminals could now use digital systems to compromise the most basic of human needs to extort money. The dark and heavy soundscape of the track reflects the deeply threatening nature of the hacker’s activities.
“As an artistic experiment we decided to take an approach to creating the video that mirrored the actual incident,” explains guitarist Jim Morris. “So, we opted to use a random internet search to help us find and contact an unknown film maker who we provided with the track and a short brief as the starting point for the project. We were very keen to allow him/her/them to respond to this limited stimulus in their own way. Any communication that we had was made digitally (no person to person meeting, no zoom calls, no mobile calls etc). The video creator (Humanoire) remained a faceless and unknown person to us (as we did to him/her/them). The result is a piece of work that we feel perfectly complements the track and the very disturbing story that unfolds within the lyrics. A dark, dystopian, nightmare of a piece that packs a solid punch in the face to all of those who view it.”
Watch the video for ‘Fear Of A Poison Water’ HERE
Production of the record saw the band return to Oxygene studios Manchester to record with Christoph Bride (who has recently worked on albums by The Chameleons and Kirk Brandon/Theatre Of Hate/ Spear Of Destiny). Reviews of the previous collaboration (“Forces Of Evil” EP – Oct 2024) were universally positive making the return to Oxygene an obvious option for the band.
The sound of the new record is a deliberate attempt to blend the ambiance of the band’s darker past with the punchier edge of their later albums alongside some of the most interesting and exciting new approaches to song writing and recording.
The four tracks on the EP cover a range of lyrical content from some of the bands’ more common themes about how we navigate our daily lives and friendships alongside some more provocative themes such as the perception of poverty and the threat of online hacking, scamming and extortion to our daily lives and basic necessities.
“We were very pleased with the response to the “Forces Of Evil” EP and the clear appetite of the alternative rock audience in the UK to embrace our new songs. As a result, we went into the studio this time with a renewed sense of confidence that we were creating the type of energized and atmospheric rock that could resonate with current music fans. The desire to improve upon the previous EP did present us with a challenge which we were keen to embrace through an elevated attention to detail in the recording process as well as a curiosity to embrace some more contemporary sounds and techniques” says Jim.
Balaam And The Angel are one of the very few bands of their era who can still claim to have maintained their original line up and as a result guarantee their audiences an authentic 80’s alternative live music experience.
“Love Death Wealth Water” EP track listing:
- Wealth
- Fear Of Poison Water
- You Are Dead To Me
- Love Me Too
Catch Balaam And The Angel playing tracks from “Love Death Wealth Water” EP live at the following dates:
Fri 9th July: York, The Fulford Arms
Sat 10th July: Edinburgh, La Belle Angele – Deadinburgh Festival.
Ticket links for all shows can be found via the band’s website: www.balaamandtheangel.co.uk
“The Greatest Story Ever Told” 40th Anniversary Tour:
In August 1986 “The Greatest Story Ever Told” was released on Virgin Records. The album achieved a chart position of 67 in the UK and went onto be released worldwide throughout 1987. “She Knows”, one of three singles taken from the album, charted in the top 75 (peaking at 70) and the period saw Balaam And The Angel headlining shows at UK concert venues like The Town And Country Club, London (now The Forum Kentish Town) and embark upon tours of USA, Japan and various European countries.
Tracks from the album have become firm live favourites prompting the band to feel that it would be fitting to mark the album’s anniversary with a carefully curated UK tour during which they will play the album in its entirety.
“Through the years we have come to appreciate the fact that “The Greatest Story Ever Told” album was a record that represented a very important part of the alternative rock scene in the mid 80’s and was a body of work that connected with audience across the world in a very deep and significant way. For many it was the soundtrack behind the rights of passage that formed their individual views of life and, from the feedback we get, is still an album that they return to alongside other classics from that period. We are keen to be seen to be moving forward with new material but think it there is a clear responsibility on us to mark the anniversary of this release with some live performances” said singer Mark Morris
Hear “The Greatest Story Ever Told” at the following dates:
November:
Friday 20th – Leeds, Warehouse
Friday 27th – London, Bush Hall
Saturday 28th – Birmingham, 02 Institute2
Balaam And The Angel are:
Mark Morris – bass/vocals
Jim Morris – guitar/keyboards
Des Morris – drums
