Heaven Shall Burn Heimat Review
Heaven Shall Burn
Heimat
Century Media Records
2025
I’ll be straight with you, I haven’t kept tabs on Germany’s Metalcore mainstays, Heaven Shall Burn, since their 2001 release “Whatever It May Take”. I reviewed it back then, sure, but in that early wave of Metalcore’s boom, there was just too much noise and too many bands chasing the same sound. They got buried under the pile. I caught a few tracks over the years in passing, but I never made a point to sit down and really listen. Until now.
Fast forward nearly 25 years, and here I am again, older, hopefully wiser, and staring down their latest offering, “Heimat”. I wasn’t expecting much. Honestly, I figured I’d get some tired rehash, the kind of thing legacy Metalcore bands cough up while praying something sticks. But here’s the surprise: Heaven Shall Burn didn’t just survive, they adapted. They sharpened their edge, broadened their vision, and leveled up.
“Heimat” doesn’t cling to Metalcore tropes like a security blanket. This album leans heavily into Melodic Death Metal territory, and it wears that shift well. This isn’t a cheap facelift, it’s a full-body transformation. The aggression is still there, but now it’s channeled, purposeful. Every track feels like it belongs.
Production-wise, the band went all-in, enlisting legendary Danish producer Tue Madsen to mix and master. And right out of the gate, it shows. The opening track, “War is the Father of Them All,” hits like a calculated strike. It’s got orchestral choir lines, a slow-burn buildup, and a mid-tempo descent that feels cinematic. The weight increases with every step, and yeah, I’m getting Haunted vibes, that mix of melody and menace. Whether intentional or not, it lands.
And then there’s the curveball everyone’s talking about, their cover of Killswitch Engage’s “Numbered Days,” complete with a guest spot from KSE’s own Jesse Leach. Look, this track is sacred to Metalcore fans, a certified anthem. Covering it is a bold move. Bringing Leach along for the ride? That’s a god-tier flex. It could’ve crashed and burned, but instead, it soars. Not only is it one of the album’s high points, but it’s also a respectful, thunderous nod to the band’s roots and to the scene they helped to build.
The band isn’t afraid to ease off the gas either. “A Silent Guard” offers a much-needed breather, not soft, per se, but more melodic, more introspective. It’s a moment of calm that’s still built on stone. But if you’re looking for the full payoff, the crown jewel of “Heimat” is “A Whisper Above.” It’s a masterclass in balance, haunting melodies, precise riffcraft, and the kind of songwriting that proves Heaven Shall Burn aren’t chasing trends. They are the bar.
With “Heimat”, Heaven Shall Burn doesn’t sound like a band clinging to relevance. They sound like a band that never lost it. This is a sharpened, refined, and mature version of who they were, with fists still clenched and fire still burning. In a genre littered with has-beens and half-measures, this is the sound of a band that aged with intent and came back swinging harder than ever.