Echoes (Intro)
The Weapon they fear
The only Truth
Architects of the Apocalypse
Voice of the Voiceless
Numbing the Pain
To harvest the Storm
Rìsandi Von (Outro)
Bleeding to Death
Tree of Freedom
The Dream is dead

Deyjandi Von (Outro)

street date 26th April 

preview - review  by Elisabeth "elli" Kellner____ 

Album titles chosen from mythology seem to have a new fascination again these days. After Atrocity named their latest album “Atlantis”, the first major label album from the German Death Core band Heaven Shall Burned is named after a woman from the Greek mythology. Antigone. Guitarist Maik explains why they chose this title: “Antigone is the symbol for a person fighting for freedom, putting humanity higher than royal laws. She is following her beliefs rather than orders, even if it means her own death.” Her acting can be seen as a metaphor for the music and lyrics Heaven Shall Burn are writing. Instead of drifting into fantasy they face the truth and thematize it, even if it is on the public agenda at the very moment. Their new album is no exception from this concept. Wars no one is talking about any more but which take place all over this world, fighting racism – Heaven Shall Burn are giving these topics a voice, a voice for the voiceless as one of their songs is aptly named.

            When starting the CD for the very first time I was very surprised, even a bit irritated. Did I put the right CD into my player? Instead of a wall of guitars and drums which I expected piano and violin sounds are coming from my speakers. A very unusual method for a Death Core band. Heaven Shall Burn worked together with the Icelandic classical composer Olafur Arnalds. But hardly did I get used to this new site of the band’s music when the heavy sounds hit me. The Weapon They Fear stands in gross contrast to the soft and quiet intro. Hard to get into at the first listenings with its sudden changes from heavy, loaded bass-lines to a thriving double bass drumming and then a very melodic middle part. Melodic – that’s one of the main attributes one has to assign to this album. It reminds one of the Sweden Death style although Heaven Shall Burn are not merely jumping the bandwagon. The Hard Core influences and roots model this Death metal style into a great Death Core style.

            After my “starting problems”, with The Weapon they fear the following songs just catch me and I’m starting to mosh along while sitting on my desk. The double bass keeps grooving while the melody lines of guitars won’t leave my ears. Especially Voice of the Voiceless, my favorite track and Numbing the Pain, a slower but still brutal song with an almost doom-like atmosphere. 

            This album shows many facets of this band that will surprise many fans who saw the band on one of their gigs and saw, like me, the pure Death Core site. More melodies and harmonies are drawing the listener in now. And then, all of a sudden again, after the driving To harvest the Storm a first (yes, this album has two) outro, violins and piano again, moments in which to reflect only to be torn out of this moment of soliloquy by the riffs of Bleeding to Death. Even after a few times of listening these sudden changes catch one off guard. 

Certainly not an album one gets used to very quickly, an album with loads of things to discover.   

Rating: 8.8/10

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