Source: Album Artwork
Pallbearer are a band who are often shoehorned into the ‘Doom’ sub-genre which doesn’t really take into account all of the other cards they bring to the table. It wasn’t necessarily true of their excellent 2014 release Foundations Of Burden and it doesn’t take long to realize the same for Heartless on the first couple of spins. The point is they reach out into other territories with it at times feeling more like a straight up Metal record.
There are of course strong Doom elements in their sound, the signature mesmeric continuous riff-work runs through the very core of this album, but where many bands will leave it at that, Pallbearer weave off into a far more sprawling soundscape which actually helps with their overall accessibility. At a glance, you’ll see that Heartless only contains seven tracks, but true to form with this lot, they’re all over five minutes long, with two of them even topping ten minutes. These track lengths may be intimidating to casuals wondering what Pallbearer are all about but it’s important to note that it is in these longer tracks where the band truly shine. Taking the fourth track ‘Dancing In The Madness‘ as an example, in a single song Pallbearer take you on a real journey through several changes in pace, tone and attitude from delicate guitar melodies and soaring vocals to eye-watering slabs of crunch in just under twelve minutes.
As noted it is in these longer tracks where Pallbearer really shine, but that doesn’t take anything away from their shorter, more succinct jabs with the opening two tracks, ‘I Saw The End’ and ‘Thorns’ sounding like a blend of The Hunter era Mastodon and The Sword when they were good. Needless to say, if you hadn’t worked it out already both Brett Campbell and Devin Holt both seriously know how to deliver a riff or two in a partnership which grows and matures with every record. Perhaps the only slight qualm on this album is the fact that there are glimpses where the band tail off in to far more ‘catchy’ territory but they are few and far between. Despite several listens there isn’t anything that sticks as being overly memorable in that respect – perhaps not their ethos but it wouldn’t go amiss.
Overall then, Pallbearer continue on their strong wave of momentum which really kicked off in 2014 with the release of Foundations Of Burden. Heartless may not elevate them beyond the level they’re on initially, but with a whole new arsenal of riffs and tracks to play with live the next few years are set to be very exciting for the band.
