Review: “A Heart Is A Heavy Burden” by Heavensgate

While all that glitters may not be gold, for Melbourne Australians Heavensgate, the ascent to glory seemingly continues without falter. 2023 saw them unveil EP “And All I Loved, I Loved Alone“, a record which has subsequently gone on to accumulate more than 1.5 million Spotify streams alone. Then came singles “Ratking” and “Violent Joy” which earned another 992k between them, opening the door for shows with supporting The Amity Affliction, Ice Nine Kills and We Came As Romans in arenas across Australia. Then came the flood as the young quartet signed with Pure Noise Records, completing their first North American tour with Thrown and another national run, this time with Chelsea Grin and Currents. Visceral in both name and nature, it seems they have a heartfelt story to tell this time around and we’re itching to find out just what they have learned from their experiences. Not only from those shows, which will of course had an impact but also from working with label partner Josh Ang (Pincer+, Angelseason), as well as Erik Bickerstaffe (Loathe) and Buster Odeholm (Humanity’s Last Breath, Sworn In)…

Trapped in a realm between Gloom Metal, Modern Metalcore and Nu-Metalcore, Heavensgate are a band who have proven themselves to be heavy enough to hold their own on stages around the world, never afraid of going toe to toe with anyone who would dare invite them out for a support slot and giving them a run for their money. Powerhouse opening cut “Burden Of Being” is a fine example of that, a bombastic affair from start to finish with rampaging riffs, schizophrenic percussive battery and fierce harsh vocals that are all full fat and high caffeine. An almost instant injection of adrenaline to the system, between the violent turbulence of the staccato riff breaks and ten56 style sounds this is as good an opening cut as you could wish for. The distinctive air of bands like Diesect and Dealer is heard in the frantic driving rhythms of “Oblivion“, the breakdowns so heavy and frequent that a fleet of tow trucks is required for recovery and yet the artillery shelling continues with the band happy to wage war upon our ear drums. The energy is restless and relentless with blast beats and buzzsaw riffs a call from the void to a circle pit on the unstoppable “Rain” and yet there is a chilling horror story narrative behind it all that only really surfaces after a multiple listens.

The band comment: This song helps bridge the gap between some of our older material that fans grew fond of whilst introducing them to a fresh take on those ideas. We’ve grown a lot as a band and so have our tastes, this single perfectly encapsulates that and shows how much our sound has matured.”

The warmth of the morning sun then bursts through the clouds with “Petrichor“, a dream like cut with Deftones vibes and achingly beautiful clean vocals. It’s chalk and cheese when compared with what came before it as if its from a completely different band during the first half, twisting and contorting fleetingly into the heavier sounds in the final third only to fall back after a few seconds. The style shift is of seismic proportions and while it shouldn’t work on paper, the reality is something else entirely before “Darling Blue” continues the rich melodies with some heavier guitars lurking just beneath the surface. Again, the clean vocals are lush and warm with an almost effeminate quality and once more while the anticipation is that the band will burst into something brutal at some point during the performance, that never materializes. Skillfully avoiding the record almost sounding like a split EP between two distinctively different bands “A Fawn Flayed” returns to the heavier material with violent urgency and brutal aggression. Spine juddering guitars and thunderous percussion provide the power, the scathing vocal tirade as vicious as anything the band have produced in their fledgling career. The final third then transcends into something akin to an Architects track, leaving the question as to whether the style contrasts can live within one entity or if their personality will at some point split [8/10]

Track Listing

1. Burden Of Being
2. Oblivion
3. Rain
4. Petrichor
5. Darling Blue
6. A Fawn Flayed

“A Heart Is A Heavy Burden” by Heavensgate is out 24th October 2025 via Greyscale Records