Australian metalcore has garnered quite the reputation over the years. During the mid-to-late 2000s, the country started producing its fair share of big name bands in the trendy genre, with the likes of Northlane, Parkway Drive, and The Amity Affliction all gaining notoriety within the same stretch of years.
Among this wave of Australian metalcore popularity was Byron Bay-based quintet In Hearts Wake, eventually releasing their highly beloved debut album in 2012’s Divination. The album wasn’t anything starkly different from what we had heard, but the blend of cutting, bouncy chugs, pounding chinas, and soaring melodies was one that proved to be a standout in the genre. It still holds up as a phenomenal record to this very day, shining as one of the better metalcore releases of the era
However, it’s from here on where the band seemed to lose their touch. The follow up dueling releases in Earthwalker and Skydancer were fine enough, but didn’t have the same bite that was present on their predecessor. 2017’s Ark had a couple of hits, but it was mostly even more of a step down. Then came 2020’s Kaliyuga, which was an attempt as a formula shakeup, but one that didn’t really seem to go over too well with fans.
To put it bluntly, the band is in much need of a big win. Even as recent as early 2024, the future for In Hearts Wake looked quite bleak, with longtime singer and bassist Kyle Erich exiting the band. Despite all of this, it seems In Hearts Wake still has some gas in the tank, as they went on to announce their sixth full-length LP Incarnation shortly after announcing the departure of their clean vocalist. So then, the question remains: will Incarnation finally be the album that pulls In Hearts Wake from their slump? Well, I’ll say one thing is for certain—this is quite easily the band’s best work in over a decade.
Incarnation is everything that has been missing from In Hearts Wake’s music since their debut and then some. This thing is chock full of delicious metalcore riffage, devastating grooves, and over-the-top, earth-shattering breakdowns that will leave you on your knees. To call this a comeback would be putting it lightly; Incarnation is a true return to form for the band, bringing the very best of their core sound to the forefront, whilst also not being afraid to throw new ideas at the wall. This is metalcore at its most fun, and it will keep a smile on your face from beginning to end.
The album opens with the fiery chaos of Spitting Nails, with its pounding nu-metal drum fills and pulsating, electric guitars. The musicality is just as technical as fans would come to expect from In Hearts Wake, whilst also feeling purposeful and catchy. This methodical style of songwriting is a trend that persists across most of Incarnation’s run time; it’s clear that the band put a lot of thought into the way that this batch of songs came together.
Hollow Bone and the kickass The Flood follow a similar path, with the latter being one of the album’s many highlights. The Flood in particular is guaranteed to get the crowds moving, with its neck-breaking pacing and heavy-as-shit chorus. The song also features a fantastic guest feature from Parkway Drive’s Winston McCall, sounding just as ferocious as ever. With how god awful that band’s output has been in recent years, it’s very refreshing to hear Winston’s voice on a good song for a change.
At the risk of sounding like some cringe dork from r/Metalcore, I will say that Incarnation shines at its heaviest, with Orphan in particular being one of In Hearts Wake’s most uniquely devastating songs they’ve ever put on record. The song sounds like you took a box of nu-metalcore riffs and breakdowns and tossed it down the stairs, in the very best way. It’s perfectly chaotic, writhing like a feral beast trapped in a cage. The world-crushing breakdown finale on this thing is truly one for the ages, leaving behind only death and wreckage. And seriously, “born into a world of shit” has to be one of the sickest mosh calls ever.
Tyrant is outstanding for similar reasons, albeit being a fair bit more structured and put together than something like Orphan. The song is a back-and-forth between blazing guitar licks and beefy five-layer burrito breakdowns, all culminating into what is undoubtedly the best metalcore breakdown of 2024, which features one of the most kickass elements of In Hearts Wake’s older music. I won’t spoil it exactly, but I am very happy that this recurring musical bit made a comeback somewhere on this record.
Elsewhere, Transmission serves as an extremely well written finale to Incarnation, taking inspiration from melodic hardcore with alluring, gorgeous leads, and heart-gripping lyricism. It’s quite a unique song for the band, taking a leap into previously uncharted territory for them. It’s an experiment that works quite well, whilst also fitting in with the album as a whole quite nicely. Well done, fellas.
However, this isn’t to say that Incarnation is a perfect album; there’s a few songs here that seem to go in one ear and out the other. Seriously, even after listening to the record multiple times, I couldn’t tell you what Generation Doom or Shellshock sound like. ‘Feeding the Dead’ also falls victim to forgetability, albeit it is quite a bit better than the aforementioned tracks.
The only song on the album that I really don’t like is Michigama, which brings a rapcore sound to the table which I think comes off more cringe than anything. The instrumental is fine enough, but the vocals, especially the terrible guest feature from King 810’s David Gunn, really sink the song quite a bit.
Regardless, Incarnation still feels like a true return to form for In Hearts Wake.
For fans of: Polaris, Parkway Drive, Wage War
‘Incarnation’ by In Hearts Wake is out now on UNFD.
Words by Hunter Hewgley
