18 years after their Australian arrival, Byron Bay metalcore monsters In Hearts Wake continue to reinvent the wheel.
Incarnation was always going to be a sink or swim album for In Hearts Wake. Not only has it been four years since the group’s last full-length release, the largely underwhelming Kaliyuga, it’s also the first release in the groups catalogue without founding member Kyle Erich doubling up on bass and clean vocal duties.
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Well, true to its name, the group’s sixth effort is truly a new Incarnation of In Hearts Wake, with the Byron Bay outfit straying far from the formulaic output that ruled their previous work to deliver their most gritty and chaotic listen yet.
And when I say chaotic, I mean it. From the opening seconds of ‘Spitting Nails’ to the closing moments of ‘Transmission’, Incarnation takes no prisoners. ‘The Flood’ blast-beats’ its way into your consciousness with complex tech-heavy riffs, unrelenting drum fills and unique ascending breakdowns. ‘Gen Doom’ and ‘Orphan’ toy with frenetic inclusions of MPC and unrefined nü metal riffs, with the latter delivering moments that feel like a homage to Slipknot’s ‘Eyeless’, and not one, but three of the best breakdowns the group have delivered to date.
But at its core, Incarnation feels most like an album of discovery. At times its ruthlessly aggressive output feels slightly dishevelled, but for the most part, Incarnation is an uncompromising listen that sees In Hearts Wake stepping away from what’s known and comfortable to strive for originality, possibly for the first time in their 18 year tenure.
In Hearts Wake Incarnation is out now via UNFD and can be listened to here.
