KRIS BARRAS BAND ANNOUNCES HALO EFFECT AND NEW LABEL PARTNER

22nd November 2023 0 By Jon Deaux

One of modern hard rock’s most exciting breakouts in recent years, KRIS BARRAS BAND are bringing all-new, arena-sized grit to 2024 with their new album Halo Effect, set for release on April 12, 2024.

Newly signed to legendary independent label Earache Records, KRIS BARRAS BAND harness the twilight-lit melodies and stampeding force beloved by fans of Architects, Shinedown, and Alter Bridge. The album title refers to the cognitive bias whereby you judge someone favourably in a situation, based upon a previous, unrelated, positive idea of them.

Amplifying the heavier sound from their last album Death Valley Paradise (which landed a Top 30 spot in the UK Album Chart and saw four tracks added to Planet Rock Radio’s A-list playlist), Halo Effect delivers hard-hitting riffs, captivating choruses that soar, and fuse-lighting technical solos.

Frontman Kris Barras elaborates, “There is a strong rock & metal influence throughout the album and there’s also some progressive elements with some odd time riffs and experimental midsections. There are even some melodies and production ideas not dissimilar to what a lot of the modern metalcore bands are doing. Musically, this album is a lot more riff- and groove-based. ‘Halo Effect’ still keeps the essence of what Kris Barras Band is: big riffs and even bigger choruses. It’s just that, this time, we’ve turned everything up to 11 and beefed it up!”

The album’s lead single “Unbreakable” is released today. Get the track here

Kris comments, “For me, “Unbreakable” was always the clear frontrunner for the first single. I feel like it shows where we are heading with the new album sound-wise, whilst bridging the gap between ‘Death Valley Paradise’ and ‘Halo Effect’. It’s got the big riffs, hard-hitting grooves, and a chorus that you can easily singalong to. Lyrically, the song is about being kicked down, held back, told you’re not good enough. Using that negative energy in a ‘what doesn’t kill me, makes me stronger’ kinda way, you turn around and say that nothing you do will stop me. I’m ‘Unbreakable’. This track has one of my favourite guitar solos on the album. I think it’s got a nice balance of melody and flashiness, whilst using a variety of different techniques like string skipping, legato and alternate picking. This is a track that I can’t wait to play live. I think it’s got great energy and a riff that you can’t help but head bang to!”

Halo Effect was recorded at Vada Recording Studios in Worcestershire and co-produced by Kris Barras with long-term collaborator Josiah J. Manning. “As we were writing the album, the production ideas were very much at the forefront,” Kris explains. “We were constantly thinking about the soundscape, tones, additional synth parts etc. Josiah mixed the album at his studio in Plympton, Momentum Studios and he absolutely nailed the modern sound that we were aiming for. It’s easily his best work to date.” The album also features co-writes with Zac Maloy and Blair Daly (Shinedown, Halestorm, Lynyrd Skynyrd).

Halo Effect is available to pre-order now at earache.com/krisbarrasband on colour vinyl, signed CD, digital and more.

Halo Effect track list

Hourglass

Unbreakable

With You

Savages

Fall To Fly

Waste Away

Reflections

Secrets

Landslide

Fear Of Letting Go

Apocalypse

KRIS BARRAS BAND coincide the release of Halo Effect with their upcoming UK headline tour in April 2024. Native sons of Devon, the band kick off the tour with a launch party at The Foundry in Barras’ hometown of Torquay. Special guests will be announced in due course.

Tickets are on sale here for the following dates:

Sat 6th Apr – TORQUAY The Foundry

Fri 12th Apr – SOUTHAMPTON Engine Rooms

Sat 13th Apr – WOLVERHAMPTON KK’S Steel Mill

Sun14th Apr – MANCHESTER Academy

Wed 17th Apr – GLASGOW The Garage

Thu 18th Apr – NEWCASTLE Boiler Shop

Fri 19th Apr – NOTTINGHAM Rock City

Sat 20th Apr – LONDON Islington Assembly Hall

The band also headline the historic Chepstow Castle on August 15, 2024, with support from Stone Broken, The Hot Damn!, and Dan Byrne. Get tickets here

A former long-time Muay Thai and MMA fighter, Kris Barras has his fans to thank for the conception of Halo Effect, which was written whilst riding the crest of the crowd response that the band experienced on their 2023 UK tour. “Josiah and I set up a recording studio in the top lounge of the tour bus,” says Kris. “We were super inspired by the audiences on that tour. We performed our heaviest set to date and noticed a real change in the crowd response. People were really vibing off of the heavier riffs and jam sections. The response at the shows massively fed the creativity for ‘Halo Effect’.”

Kris concludes, “This is the album that I am the most proud of in my career. So much hard work has gone into ‘Halo Effect’: a lot of attention to detail and constant striving to make sure that I improve and deliver an album that is truly to the best of my ability as both a songwriter and musician.”

KRIS BARRAS BAND comprises frontman Kris Barras, Josiah J. Manning on guitar, Billy Hammett on drums, and latest member Frazer Kerslake on bass.