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Artwork by
Serpens Codex
Serpens Codex

Halo Aflame

from Griefbloom

August 7th, 2026
9 tracks
41:59
Griefbloom
Griefbloom
Scheduled for release on August 7th, 2026.
Halo Aflame
Pull The Strings
Shared dreams of yesteryear So mortal, so sincere Then burned up and disappeared The ashes rain upon nothing There was a pulse, but not for long There was a hope, we held on And when it all came to a head We maniacs brought the end History - but a blink of an eye How cruel it was to all who tried There was never a right place to be In this world, there is only one certainty Nothing stays the same And the peace will end one day Margins over mental states Wellbeing is the cost to pay There will never be equality It was not planned from the beginning A world without you and I is fast approaching (Say it ain’t so - I won't let go) The interim stage of this oligarchy will bring catastrophe Whether we invented him or not He looks on in disgrace Party to the diseased swarm This is really who we are So we look for escape routes And we look to the heavens We look at each other in disgust How is this the way it came to be? How is this the end I saw? So we look for escape routes We look to the heavens We look at each other in disgust How is this the way it came to be? Who will save us?
4:36

FOR CD ORDERS: Go to Void Bath Records voidbathrecords.bandcamp.com (Available on August 7th)
FOR MERCH: Go to pull-the-strings.myspreadshop.com

June of 2025 saw the release of A Farewell, which was truly a farewell to the old incarnation of Pull The Strings. Seeking a new direction, project founder Alan Brucke recruited the aid of his friend Gabriel Yadon to reimagine what the project could be. And thus, the seeds for the third full-length album from Pull The Strings were planted.
Several attempts to begin writing the new material ended in stagnation, until late October 2025, when the band decided to try using extended range guitars instead of more traditional instruments. This approach completely altered the direction of the songs for the better, and was immediately inspiring to the band.
The concept for the album was initially non-existent, and early vocal takes for some of the demos were about various disparate topics. Then, Gabe pitched his own ideas for lyrical themes, based on his experiences with grieving the loss of loved ones to cancer and Alzheimer's disease. This set the tone for a new lyrical direction, focused on the process of healing from painful loss, and the observation of its inevitable nature.
Griefbloom is a completely new sound for Pull The Strings, which has historically been quite progressive and unorthodox. Now, the band sounds as fresh as ever, with one highly apparent difference being the vocal style employed. Gone are the wretched croaks of previous releases. Instead, vocalist Alan Brucke utilizes a full-throated, agonized scream. Paired with the introduction of Gabe's highly melodic and intricate instrumentation, Pull The Strings sounds like an entirely different band - one fully convicted of its new artistic direction. 

Credits

Written and recorded by Pull The Strings
Gabriel Yadon - Guitar, Bass, Keys, Programming
Alan Brucke - Vocals, Keys, Acoustic Guitar, Trumpet, Additional Programming
Guest viola on ‘Ego Death’ by Corrina Yadon
Guest cello on ‘Stained’ by Joelle Medina
Lyrics by Alan Brucke
Mixed by Gabriel Yadon
Mastered by Alan Brucke at Hanging Puppet Audio
Cover artwork by Serpens Codex
Layout by Alan Brucke
This album is dedicated to Greg, Becky, Patrick, Travis, Kim, Madeline, and Tiny