Review Summary: a real hoot
Everything about
Incarnation screams “return to form”, sometimes a little too loudly. Then again, it
is a return to form: for a few records now, In Hearts Wake’s music has been thriving off goodwill. Their heart’s in the right place, and they’re undoubtedly doing more for the environment than any band triple their size… one mediocre metalcore song at a time. It now seems like bassist/vocalist Kyle Erich leaving the band (for wholesome reasons, of course) was for the better: gone are the nasal choruses, gone are the overbearing nu-metal influences: instead,
Incarnation picks up where
Divination left off over a decade ago. Rather than expanding their sound into unfamiliar and frequently unnecessary territory, this record doubles down on the core core sound that put the band on the map and, dare I say, has some fun with it.
In the absence of the crutch of a clean vocalist, most of
Incarnation is a collection of tiny reinventions: whether it’s layering the everliving fuck out of other band members’ vocals for a chorus (“Hollow Bone”) or just chucking in another breakdown or fifteen (“Orphan”, “Tyrant”), it’s clear that In Hearts Wake are feeling reinvigorated. They’re pretty desperate to let you know, too. There’s the continued tarot theme of their well-liked debut record; there’s the heavy-for-heaviness’-sake vibes all throughout; there’s the
brootal features. It’s all a little much, and at the same time, it’s a pretty good time.
Incarnation is unlikely to attract many new fans, but it’s a damn feast for fans of 2010s core and haters of whiny choruses alike. Revel in the dumb breakdowns, enjoy the relative lack of questionable elements, be impressed by Jake Taylor’s best vocal performance in ages, perk up at the surprisingly melodic closer, and recycle your fucking plastic.
