This consistency extends through their varied collaborations, too. Jamie Hails of Polaris lends his heft to the full-throttle Hellbringer, a fascinating rebuke to those who consider metal the music of lesser minds and consciences. Just when mid-album turning point Crossroads feels like it’s veering towards sub-Crazy Town rap-rock, a snarl of six-string and the arrival of Australian actress Georgia Flood transform it into a glitchy, grandstanding pop-rock anthem. Randy Reimann of Aussie hardcore mainstays Massappeal even drops in, pouring pure gasoline on the already-incendiary Iron Dice.
Tellingly, Kaliyuga is at its most bristlingly visceral when narrowing its globalist scope to draw from personal experience. Having watched their homeland burn in the horrendous bushfires at the start of the year, there’s no doubting the authenticity of In Hearts Wake’s environmentalist motivation. ‘It's dying from the inside,’ explodes Worldwide Suicide, verging on outright nihilism. ‘It's a wildfire lullaby / It's the final kiss goodnight.’ That perspective has only bred further determination. The full carbon footprint of the album-making process was calculated and offset through a re-wilding project on Australian First Nations land. For every 1,000 views of the video aforementioned lead single Worldwide Suicide a tree was planted. Physical copies will be manufactured plastic-free. The broader existential impasse won’t be easily broken, though.
Big-flexing late-album landmark Force Of Life and tumultuous closer 2033 keep swinging to the bitter end, their gloomy aesthetics and declaration that ‘the future does not exist’ wary, perhaps, of suggesting light on the horizon. It’s an acknowledgement that whether or not this music makes any real difference will depend, ultimately, on who’s listening. What is clear is that In Hearts Wake have delivered an LP with the substance and accessibility to touch the widest possible audience – and the quality to cement their place at the top table of Aussie metalcore. The righteous little rippers.
Verdict: 4/5
For Fans Of: Parkway Drive, Polaris, Ministry
In Hearts Wake’s new album Kaliyuga is released August 7 via UNFD – pre-order/pre-save your copy now.
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