In Hearts Wake – Ark

Byron Bay metal core outfit In Hearts Wake continue their environmentalism themed records with their latest offering Ark. Following on from Earthwalker in 2014 and Skydancer in 2015 this time around the band is focused on water conservation.

Kicking off the album with a bang are singles Passage and Nomad, however shortly after this the record all becomes far too familiar. If you’ve listened to In Hearts Wake’s previous records you have essentially listened to this new record, which is rather disappointing.

Sadly the band have seemingly fallen into the trap of simply sticking to what they know works rather than continuing to push boundaries and redefine the genre. This record retreads breakdowns and guitar lines whilst also pairing them with a tried and true songwriting formula and album flow.

Overall this is a good, but not great, record. If you’re still desperate to check it out perhaps stick to just the single releases.

★★★