Review Summary: Raw, passionate hardcore in its biggest and finest form.
PICTURE IN your mind a dark, long and winding mountainside; amidst an apocalyptic landscape, volcanos erupt, red hot lava bubbling furiously around the scene. Now imagine a picturesque green countryside; a place where the air is filled with the most calming, beautiful and serene ambience. This apparent juxtaposition of images goes some way to representing the spectacular sounds in the behemoth of an album that is Heights’ debut full-length, Dead Ends.
Combining bludgeoning riffs, crushing beatdowns and bloodcurdling hardcore screams with a truly stunning ambient backdrop, the Welmyn Garden City quintet have created something genuinely exciting in their first LP. Earlier releases hinted at the band’s potential, and this has been fulfilled in spectacular fashion.
From the first few seconds of the album, as a series of huge melodic powerful chords ring out, it is apparent that this could be something special. Moments later, the band comes crashing in with furious riffing, vocalist Thomas Debaere letting rip with the furious screaming of “we live alone and that’s how we die”. In this moment, the band announces their arrival in stunning fashion and provides a taste of what’s to come.
Indeed, one of the most impressive aspects of Dead Ends is the way in which Heights maintain the high level of intensity set so early on. The band’s ethos is best summed up in the huge build-up during powerhouse Eye For An Eye as Debaere emphatically declares, “I put my life in these words I scream, I put my heart in this ink and bleed; I hope you hear my voice and know that I mean every ***ing word.” It is clear from the burning passion that oozes out of every facet of the band’s music that this is very much the case.
When the intensity is taken down a few notches, the band really shows what they are capable of. Beautifully reflective piano interludes are used to powerful effect and to connect tracks, making the album more of a whole entity, best heard in its entirety, as opposed to a mere collection of songs. High-end tremolo picking is frequently used at the climax of songs to spine-tingling effect, showcasing a huge melodic side to the band’s sound alongside the heavy riffs, pounding drums and fire-fuelled screams.
It sounds like a perfect mix; but what of the criticism that may be directed Heights’ way? It would be accurate to suggest that, instrumentally, their music is not the most technical or complex. Quite simply, it doesn’t need to be. The sheer power and emotion that drives the band’s songs in the form of chilling progressions, the aforementioned tremolo picking and Debaere’s vocals renders the lack of any extended guitar solos or similar technical flourishes meaningless. On the subject of vocals, Heights may not be everyone’s cup of tea; there is not an ounce of clean singing or any vocal melodies to be found on the album. Again, however, this is arguably more than made up for by the burning passion in Debaere’s delivery; plus his style of hardcore screaming/shouting seems more suited to the band’s style than melodic singing.
In today’s music scene, it is refreshing to see a band that possesses so much passion for what they do and captures it so brilliantly in their music. Dead ends? Heights are making powerful strides on the road to greatness.
