Album Review: This Place Only Brings Death // Heart of A Coward

35 bruising minutes. That’s how long it needs for Heart of a Coward to snap your face off on their fifth album  This Place Only Brings Death. They have taken the metal scene by storm over the last decade, and I witnessed them tear up the main stage at Bloodstock a few years ago. It was powerful, and the new album delivers with precision.

The title track hits you in the face with some heavy nu metal riffs. The drums and vocals sound so crystal clear, and you can tell they bring passion and heart. The guitar tone rips my face off completely, but wait till you hear the filth on “Surrender to a failure”. The melodic chorus reminds me of Architects, especially the breakdown. You feel the torment and angst in the lyrics. This is going to cause moshpits. 

We have some breakbeat intro in “Devour me”, complete with a catchy radio friendly chorus. While this might not appeal to all fans, the immediate breakdown should win them over. It’s crushing and brutal, and this continues on the atmospheric “Decay”. With lyrics like “Nothing’s going to last forever, it really sums up the state of how we are on a broken planet. There is a strong Architects influence on here which I really like. I love it when the open notes of a guitar crush mu soul, and Heart of a Coward do this in abundance. The impossibly infectious bounce of “Dehumanise” is danceable, and a favourite from the album. 

This Place Only Brings Death is an ode to a broken planet, a call to action. Heart of a Coward have delivered an album that their fans will love. If you are a fan of metalcore, Architects, and Silent Planet, this one is for you too.

Words by Ermis Madikopoulos