This is the fifth album from UK metalcore band Heart of a Coward.
Following on from 2019’s The Disconnect, Heart of a Coward have now returned with another slab of modern heavy music. Running to a lean 36 minutes, This Place Only Brings Death finds the band stripping back their sound somewhat, and refining their focus.
On this new album Heart of a Coward dial up the metalcore, dial down the progressive, djent, and technical aspects, and concentrate on writing songs that combine emotive passion with blunt heaviness in a direct fashion.
The album is well-written and showcases a band that are confident and skilled enough to approach their heavy music from the well-worn metalcore vantage point. Heart of the Coward do put their own spin on the genre though, and deliver the songs with contemporary style and substance. The band produce hooks and catchiness quite easily, making for songs that are perfect for places like the gym or the live arena. It’s also an album that rewards multiple listens.
That Heart of the Coward have successfully produced an enjoyable slab of metalcore, without many of the adjacent styles mentioned above really getting too much of a look in, is testament to their abilities as songwriters and performers. I doubt many non-metalcore fans will be convinced, but for someone like me who thoroughly enjoyed the early 00s metalcore scene, this collection of tracks works nicely.
Good stuff. Anthemic and crowd-friendly, with an emotive presence that lends the songs decent depth, This Place Only Brings Death is both solid and enjoyable.
If you’re a fan of stadium metalcore, then this is one for you.
Wonderbox Metal 