I've been pretty hard on the stale metalcore scene the last few years, especially here in the US, but German act Heaven Shall Burn have consistently been one of the exceptions, churning out one kick ass release after another that might not be reinventing the genre but still have much to offer. Delivering killer riffs, snarling vocals, and plenty of brutal grooves, Veto is another strong album from the band and worth your attention.
First off, the guitar work of Maik Weichert & Alexander Dietz is, as always, one of the main reasons to seek out a Heaven Shall Burn CD, and the duo get in plenty of complex shredding here and pulverizing riffery. "Godiva", "Land of the Upright Ones", and "Die Stürme Rufen Dich" twist and turn with blazing, crunch laden yet melodic harmony lines and brutal breakdowns, while Marcus Bischoff's vast array of growls, screams, and bellows always keep things plenty extreme and interesting. Sure, they take the classic Swedish elements of acts like Dark Tranquility & At the Gates and mix them with American 'core, a style that's been done to death, but there's just so much more going on here, and their songs are extremely well crafted, that it's hard not to see all the good about these guys, regardless of whether they lose points on originality or not.
Yeah, Veto is not re-inventing the wheel, but if you still have any faith left in any of the multitude of metalcore acts, Heaven Shall Burn should still be on your radar as they are one of the few who are still cranking out music worth hearing and more importantly, enjoying.
Track Listing
1. Godiva
2. Land of the Upright Ones
3. Die Stürme Rufen Dich
4. Fallen
5. Hunters Will Be Hunted
6. You Will Be Godless
7. Valhalla
8. Antagonized
9. Like Gods Among Mortals
10. 53 Nations
11. Beyond Redemption
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