HEAVENSGATE “A HEART IS A HEAVY BURDEN” EP Review
There’s a certain kind of chaos that only a band like HEAVENSGATE can conquer. In spite of only releasing their first single back in 2022, they’ve already amassed a cult following and toured with giants such as The Amity Affliction and Chelsea Grin. The quartet are now ready to unleash their newest EP, A HEART IS A HEAVY BURDEN.
With their unrelenting mix of metalcore, hardcore, and electric fury, the band has carved themselves a distinct place in the scene. But with this EP, they’re ready for an evolution that demands your attention. With collisions of industrial textures and a raw pulsation of fury, you better be buckled in and ready for what HEAVENSGATE have in store.
We start with the filthy track, BURDEN OF BEING, which immediately grabs you by the throat and pins you down with thundering drums and leering guitars. The sharpened sound is apparent through the meticulous engineering that is still violently unrestrained, packed with emotional intensity.
If BURDEN OF BEING pinned you down, OBLIVION is the kick to the jaw. Lead singer Tharratt practically spits in your face as he screams in your ear, while earth-shattering triple kicks lead us into the breakdown that is equally as deadly.
RAIN wastes no time throwing your neck through the ringer and giving your face muscles a workout. It starts heavy and only gets more unhinged as it goes, each riff hitting harder than the last. The breakdowns are thick and relentless, the kind that make you want to swing at the first minor inconvenience that comes your way.
PETRICHOR leans into a moodier space at first, with riffs and vocals that feel almost Loathe-inspired in their atmosphere. The opening half moves with a dark, immersive pull before the tone shifts as a heavier riff sneaks its way in and the vocals start to snarl their way through the mix. Then comes the moment where everything connects: screams and clean vocals intertwine, building to a sense of completion that feels earned. It’s an emotional high point of the EP, every note carrying the weight of something real, something felt from start to finish.
A usual formula for an EP or album is to follow a softer ballad like PETRICHOR with something wild that rips straight into the listener’s eardrums. Not here though. DARLING BLUE keeps the same spirit and emotion. With a name like that, you almost expect a love song, something written for a significant other, and that’s exactly what it feels like. I like the way it doesn’t ask for much; it just wants to be heard. It’s a song meant to be shared, something quiet and genuine that sits with you long after it ends.
A FAWN FLAYED immediately grabbed my attention from the title alone, and as the intro rolled out with screeching guitars and guttural “fucks,” it pauses for a moment to let it sink in before thrashing you back into the wall. It soars into a slower, melodic segment that is still drenched in dismay, the last 40 seconds of the EP being a gut-wrenching breakdown, leaving me stunned and in awe.
A HEART IS A HEAVY BURDEN feels like the moment HEAVENSGATE truly step into their own. You can hear the hunger, the refinement, and the confidence of a band that’s evolved fast and with purpose. After touring with some of the biggest names in heavy music and sharpening their sound along the way, this EP feels like the statement they’ve been building toward. It’s raw, fearless, and impossible to ignore.
Photo Credit: Jack Fontes
A HEART IS A HEAVY BURDEN is out Friday 24 October via Greyscale Records & Pure Noise Records.