The World is a Beautiful Place album ‘Illusory Walls’

Connecticut rockers The World is a Beautiful Place & I am No Longer Afraid to Die – consisting of David F. Bello (vocals, guitar), Chris Teti (guitar, vocals, bass, programming), Joshua Cyr (bass, vocals), Katie Dvorak (vocals, synth), and Steven K. Buttery (drums) – have announced their fourth studio album, ‘Illusory Walls,’ which is due out digitally on October 8th and on vinyl on December 3rd through Epitaph Records (pre-order).

The band say the album’s title is taken from the video game ‘Dark Souls’ and “refers to a hidden surface that seems to prevent entry, but upon inspection is nothing more than a visual illusion,” adds vocalist, guitarist David F. Bello.

Here’s more info from a presser, “The process for Illusory Walls took about a year, written and recorded remotely between the bear-filled woods of Connecticut & the streets of quarantined Philadelphia – a first for the band – due to the coronavirus pandemic. The extra time made for a more relaxed, comfortable experience in the studio, allowing the band to realize the full extent of their musical and thematic aspirations.

Co-produced by vocalist/guitarist Chris Teti alongside his studio partner Greg Thomas (END, Misery Signals), Illusory Walls takes on the weight of human existence while it’s buckling under the pressure of today’s near-dystopian society. Personal anxieties and political struggles collide with a series of portentous, apocalyptic, and dramatic tunes, resulting in some of the darkest music the band has made since forming in 2009. For while Illusory Walls certainly draws you deep into the world of the band, it also takes you deeper into your own, into crevices of your mind and life that you perhaps hadn’t encountered or weren’t able to explore before.”

For a first taste of ‘Illusory Walls,’ check out new single “Invading the World of the Guilty as a Spirit of Vengeance” (a title also influenced by the ‘Dark Souls’ game) below in official music video form.

Stream:

‘Illusory Walls’ track list:
1. Afraid to Die
2. Queen Sophie for President
3. Invading the World of the Guilty as a Spirit of Vengeance
4. Blank // Drone
5. We Saw Birds through the Hole in the Ceiling
6. Died in the Prison of the Holy Office
7. Your Brain is a Rubbermaid
8. Blank // Worker
9. Trouble
10. Infinite Josh
11. Fewer Afraid

TWIABP have also revealed a North American fall tour with Bent Knee, with support from Greet Death, State Faults and Gates on select dates. See all confirmed shows below.

Tour Dates:
10/12 Baltimore, MD Ottobar
10/13 Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle
10/15 Orlando, FL Soundbar
10/16 Atlanta, GA The Masquerade [TIX]
10/17 Nashville, TN Mercy Lounge
10/19 Austin, TX The Parish Room
10/20 Dallas, TX Club Dada
10/22 Phoenix, AZ The Rebel Lounge
10/23 Los Angeles, CA Lodge Room
10/24 San Francisco, CA Bottom Of The Hill
10/26 Portland, OR Hawthorne Theater
10/27 Seattle, WA The Crocodile [TIX]
10/29 Salt Lake City, UT Kilby Court
10/30 Denver, CO Globe Hall
10/31 Kansas City, MO Record Bar
11/2 St. Paul, MN Turf Club
11/3 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall
11/4 Columbus, OH Ace of Cups
11/5 Ann Arbor, MI The Blind Pig [TIX]
11/6 Toronto, ON Lee’s Place [TIX]
11/7 Buffalo, NY Rec Room [TIX]
11/9 Burlington, VT Higher Ground
11/10 Hamden, CT Space Ballroom
11/11 Boston, MA Brighton Music Hall [TIX]
11/12 Philadelphia, PA The Church
11/13 Brooklyn, NY Elsewhere
11/14 Asbury Park, NJ Asbury Lanes

Artist photo by Adam Peditto