REVIEW: Heavensgate - A Heart Is A Heavy Burden

It’s pretty well documented that, aside from a host of dangerous creatures, there is something in the Australian water which causes them to produce some of the heaviest metal bands of the last 20 years.

HEAVENSGATE is no exception to that rule, and in fact quite exemplary of it, with their sophomore EP A Heart Is A Heavy Burden. This release comes off the back of their first large tours overseas, hitting the road in Europe, the UK and the USA for the first time. This EP pulls no punches as it immediately confronts you with a chaotic assortment of chugs, blast beats and obscene noises somehow made by a guitar with the opening track Burden Of Being. From here the listener is catapulted into the first single to drop in the lead up to this release Oblivion. Much like the opener, this track is an onslaught, building to a truly cataclysmic breakdown preceded by the line “this world will ruin me”. This continues on into the second single Rain which is an overall similar experience, littered more with blast beats this time around. So far this experience has just been an auditory punch to the face.

However, as we reach the midpoint of the EP, and the last of the 3 singles to be released, we see where HEAVENSGATE really stands out above the rest with Petichor. This heavy, atmospheric ballad is a moment of reprieve and reflection with the soft vocals courtesy of both the band’s singer NAZARETH THARATT and studio member JOSH ANG against a backdrop of ambient guitar driven soundscapes. This softer touch is continued into the next track Darling Blue. A lot of artists in metalcore try to mix softer elements into their heavier sound but few seem to stand out the way this band does. While this track contains the same reverb soaked guitars as the previous, it is the drum beat driving the verses and pushing the listener along gently through the track that makes it so unique.

Finally, the EP ends with a return to annihilative heaviness on the closing track A Fawn Flayed. There’s not much that can be said that hasn’t been said already. This track is heavy and truly pushes the boundaries of that extensively. What is interesting however is how the end breakdown seems to almost call back to another project that some of the members of HEAVENSGATE were a part of, perhaps as a means of demonstrating their influence and their ability to execute the same ideas with greater intensity and precision. Regardless, this EP is a monolithic moment in this band’s career, which is likely to reach incredible highs in the future. This wonderful cacophony of metalcore, hardcore influence, shoegaze elements would easily be a release of the year contender for any fans of ALPHA WOLF, THROWN or MAKE THEM SUFFER.

Score: 8/10

A Heart Is A Heavy Burden is out on 24th October 2025 via Pure Noise Records.

Words: Alex Boyd

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