HeartachesSvart

Ooft, anyone thinking that Sworn In have dropped the ball in recent times? Maybe we’re about due for some hefty breakdowns courtesy of a younger group from one of the darkest places on the planet. Hailing from Sweden, Heartaches know that it’s these breakdowns that keep everyone on the hook in their latest EP Svart. The record’s name literally translates to “black”; not the most surprising of titles for a record full of references to suicide and feeling trapped in the mind. A surprising amount of variety manages to find its way into the five actual songs (a minute-long intro kicks off the proceedings) on the EP. Djent-style riffs may be heading out of fashion but they fit in well alongside high-pitched guitar wails.

The production has no small part to play in this achievement with each track’s beatdown made to feel like a concrete filled boot stomp.

Thankfully the nu-metal ‘spoken’ parts in Ruthless are short-lived, and the song manages to bring a mish-mash of breakdowns and grooves into one cohesive whole. The production has no small part to play in this achievement with each track’s beatdown made to feel like a concrete filled boot stomp. To cap things off, Tyler Shelton of Traitors fame provides guest vocals in the EP’s final track Deathlist and his technique revitalizes the track as we hurtle to the end. There’s nothing too new offered on Svart, but it’s no record to skip by. Each slower moment on Heartaches’ EP brings a moment of gleeful anticipation for the next heavy assault, and there’s not many of their peers that can say the same.

Standout Tracks: Deathlist, Ruthless, Backyard Tree
Stick this next to: Sworn In, Architects, Traitors

Heartaches EP Svart is out now through Artery Recordings