I have been a music snob for nearly a decade. I know what kind of music I enjoy and I know why I enjoy it; this is a notion that I feel many cannot describe for themselves. For me, I enjoy music that has depth, deliberate instrumentation, and that creates a feeling of belonging within the listening experience. This is quite challenging to put into words, now that I am attempting to do so.
Essentially, I enjoy music that is more than catchy lyrics or beats. Music that almost seems to have already been inside me and is finally being let out for others to also be able to experience.
Invent Animate, or IA, a progressive metal band known for their technical riffs combined with ambient soundscapes has been popular in the metalcore genre for many years now. Personally, when I was introduced to this band in 2019, I was not too fond of them. I enjoyed their instrumentation, but felt their vocals were severely lacking depth and uniqueness.
A new album, Greyview, was released within the next year. I gave it a pass without much thought. Honestly, I still haven’t given it a proper listen, but I’m getting ahead of myself. Another year passes, and I’m browsing the /r/metalcore subreddit and see a post about a new EP from Invent Animate titled The Sun Sleeps, As If It Never Was. Even though it was the same band I had already written off; I gave it a shot because many redditors were claiming it was their best work yet.
I was extremely impressed with their new sound. I was certain they had a new lead singer and this modification changed everything for me. This core has since released an album titled Heavener mere months ago at the time of this post. The album is incredible, but what really solidifies how great the album is isn’t actually related to the album itself, but the single that followed its release with the same title.
Heavener
Standing alone, this single holds its own. The first two-thirds rely on IA’s expertly crafted ambience with clean vocals. Marcus Vik’s range is really highlighted as he references the themes throughout the same-titled album. Themes of death, acceptance, and the self are present in each and are brilliantly explored through their musical style with intense, harsh vocals and heavy “djenty” riffs, balanced by clean vocals and spacey guitars.
Now, back to the single. I haven’t quite looked up other interpretations of the piece, so if I’m wrong, I’m wrong, but this is what I get from the single after listening to the full album.
In terms of “story”, this track presents itself to be post-Heavener (album) and the bridge states,
“The clouds will part
The sun will smile
And burn away the fear inside
My heart, my soul, be with me ‘til the end
Stay awake, my Heavener”.
Losing someone is never easy. Many songwriters explore this topic with varying success. To me, this is a plea to his lover to keep holding on and the sense of desperation, frustration, and sorrow is conveyed so well through not only the words, but how they are delivered paired with the shift away from the previously established ambience of the track. The result is a riff filled with that same desperation.
I should mention a few things. I’m not a writer or a musician. I may not use the correct terms when describing parts of a song, particularly guitar sections. Please feel free to correct my terminology. I also do not write well. Sorry.
I definitely did not expect to write so much for this post. It’s kind of just me rambling about a song that I have been obsessed with for the last few weeks since its release.
I clicked publish before I remembered that I was supposed to be reviewing the song, not just talking about it. Anway, I give this single a whopping 10/10 for it being a separate experience that is tailored from the album in which it provides closure. I am excited to hear more from this band in their future.