The Palace of Tears, a gothic dream gaze pair from New Orleans, delve into the mind’s intricate terrains using ethereal tones and esoteric rituals. Their performance weaves theatrical elements and poetic fluidity, creating an ambiance thick with emotion. Serendipitously, they learned their poignant name alludes to the historically significant junction between East and West Berlin, a place scarred by uncertain reunions.
With a haunting allure, The Palace of Tears artfully combines entrancing electronics, intricate guitar work, and deep, operatic vocals to produce a sound that seems to defy time itself. This duo’s signature blend draws from black metal, gothic rock, ambient drone, and more, all enveloped in a richly cinematic atmosphere.
Their latest single, Veiled Screen, Woven Dream, delves into the realms of concealed realities, personal anguish, and the profound path of the spirit. As the band crafted the album, a poignant twist arose: vocalist LV endured the devastating suicide of her brother Kirk. This sorrow not only marked a profound shift in their creation but also became an integral part of a healing process. The lyrics convey a deep sense of longing and melancholy, blending the ethereal with the tangible. They capture the duality of light and shadow, touching on themes of transformation, memory, and the cyclical nature of relationships. The recurring motif of a tear-stained melodic theme underscores the emotive weight of the narrative.
“Veiled Screen, Woven Dream was originally a romantic song, but evolved to have multiple layers of meaning and symbolism,” says the band. “On the mundane level, it is about reuniting after prolonged separation and isolation, and the intensity that accompanies the experience, sometimes as a blissful revelry, while at other times it is almost painfully sweet. So sweet that it hurts, as if your heart were going to burst. On the arcane level, it speaks to those who have passed on, and our desire to commune with those we love and miss beyond the veil, and when you might meet again, whether in dreams, other dimensions, or in a different form.”
The video, directed by the band itself, uses an elegantly straightforward motif: the interplay between darkness and the glow of candles symbolizes the delicate bridge between our world and the ethereal beyond. LV’s profound contralto resonates with a powerful clarity against the guitar’s sharp tones, guiding listeners with both tenderness and wisdom. There’s a discernible influence of Dead Can Dance and Lycia in their sound, complemented by the distinct undertones of Southern Gothic.
“The themes in this project revolve around confronting your shadow self and entering the realm of darkness and the unconscious and subconscious, which lay just beyond our conscious awareness,” says the band. “The lyrics incite contemplation of the soul’s journey, as it departs from this mortal coil, beholding that mystery of the veil between the realms; What threads together this world and other worlds, particularly the unseen realms; The pain of loss and grief, and how we heal or hurt from the deepest wounds of our youth; The transformational fires of the Phoenix archetype and the cyclic nature of death and rebirth.”
The Palace of Tears debuted with “Of Ruination” in 2020, following up with “The Darkened and Scarred Remixes” in 2021, “Tears of the Moon v.2 in 2022 and a cover of “Venus in Furs” by The Velvet Underground, with tracks featured in numerous compilations. The Palace of Tears has toured throughout the northern, southern, and Midwestern US, sharing the stage with artists such as Kaelan Mikla, Pink Turns Blue, AL1CE, Solar Fake, Rosegarden Funeral Party, and The Veldt.
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