Band Name: Heaven Shall Burn
Title: Deaf to Our Prayers
Genre: Metalcore
Release date: 28 august 2006
Record Company / Label: Century Media
After the success of ‘Antigone’ in 2004 it was time for Heaven Shall Burn to surprise us with a new record. The band has been around for quite some time now, this is their 4th full length album. After a line up change (guitarist Patrick Schleitzer left the band, and a replacement was found the shape of Alexander Dietz), and almost 2 years on the road it was time for something new, and here it is, under the name ‘Deaf to our prayers’. This raw and booming album has taken their music one step further. The lyrics for this album are inspired by the industrial revolution and battles. They stay away from topics like problems with parents and heartache.
‘We know that there are people out there who want to use their heads for banging and thinking. That’s what we are about.’
Line-up
Marcus Bischoff – vocals
Maik Weichert – lead guitars
Alexander Dietz – lead guitar
Eric Bischoff – bass
Mattias Voigt – drums
Website
http://www.heavenshallburn.com/
Song Review
01. Counterweight – 4.19
The first song on this album has no intro whatsoever. Slamming start of the album, with Marcus his screaming voice, supported by Alexander Dietz is a moving song. The track isn’t very divers, makes it a bit boring. It’s a good start but sure hope the songs will get better.
02. Trespassing the shores of your world – 5.17
Yes, this song is just as aggressive as the title track sounds. There is more drama and a sphere of despair floating trough the song mostly because of the keys used in the middle parts of the track.
03. Profane believers – 3.36
More of a balanced song. Because of an actual intro and ending this track seems to be more ‘finished’, its more like a package. A few mid-tempo passages give you time to catch your breath. I can understand Marcus pretty well, and I must say, it is worth actually listening to what he is saying.
04. Stay the Course – 3.56
With more melody in the song, and better use of their guitars and both vocalists this song is more balanced and easy listening without losing their edge. Its had more of a HSB feeling to it, this spark I missed in the first few songs can be found here. The emotional screams and lyrics make the song real, and raw. The end it sudden again
05. The Final March – 4.06
With a melodic intro and slamming guitar riffs this is a typical HSB song. Its inspired by the industrial revolution. The band is very strong in pointing out what wne wrong then, why people did what they did, and yes, you should fucking know. Its catchy tune makes you want to listen to the music, but give the lyrics a good listen, too!
06. Of no avail – 4.56
With a mellower intro this should be a slower song, and it is. There is hardly no break between ‘The final March’ and his follow – up. With more melody and some heavy metal influences the song is well balanced and thought out. The layers in the songs are very recognisable; musically it’s the goody two shoes of the album. Lyricwise, its cries of despair give me chills and make the atmosphere of the song quite dark. With a slower ending of the song, it is turned in a complete package, that will give you something to think about.
07. Armia – 5.50
Armia also has a proper intro, not to long, just good enough to get used to the melody of the song. This song is, according to the band about the hopeless 64- day fight that ‘polish partisans fought against the occupying power of the Warshaw in August 1944’. I love that sentence. We all know what happened after that, and this pain of blood and killing is captured well in this song. The songs is not to fast, more experimental with divers use of guitars and tempo. During the fading end of the song, a piano takes over the other instruments.
08. mybestfriends.com – 4.52
More simplistic and ravaging music, this will really make your ears hurt when played to loud. Good to sing along too.
09. Biogenisis (undo creation) – 3.53
No intro, sometimes I feel like I’m listening to another band the riffs are to well-known. Standard song, this is really to bad, because the rest went so well!
10. Dying in silence – 4.20
Short, electronically intro which smoothly transits into the tenth song on this very fine record. This song is also more experimental, how many layers can a song have? The tracks switch from brutal banging to melodic listening tunes, all mixed in with a ‘up yours’ – tempo. Its not easy listening, but if you like this genre you must appreciate this.
11. The greatest gift of god – 2.42
The last and the shortest album on the album, the intro features just the drums and both vocalists. The rest of the song is quite simple. It seems to be their way of saying goodbye for now. The song is simplistic, but not very special.
Technical
Total playing time: 57:57
Tracks: 11
Extra’s: -
Cover Picture
Conclusion
With “Deaf to our prayers”, Heaven shall burn has treated us with a record of full body, divers metal core. Different influences and experiments have led to 11 songs on which a few really stand out, and others are just good to bang to. If this album falls in the hands of a death metaller, he also will be able to appreciate the slamming music, with its own core. On Antigone, HSB had a shell in which they created all the songs, on this album they lost this shell every now and again and made something that’s new for them. And I can’t say this often enough: don’t just bang, listen to it, this german band knows what they are about.
Rating
{jos_sb_discuss:19}
Maik Weichert – lead guitars
Alexander Dietz – lead guitar
Eric Bischoff – bass
Mattias Voigt – drums
Website
http://www.heavenshallburn.com/
Song Review
01. Counterweight – 4.19
The first song on this album has no intro whatsoever. Slamming start of the album, with Marcus his screaming voice, supported by Alexander Dietz is a moving song. The track isn’t very divers, makes it a bit boring. It’s a good start but sure hope the songs will get better.
02. Trespassing the shores of your world – 5.17
Yes, this song is just as aggressive as the title track sounds. There is more drama and a sphere of despair floating trough the song mostly because of the keys used in the middle parts of the track.
03. Profane believers – 3.36
More of a balanced song. Because of an actual intro and ending this track seems to be more ‘finished’, its more like a package. A few mid-tempo passages give you time to catch your breath. I can understand Marcus pretty well, and I must say, it is worth actually listening to what he is saying.
04. Stay the Course – 3.56
With more melody in the song, and better use of their guitars and both vocalists this song is more balanced and easy listening without losing their edge. Its had more of a HSB feeling to it, this spark I missed in the first few songs can be found here. The emotional screams and lyrics make the song real, and raw. The end it sudden again
05. The Final March – 4.06
With a melodic intro and slamming guitar riffs this is a typical HSB song. Its inspired by the industrial revolution. The band is very strong in pointing out what wne wrong then, why people did what they did, and yes, you should fucking know. Its catchy tune makes you want to listen to the music, but give the lyrics a good listen, too!
06. Of no avail – 4.56
With a mellower intro this should be a slower song, and it is. There is hardly no break between ‘The final March’ and his follow – up. With more melody and some heavy metal influences the song is well balanced and thought out. The layers in the songs are very recognisable; musically it’s the goody two shoes of the album. Lyricwise, its cries of despair give me chills and make the atmosphere of the song quite dark. With a slower ending of the song, it is turned in a complete package, that will give you something to think about.
07. Armia – 5.50
Armia also has a proper intro, not to long, just good enough to get used to the melody of the song. This song is, according to the band about the hopeless 64- day fight that ‘polish partisans fought against the occupying power of the Warshaw in August 1944’. I love that sentence. We all know what happened after that, and this pain of blood and killing is captured well in this song. The songs is not to fast, more experimental with divers use of guitars and tempo. During the fading end of the song, a piano takes over the other instruments.
08. mybestfriends.com – 4.52
More simplistic and ravaging music, this will really make your ears hurt when played to loud. Good to sing along too.
09. Biogenisis (undo creation) – 3.53
No intro, sometimes I feel like I’m listening to another band the riffs are to well-known. Standard song, this is really to bad, because the rest went so well!
10. Dying in silence – 4.20
Short, electronically intro which smoothly transits into the tenth song on this very fine record. This song is also more experimental, how many layers can a song have? The tracks switch from brutal banging to melodic listening tunes, all mixed in with a ‘up yours’ – tempo. Its not easy listening, but if you like this genre you must appreciate this.
11. The greatest gift of god – 2.42
The last and the shortest album on the album, the intro features just the drums and both vocalists. The rest of the song is quite simple. It seems to be their way of saying goodbye for now. The song is simplistic, but not very special.
Technical
Total playing time: 57:57
Tracks: 11
Extra’s: -
Cover Picture
Conclusion
With “Deaf to our prayers”, Heaven shall burn has treated us with a record of full body, divers metal core. Different influences and experiments have led to 11 songs on which a few really stand out, and others are just good to bang to. If this album falls in the hands of a death metaller, he also will be able to appreciate the slamming music, with its own core. On Antigone, HSB had a shell in which they created all the songs, on this album they lost this shell every now and again and made something that’s new for them. And I can’t say this often enough: don’t just bang, listen to it, this german band knows what they are about.
Rating
Music 9
Sound 8
Extra’s -
Total 8 (8.5)
Sound 8
Extra’s -
Total 8 (8.5)
{jos_sb_discuss:19}
Comments powered by CComment