In a House of Heartbeats – Divination of Dreams (Review)

This is the debut album from UK post-metal band In a House of Heartbeats.

Divination of Dreams is a 54-minute cinematic blend of post-rock, post-metal, shoegaze, and doom. In a House of Heartbeats have produced a cracking first record that’s more than worth spending time getting to know intimately.

Travelling from light reflection to thundering heaviness, with multiple stops along the way, Divination of Dreams takes you in a journey into textured feeling. The album offers up an expressive slice of atmospheric immersion. Atmosphere is key for In a House of Heartbeats, and their mood-focused approach to songwriting dominates Divination of Dreams.

So you like instrumental post-rock, but want it a shade darker? Are you partial to post-metal, but want something drenched in wordless emotion? Do you favour the crushing heaviness of doom, but with more tools in its toolbox?? Do you wish to partake of colourful shoegaze treats, but without the ultra-processed sugar? If so, In a House of Heartbeats have you covered. Divination of Dreams ticks all of the above boxes, with a few more besides. Yep, whether it’s post-rock introspective nuance, post-metal build/release mechanics, refined doom darkness, or dreamlike shoegaze delicacy, In a House of Heartbeats hit the spot.

This is a very enjoyable album that’s well-crafted, structured, and considered. It benefits from a good flow and a holistic view for how its various constituent parts fit together. I have a minor complaint about the spoken word on interlude track Parasomniac, but it’s not that intrusive. However, Drift into Sleep… veers into utterly pointless interlude territories, and is marred by its spoken word. I honestly don’t know why bands do this to their records. Overall though, one interlude aside, it’s a strong package that the band have put together here, and I’m sure a lot of people won’t be bothered by it like I am.

In a House of Heartbeats have done a great job on their debut album to piece together a record that feels like it’s theirs; although you can hear their probable influences, Divination of Dreams has a voice of its own, one that it uses to great effect across these compelling tracks.

Very highly recommended indeed.