Anyone who has been keeping an eye or ear on recent releases on Southern Lord will already have a fair idea of what to expect, and with Heartless’ debut alum, they don’t disappoint, presenting another fast, furious and totally vicious slab of battering metal.
Drawing its title from the idea expounded by leading existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre in his play ‘No Exit,’ the appropriately named Heartless – although ‘merciless’ or ‘relentless’ would be equally suitable adjectives that describe the unremittingly dark metal noise they produce – set out their stall of misanthropy from the outset.
With sixteen tracks – only four of which exceed the two-minute mark - ‘Hell is Other People’ is every bit the short sharp shock, and distills all of the usual staples – throat-ripping vocals, thunderous drums and wall-of-noise guitars – into tightly wound and unforgivingly oppressive shots of anger with a potency of 110% proof. Add into the mix gritty basslines and howls of feedback, and you’ve got one menacing album on your hands.
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‘Cop Out’ - the longest track by far, with a running time just past four minutes – slows things down a bit, and crunches and chugs through caverns of flaming, infernal anguish, while ‘Undulations’ changes tempo more times – and more quickly – than Satan’s changed his form. It’s only fitting, really: hell may be other people, but Heartless have succeeded in replicating that hell in musical form.
Heartless Online
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