Heaven Shall Burn
Wanderer
(Century Media)
Heaven Shall Burn are a bit of an institution at this point, which is humorous given their long-stated hatred of institutions. The long-running metalcore band have their own sound, which is a rarity in the genre. With more emphasis on Bolt Thrower-style (RIP) savagery and a more careful infusion of melodeath melody, their sound has always stood out from the pack. Heaven Shall Burn are also a model of consistency, as they haven’t really changed up their style ever sinceDeaf To Our Prayers came out ten years ago. The album ushered in a much more melodic strain, and it resulted in some excellent tunes, but the band’s savagery has been minimized (and missed) in recent albums.
Thankfully, Wanderer, a surprisingly positive album, while nothing revolutionary, offers up a subtle bit of change into Heaven Shall Burn’s recent template. This is easily the band at their heaviest in a decade, with more death and thrash influence. The melodeath flair is not lost, but it’s used much more efficiently throughout the record, often in a reflective way. The album discusses wandering off in nature to reflect on life, offering a way to recharge in negative times (like our own). The album doesn’t tell a story, but the band spend time in the German and Icelandic countrysides while writing the album, allowing them time to reflect away from the noise of life. The result is Heaven Shall Burn’s most focused effort in a long time.
On the heavier side, “Prey to God” is arguably the most pure death metal thing they’ve done, with a lovely little vocal cameo from Corposegrinder from Cannibal Corpse. It should feel out of place, but the band imbue the track with enough molten melody to connect it to the longing of “Downshifter” and the first of two excellent covers- “Agent Orange” by Sodom. On the flip side, songs like “Corium” and “Passage of the Crane” prove they can still nail their classic style when they choose to.
Wanderer is Heaven Shall Burn at their heaviest and most focused; it’s the perfect positive outlet in these depressingly negative times. Aside from the band sounding like they ran out of steam near the end (“Save Me” and “Extermination Order” feel weak in comparison the rest of the excellent album), this is clearly the best Heaven Shall Burn have sounded in a long time. By adding back some much needed aggression and focusing in on tighter songwriting, Wanderer is proof that Heaven Shall Burn are still in the upper echelon of modern metal.
Purchase Wanderer here: iTunes | Amazon | Physical
