Customer Reviews

Deaf to Our Prayers (Bonus Dvd)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

Heaven Shall burn have always been an under the radar type band. Sometimes written off as Metalcore(not true at all) and not getting any attention in the melodic Death Metal scene. However, this release may just push them over that edge as "Deaf To Our Prayers" continues the trend of amazing metal albums released in 2006. What I am sure you will realize is that if you enjoyed "Antigone" You will fall in love with this album and while it does have alot of influence from "Antigone" ; this album very much so has its own identity. Also, the lyrics are well done, while tackling issues of racism and standing against it along with social issues regarding not just their country but the rest of the world. It is really great to hear this album, simply because this band has come so far. Starting from the more deathmetal/breakdown influence of their low production album "In Battle There is No Law" to the evolution that began with "Asunder" but really "Antigone" took it that extra step. Which now brings us here, with even more melodic Death Metal influences. Also, the vocals should remind any Metal fan of older In Flames/DT which seem to be big influences on this band. Also, a great thing about this album is a few times it showed signs of repeating a formula through alot of the songs, then when you don't see it coming, they switch it up on you and always keep you guessing. Maik Weichert and Alexander Dietz really make this album great with their 6 string magic. Being that i'm really into heavy riffs with some melody, this is perfect for me. The melodic leads here are wonderful and should please any fan. Matthias Voigt also gives in his best performance behind the kit. I thought he did great on Antigone but I had seen nothing yet. Then we have the brothers Bischoff Eric (bass) and Marcus (vocals). Marcus has great vocals. A real powerful scream.


So, will you enjoy the new Heaven Shall Burn record? Well, I recommend this to anybody with a taste for Melodic Death metal or the Antigone album. Enjoy.

While I'm at it, let me get all the heavy metal superlatives out of the way: bone-crunching, brutal, ground-shaking, ear-shattering. I know there are more, but I can't spend a whole review on them.

The first thing I notice about this album is that the attack is much more focused than 2004's Antigone. The songs are on the whole much more up-tempo, there are a lot less keyboards, and there isn't the myriad of intros/outros that broke Antigone up into sections. Overall, it's a much more straightforward thrashfest than Antigone was, with more shredding riffs and double-bass thunder.

Guitarist Patrick has departed (to complete his university education, I believe), replaced by Alex, who more than holds his own on this disc. I did hear a few keyboards, but they are few and far between. The album comes barreling out of the gate with "Counterweight"'s, opening salvo of super-dense guitars and machine-gun drumming, and pretty much doesn't let up until then end. "Trespassing the Shores of your World" opens with another full-on assault and then breaks down into a syncopated passage that alternates time with the more straightforward grinding. "Profane Believers" was probably the first song that I thought had some real melody to it, and it's a nice chance to have a breather after the utter pounding of the first two tracks. "Stay the Course" is also pretty melodic, but it has plenty of hammering drums and grinding-metal guitars to keep your blood pumping. "The Final March" is a terrific mid-paced grindfest that slows down the tempo a bit and hits with peaks and valleys of impact. "Of no Avail" is very reminiscent of Antigone, with its sudden tempo changes, melodic riffs, and keyboards. "Armia" is a slow, melodic grindfest that laments lost innocence and devastated homelands. "Mybestfriends.com" is a quick-paced accusatory track that seems to throw vitriol at the internet community and the isolation it can cause. The title makes me think of MySpace. "Biogenesis(Undo Creation)" was a high point for me; a frantic, unapologetic discourse against the rise of intelligent design that opens with a flurry so dense that it approaches critical mass. "Dying in Silence" opens with a creepy synth track that quickly escalates into a fast, melodic entreaty to stand up for oneself and have some dignity. "The Greatest Gift of God", is a bit of an oddity, it opens with a "shout choir" that proclaims "false prophets rule your life" repeatedly before the song shifts into gear: a slow song with a bit less guitar than the other tracks.

Overall, I was very impressed with this album. With tons of scorching riffs and blasting drums, it's a brutal, near-relentless assault on the senses. Marcus' vocals sound haunting and abrasive, and overall the album has enough variety to avoid monotony. The bonus DVD is just icing on the cake: with a music video and a complete 9-song live set from 2005's Hell on Earth tour, it's a real treat for HSB fans. But the "Deaf to Our Prayers" stands alone as a top-notch display of metalcore viciousness. If you like metalcore or just brutal music, you won't regret picking this one up.

Definitely bone crushing cd!! I loved their cd Antigone and just thought how heavy and amazing it was!! than they released Heaven shall burn vs Caliban...and the cd just didnt do anything for me especially compared to Antigone. Than I saw their website for the new release "Deaf to our prayer" As soon as I poped the cd in BAM! A really hard loud min exploding cd! Unlike Antigone wich started off with the piano playing!! This is definitely an amazing cd to add tot he collection. These guys deserve to be more well known!! One of my favorite cds by far!!

I just picked up Deaf to Our Prayers and it is amazing. It pretty much picked up where Antigone left off sans the instrumentals in between songs. These guys seemed to get heavier this time around mixing in more thrash to their sound. The double bass makes it's presence known from the first song to the last. I heard that HSB was coming out with a new album in Metal Maniacs or some other metal magazine and I knew I had to have it. I was kind of turned off the first time I heard Heaven Shall Burn and it took a few listens to get me into the swing of things and I can't get enough. I heard "Counterweight" on the Century Media Records website and I was convinced to pick up Deaf to Our Prayers. In my opinion, Caliban and Heaven Shall Burn are two of the most underrated METAL bands on the planet, not METALCORE, but METAL. It makes me so angry when people use that term when they refer to these two bands...uuuhhhhhgggggg but yeah, this album is top notch metal all the way. The vocals seemed to be deeper than on Antigone, and a few growls were thrown in for good measure. Overall the album ROCKS!!!Buy it you will not be disappointed. Also pick up some Caliban albums too while you're at it!

Man if you're a fan of Heaven Shall Burn, this will not diappoint. They come back as heavy as ever before and just brutal. One of my personal favorites of 2006. I believe Heaven Shall Burn and Caliban are one of the most underrated bands out to date. You want metal? Get it from these guys out of Germany. This is not no weak hardcore dance around bs. This is I want to kiiill some one metal! Each track is enjoyable for anyone looking for something different and just straight up brutallity.

But these guys totally blow me away. The riffs are dark, fast, and catchy, brining to mind at the same time: At the Gates, In Flames, Dark Tranquillity. The vocals are what sets this on apart... they avoid the traditional cookie-cutter cookie-monster vocal approach for an open-throated assault that is overdubbed on the record to an almost frightening level of power. Lyrically these guys are great... and I saw that someone compares these guys to metalcore? THAT I don't understand at all... they're brutal, they can hang with any of the aforementioned bands. Best songs... My favorite is "Of No Avail," But "Counterweight" is pretty comprehensive of what the whole cd will sound like. If you really have to have cookie-cutter cookie-monster vocals, the song "Biogensis-Undo Creation" will hit your need perfectly fine.

The album is epic sounding.

This album is just simply amazing, if your looking for just a plain brutal assault on the ears definately pick up this album. these guys take some of the best parts of metalcore and melodic death and mix it together to make something that seems to be better than the sum of its parts. Also check out there older albums

Heaven Shall Burn is amazing. As much as I love the previous, and post albums, this one is my favorite. Listen to it.

Ahh man, Im loving the creativity and originality in this band. Who cares that they ripped off Marduks only good album, who cares that there first demo tape was coincidentially named after Bolt Throwers first album, who cares that a majority of there lyrics revolves around PETA and its PETArrism, this is great man!