Year: 2013
Every once in a while, there comes a band which cannot be put under a single category. Not bands that incorporate elements of other genres in one or two of their songs, but bands that showcase a blend of styles in their overall sound. Fans of Heaven Shall Burn might be familiar with this, but for those who are uninitiated, this is a band that plays a mix of Metalcore and Melodic Death Metal. In their releases so far, the band had more of a Metalcore sound with a slight hint of Melodic Death Metal. But in their recently released seventh full length, more emphasis is laid on the later.
Heaven Shall Burn is band that hails from Saalfeld, Germany. Formed in 1996,the band has 6 full lengths to their credit. Veto is their seventh full length, that was released on 19th April, 2013.
As mentioned earlier, this album sees the band explore more of the Melodic Death Metal side of their sound. The Metalcore element is still present, but in comparison, it is small in magnitude. If you get into this album expecting alternating clean and harsh vocals, with breakdowns thrown in, you will be surprised.
Their change is style arises mainly in the guitar work. The metalcore riffs are present in scarce numbers, while complex melodic riffs dominate. The vocalist's style also contributes to the shift in style, as his barked and growled hardcore vocals blend with the guitars in an effective fashion. This change serves as the boost that they needed to mature as a band. The songwriting is handled well, with good guitar riffs and a pace that alternates between fast and mid tempo.
What sets this band apart from the rest of the generic metalcore flock, is their lyrical theme. While most bands under this category choose to write songs about personal feelings, this band chooses to write about issues that actually matter.
They infuse their songs with a lot of melodic hooks, that makes listening to them very addictive. The drumming has some well timed double bass action, adding more power to their songs. One cant help, but feel the anger in their lyrics and their music.
The first half of the album is absolutely flawless. Songs such as 'Godiva', 'Land Of The Upright Ones', 'Die Stürme rufen Dich' and 'Hunters Will Be Hunted', compete amongst each other to be the best track of the album.
This is not to say that the second half of the album is bad. The second half, contains a brilliantly conceived cover of the Blind Guardian song, 'Valhalla'. To do justice to the original, the band has the clean parts sung by none other than Blind Guardian's very own Hansi Kursch. It starts out as a melodic death metal rendering, before bursting into a beautiful Power Metal chorus.
This band has delivered, what can be termed as one of their best albums. The Melodic Death Metal elements, aid greatly in setting them apart from the rest of the Metalcore bands. This album deserves many repeated listens. With this album, they manage to overcome the status quo that had been haunting them for a while now.
Rating: 88%
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