Heaven Shall Burn – Veto

29 November 2023

Heaven Shall Burn’s 2013 album with one of the weirdest album covers ever. The cover work belongs to the famous British painter John Collier, who lived between 1850-1934. Collier depicted a legend in this painting. Actually, there are other works about Lady Godiva, but I think the most famous one is this painting.

According to the legend, Lady Godiva, an Anglo Saxon noblewoman, rode a horse naked in the city of Coventry to protest her husband’s oppression (taxes, rents, etc.) on poor people. In fact, later on, the legend branched out a little more and it was said that a person called Peeping Tom went blind/died while watching Lady Godiva.

The first Heaven Shall Burn album I listened to was Antigone. The band’s music was defined as metalcore but there is much more than in their music. Anyway, we’ll get there soon.

After Antigone, the band released a wonderful album Deaf To Our Prayers. That was the album where they really shined. However, with the subsequent Iconoclast (I leave Wall Of Death’s classic Endzeit apart) and especially Invictus (I keep Counterweight separately in the same way), I think they couldn’t add much to their arsenal. However, in Veto, Heaven Shall Burn shook up and came to its senses.

Veto is a truly classy album. The album is very melodic, aggressive and violent. An album that explodes like a punch in the face. It is obvious that the band cannot remain indifferent to world affairs. They are very angry and determined to express this in their music. Actually, Marcus doesn’t do a very original vocal, but he does this style of vocals absolutely great. In some places, he literally screams at the top of his lungs. I have witnessed his singing mood a few times live. Maik Weichert, the creative brain of the band, has come up with really nice melodies and riffs.

Let’s talk about the definition metalcore. Metalcore is mostly not my cup of tea. But for years, I have tried to put my prejudice aside and listen metalcore bands as much as I could. In my opinion, Heaven Shall Burn make aggressive/melodic death metal with a metalcore sauce. That’s why I love them. I guess any ordinary metalcore band wouldn’t choose a Blind Guardian song to cover. Friends who will listen to this album will hear a delicious interpretation of Valhalla performed with the participation of Hansi Kürsch.

Long story short, it’s a ‘whole’ album that makes you listen from start to finish with joy. Here three particular pieces deserve to be mentioned. The first one is Land of the Upright Ones, the second song of the album, entering with Marcus’ frenzied screaming. The second Endzeit case. The second is the song Hunters Will Be Hunted. If you haven’t watched the music video of this song yet, you should. All members of the group are vegan (somehow) and, as the name of the track suggests, they used this perspective in the video. And finally, the closing track, Beyond Redemption. A striking and emotional piece. It was a beautiful ending where they presented the emotional intensity of the album in a concentrated manner.

Those who wish to listen to music violent like Nasum, groovy like Napalm Death, melodic like the old In Flames, sometimes old-school like At The Gates, and with vocals reminiscent of Tompa or the late Mieszko, don’t miss this one out.

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