“Heaven came burning down as I saw myself dissolve through her eyes.”
It’s safe to say that nu-metalcore is at the apex of its popularity right now. Between bands like Alpha Wolf, Tallah, and Void of Vision making waves in their respective scenes, it’s been fascinating to see the once-niche subgenre truly take to the skies to become something more. While, as with a sudden burst in popularity in any genre, it seems to have spawned a laundry list of cheap imitators simply attempting to ride the wave, the truly well-crafted and well-considered newcomers of the genre always seem to outshine the imitators on their merits alone. Australia’s HEAVENSGATE are one such group. Formed of both new blood and tenured scene members, HEAVENSGATE’s take on the nu-wave on debut EP AND ALL I LOVED, I LOVED ALONE has been one of my favourite iterations of the genre in some time.
Debut singles “CHEMICAL HEAVEN” and “SHEMOVESLIKETHUNDER” exemplified a band with their shit together; one intent on coming out swinging. While these tracks in particular are almost wholly heavy-angled ragers, what impresses the most across the group’s debut is their breadth and contrast in sound. Mid-EP track “LOVERSDANCE” showcases an entirely different side to HEAVENSGATE, with the group crafting a downright gorgeous shoegaze-esque track. Comprised entirely of clean vocals from both lead vocalist Nazareth Tharatt, as well as studio collaborator/Pincer+ guitarist Josh Ang, the track sees their voices working together to craft one of the most mesmerising rock cuts I’ve heard thus far in 2023.
“LOVERSDANCE” is immediately preceded by “GINSICK”, too, which seeks to combine the two angles of the group’s sound into one package. Containing not only their signature hard-as-nails nu-core riffing, manic screaming and tasteful blast beats; but further delving into the verb-drenched, shoegaze style toward the track’s closing moments, it proves to be one of the EP’s most enthralling and dynamic cuts.
AND ALL I LOVED, I LOVED ALONE further impresses with its lyrical content, and while there’s no overt concept as such, there are lyrical connections and thematic similarities throughout that give the EP a sense of concision and consistency. Perhaps the hardest-hitting lyrical moments across the EP appear courtesy of penultimate track “SYMBIOTIC SUICIDE”, which serves as a raw self-examination of generational trauma and familial abuse. It’s a truly tough listen lyrically, and one that only serves to bolster the EP’s emotional weight.
Final track “COMFORT IN THE SLOW DEATH” brings AND ALL I LOVED, I LOVED ALONE to a close in style with another deeply personal cut lyrically, but one that manifests in a far more upfront and aggressive manner. One of the EP’s most ballistic and aggressive cuts, “COMFORT IN THE SLOW DEATH” is a three-minute bout of self-loathing in musical form, and as the instrumental drops out at its ending, leaving only a solitary, eerie clean guitar droning away, it feels like the life has been sucked out of you by its conclusion, in the best way possible.
All in all, AND ALL I LOVED, I LOVED ALONE is one of the strongest debuts I’ve heard in the metalcore space in some time. A deeply personal, emotional and sonically broad take on the nu-metalcore sound, HEAVENSGATE have crafted something equally hard-hitting, gorgeous and absolutely devastating with their debut EP, that’s only left me yearning for more. Only time will tell what comes next for the Aussie newcomers, but if this debut is anything to go by, HEAVENSGATE will be at the top of the pecking order in no time.
9/10
AND ALL I LOVED, I LOVED ALONE will be available this Friday, February 24th via Greyscale Records, and you can pre-save the EP here.