REVIEW: HRTLSS - The Devil On My Shoulder
HRLTSS have done an impressive amount of growing up in the last year, evident in the captivating, emotional new EP The Devil On My Shoulder. The Cambridge four-piece have fine tuned their ambitious sound in the space of seven singles, marrying together metalcore, R&B and electronic elements and culminating in these four tracks that truly embrace what makes them special.
Story led from the opening riff, The Devil On My Shoulder feels like an EP that could comfortably sit on the shelves of BAD OMENS, SLEEP TOKEN or PRESIDENT fans. It effortlessly weaves heavy emotions with an equally heavy sound but delivers it with soaring melodies and brutal screams. HRTLSS embark on a heart rendering journey to explore the inner depths of toxic love and self preservation, their characteristic metalcore sound paired with emotional lyrics feel like a friend taking you by the hand and leading you through the toughest of self realisations. Although the lyrics are raw and effecting, their intimacy isn’t intrusive. Perfectly striking the balance of unfiltered vulnerability and relatability, songs like Pulling The Thread and title track The Devil On My Shoulder don’t lose their resonance as they build to their hookiest choruses, instead their message comes away with you.
Pulling The Thread is a remarkable opening track, setting the scene for what will unravel over the next fourteen minutes, but it also serves as a precursor for the level of swift storytelling that can be inked into each song of this record. Introducing the toxic relationship that will play a central role in this EP, the moments of silence, broken up with a driving electronic beat bring the chorus crashing in from greater heights. Following that track with The Devil On My Shoulder, another bruising song that leaves a mark on the psyche for its introspective examination of trauma and the reluctance to accept responsibility. It’s brutally honest but not unapproachable. Breathe Me In offers a seductive reprieve, calculated in its placement in the track list, at exactly the point where you need it. It’s a breath of fresh air in the form of a tight, alluring moment that reminds you that you wanted everything that has caused the hurt and raw emotion of each track up until this point.
To close the EP, HRTLSS could have opted for more of this sensual storytelling, but instead they go for the jugular. They hold you accountable. As the final chords of To Dust push you towards an understanding of the destructive nature of every track thus far, it closes the album like the chapter of a book. There is still so much left to unpick but there are no more words on the page, no more music left to experience. Only the vaguely unsettling feeling that you’ve sufficiently unpacked more baggage than you maybe initially intended to.
Intimate, devastating, brave. It’s a record of opposing sides - push and pull, yin and yang, love and loathing - with a seductive sound that feels part diary entry, part confessional outpouring. At its heart, it’s about honesty. With yourself, the world around you, and the decisions you ultimately make. And the lyrics stay with you long after the album has stopped spinning, leaving you wondering "Do you hear the butterflies?".
Score: 9/10
The Devil On My Shoulder will be released on Friday 2nd October by Papercut Recordings.
Words: Jade du Preez
Photos: HRTLSS
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