The Heard – The Island

[schema type=”review” name=”The Heard – The Island” description=”Label: Despotz Records” author=”Başak Günel” pubdate=”2018-11-02″ ]

The Heard is the new Swedish formation featuring former Crucified Barbara guitarist Klara “Force” Rönnqvist Fors, bassist Ida “Evileye” Stenbacka and drummer Nikki Wicked, as well as the Deathstars bassist Jonas “Skinny Disco” Kangur (on lead guitar) and burlesque performer, model/singer Pepper Potemkin. The band’s music is all about “heavy riffs, misty songs, dark waters and a death supreme” and the new release “The Island” has been released recently.

“The Island” is a concept record which is about mysterious myths in an island in the Baltic sea. This concept might not be recognizable but is accompanied transparently with a slight folk-ish approach and natural elements in the album. This concept is also reflected in the sound quite well; the overall sound & atmosphere is organic, maybe a bit simplistic but definitely sincere. The main highlight, however, is the ultimate woman power! Pepper’s vocals combined with the doom-y and heavy riffs definitely stand out and make this one quite interesting. This combination also forms a rather dark atmosphere throughout the album, which is more obvious in a few songs like “Tower of Silence” or “Crystal Lake”.

An aspect I would have loved to see in “The Island” is the diversity. There is a bit of it in the ever-changing pace of the album but I imagined more layers within the sound. This could be something that the band can work on for the future; a more stable sound that is great as it is (organic and simple) but open for diversity and mix of more genres. I believe that the band has the potential to do more and “The Island” is definitely a great start!

Highlights: Tower of Silence, Crystal Lake 

Line-up:
Klara – guitar
Ida – bass
Skinny – lead guitar
Nicki – drums
Pepper – vocals

Tracklist: 1. The Island 2. A Death Supreme 3. Tower of Silence 4. Sirens 5. It 6. Caller of the Storms 7. Revenge Song 8. Queen Scarlet 9. Crystal Lake 10. Leaving the Island

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