Year: 2020
Total Time: 1:37:08
Label: Century Media
The truth is that I was skeptic about HEAVEN SHALL BURN’s announcement of releasing a double new album. A move like this is quite risky, because the Germans in the recent years have been trapped in a synthetic quagmire. HEAVEN SHALL BURN have a unique characteristic as although their albums do not have many differences music-wise, they have not released a bad album so far. Of course, I don’t expect HSB to release another “Whatever it May Take” in 2020, so I can’t say I was looking forward for the new album as I was sure for what I was going to hear. “Of Truth and Sacrifice” is the title of the new album and includes 18 new songs (with 2 instrumental) and a cover of NUCLEAR ASSALT’s “Critical Mass”.
After an instrumental introduction, the album starts the way HSB’s previous works started, with a great violent song entitled “Thoughts and Prayers”, similar to “Counterweight” and “Endzeit”. “Of Truth and Sacrifice” continuous as I expected without any surprises. The well-known brutal sound of HSB which touches the limits of Deathcore, but leans towards the melodic Death Metal of IN FLAMES with the brutal vocals of Marcus Bischoff and the heavy groove parts is present. The band did not give many concerts to promote the previous album “Wanderer” as it decided to work for a new record and this, apart from the number of compositions included in” Of Truth and Sacrifice” is reflected also in the quality of some of them.
The album is furious in most songs and in “Of Truth and Sacrifice” we can hear some of best HSB’s songs in years. An example of it are the angry “Truther”, “Terminate the Unconcern” and “Children of a Lesser God” in which HSB sounds like a more extreme version of IN FLAMES’ “Clayman” area. But there are also some songs that escape the classic sound of HSB. In ” Übermacht “they sound like a heavier version of RAMMSTEIN, in marvelous “What War Means” they show us their love for BEHEMOTH and in the emotional “Weakness Leaving my Heart” (which closes the album) they present an ambient side of them .But unfortunately in “Of Truth and Sacrifice”we also hear the worst song that HSB has ever written, “La Résistance” which has a dance rhythm due to techno elements, a very bad song. Finally the Germans continue the good tradition they have with cover songs and they do a great job by covering NUCLEAR ASSAULT.’s “Critical Mass”.
HSB does not surprise us in “Of Truth and Sacrifice”, they remain once again true to their sound and destroy everything by offering us some of their best compositions in years. If the album had 10 -12 songs I would talk about a great release, but the experimentation and some mediocre compositions do not allow me to do so… “Of Truth and Sacrifice” will satisfy all the fans of HSB and also al the extreme sound fans as it is one of the best releases of the year.
Rating: 7,5/10
Editor: Nikos Manousis
Related Link: HEAVEN SHALL BURN – Official Page
