Kevin Bronson on May 15th, 2012

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They’ve played to crowds of 20,000 in their native South Africa, and this spring they hiked 19,341-foot Mt. Kilimanjaro as part of a charitable campaign to end violence against women and children in Africa. But conquering America has been a slow climb for the Parlotones, the Johannesburg quartet whose four albums are the stuff of grand theater and swaying stadiums. The foursome of Kahn Morbee, Neil Pauw and Glenn and Paul Hodgson traversed the U.S. three times last year, and this time they embark on a 27-date tour with a new album in hand, “Journey Through the Shadows” (out last week). It’s an old-fashioned rock record the way British bands make rock records, muscle in every chord and rhythm, mystique and romanticism turned up to 11. Morbee’s voice recalls Muse’s Matthew Bellamy at times, and the Parlotones guitar crunch may bring to mind plenty of American alt-rock favorites, so “Journey” positions the Parlotones as rockers who, though far from home, bring a sound that isn’t.

||| Download: “Honey”

||| Live: The Parlotones play Thursday at the Roxy Theatre.