IN HEARTS WAKE | Kaliyuga | Album Review

Environmentalism is the key catalyst that drives some bands, and metalcore is not an exception to that. The members of In Hearts Wake have kept this tradition going for their entire career and it has become part of their identity at this point. Five albums into their career, and the Aussie act is now back with 2020's "Kaliyuga". Truth be told, I haven't been completely on board with this band's material, but I have noted that this band has a lot of potential to deliver. The quintet's first few studio albums featured a straight forward and consistent metalcore sound throughout, a tactic that brought an occasional good or even great moment, but for the most part, the band hasn't completely wowed me, even with their collaborations with fellow band Northlane. "Kaliyuga", the band's new album, is the chance for the band to win me over. Before the album was release, the band spoke of the album's concept, with the title being derived from the name that the Hindu ancients have given the current age. And it makes sense, because the band's explanation is that since we're living in times where negativity overshadows positivity, and we have the chance to "transform the challenges we face by seizing the opportunity to grow and change the way we live on the earth and with each other". It's a promising and unique sales pitch and it is a clever take on such a topic that has been touched upon a lot in music these days. So, with that said, let us take a look at what this band has come up with this time around.

The first released single "Worldwide Suicide" comes after a short intro track named "Crisis", and the funny thing is that both tracks are less than two minutes in length. "Crisis" opens up the album with a female voice sample backed behind electronic effects and guitar riffs before the next track, "Worldwide Suicide" kicks in. This is probably the heaviest moment on the entire album, backed behind aggressive guitars and vocalist Jake Taylor's growling. There isn't a single instance of clean singing throughout, and I think that this song paints a brutal picture of hostility. It's also a very different approach for the band in terms of sound, and it works. Not one of my highlights, but still serviceable. Following on that song's heels is "Hellbringer" with Jamie Hails of Polaris, and admittedly, there is not that much that's appealing. Jamie Hails' cameo is the only thing that grabs my attention, whereas the rest of the song just exists although this song does have the effort put into it. "Moving On" and "Timebomb" are some of the more accessible cuts on this album, with "Moving On" being more radio-tailored and "Timebomb" being what In Hearts Wake traditionally pulls off. Both tracks work to give this album some variety while also having solid chemistry between growling vocalist Taylor and clean vocalist Kyle Erich, and it feels like both vocalists have stepped up their game as well with these songs. Kyle Erich especially has improved after his performance on the last album, "Ark", was more monotone, at least in my opinion.

"Son Of A Witch", which was one of the pre-released singles, brings the album to more mediocre territory. Instrumentally, I think it's solid, and the lyrics aren't terrible either, but this isn't a track that's worth coming back to repeatedly and it's not produced  in the best way. Then, we get to "Crossroads" which is easily the worst song on this album. The opening pitchshifted vocals are garbage and it's another song in this trend of "metalcore band gets female vocalist to do a male-female duet", and it doesn't stick out. If you're going to do something like this, make it good. In Hearts Wake didn't succeed here, and that's disappointing. "Husk" does elevate the quality a little bit, but the song is also a bit inconsistent and excessive. It feels like multiple elements glued together at random, and I don't think it fully succeeds in standing out as a highlight. That aspect can be described for tracks like "Force Of Life" and "Dystopia", which are both near the end of the album. "Force Of Life" is similar to "Timebomb" in that both songs are familiar territory, but both of these songs are exceptional in their pacing. "Dystopia" is the band's experimental side pulled off exceptionally well. The verses are melodic and unique, and the rhythm created by the instruments is addictive. This is what In Hearts Wake should be doing more often, I think, and I hope I hear more songs like this from them in the future. As for my main highlight, it would have to be either of these two tracks, even though both work equally well.

Before "Dystopia" though is another rough patch entitled "Iron Dice", which has a decent setup, but doesn't really strike the bullseye. It also doesn't help that the guest vocalist on this one is awkward and off-putting in a way. This could have been a lot better than it was if they had brought in a more pleasant guest, but even with that, the track isn't mindblowing or anything. Ending the album is "2033", which is a commendable final track, and has a stellar mix between melodic and brutality. There's also a little bit of nu-metal influence with this and a majority of other cuts on the album, and for this track in particular, it works well. After listening to this album in full, I can say that this is In Hearts Wake's most consistent and diverse album to date. There are still some rough spots that should have been reconsidered, but overall, "Kaliyuga" is the shining light of the band's five album discography. At least on a few cuts, I can honestly say that they've embraced their potential even though this album isn't mindblowing like a majority of their contempraries from down under have accomplished. It's a good metalcore album for what it is, and that's something to feel good about. Overall, "Kaliyuga" is an album with high and lows, both tonally and quality wise, but there's still a solid mix of heavy music any fan of metalcore should get a kick out of. Though not the strongest Australian act out there, In Hearts Wake is more awake than ever on this album.

RATING: 7/10

What did you think about this album? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below. Everybody's opinions matter even if they are different than mine. Please feel free to enjoy my content on the Scamp4553 DeviantArt account as well, including other lists, reviews, and other series. Also, if you'd like to get a glimpse at all of the insanity that goes on outside of this site, check me out as Scamp4553 on Instagram and as SimbaKoda444 on YouTube. And of course, more content is coming your way soon. Take care.