The Band
Heaven Shall Burn is a German metalcore, melodic death metal band, formed in 1995. In their lyrics, they often talk about animal rights, anti-racism and anti-fascism, and other social justice causes.
Their name comes from the black metal band Marduk’s album Heaven Shall Burn… When We Are Gathered. They liked how the name sounded.
Band members
- Marcus Bischoff – vocals
- Maik Weichert – guitars
- Alexander Dietz – guitars
- Eric Bischoff – bass
- Christian Bass – drums
The Album
Heimat (Home) is their tenth studio album. It was released on June 27, 2025.
The Songs
1. Ad Arma. Intro. Instrumental. Violin and sounds from the woods like the start of an epic movie.
2. War Is the Father of All. It starts in Latin. The epic vibe repeats throughout the song. Symphonic. Blast beats on drums. Death vocals yet heavy metal at its pure music-wise. I love it. Love Markus’ voice. Nice guitar work.
3. My Revocation of Compliance. Angry song. About animal abuse. It’s super heavy and aggressive. They remind me a lot of Children of Bodom but without a piano.
4. Confounder. In the beginning, starts a little differently with a stripped version of the instruments and some electronic sounds, and when Markus joins with a scream, it gets all the instruments heavier and distorted.
I liked the guitar solo. Some parts of the guitar solo at the end reminisce about the ending guitar solo in Kreator’s Violent Revolution. I don’t know if that was intentional or if I am tripping, but if it was, it is a nice touch since the lyrics are on the same social themes (protest).
5. Empowerment. A call to pick a side and face your enemies. Great guitar solo, and guitar work, and also love the initial guitar riff.
6. A Whisper From Above. Starts on the power metal side. Double bass drums. The song is about Irene Gut Opdyke, a Polish nurse who helped Jews during World War II.
7. Imminence. Instrumental. Epic and uplifting. Sounds from the woods. It’s like the continuation of the first track. I interpret it as the dawn after a battle.
It is a homage to the Swedish metalcore band Imminence, who previously did a song called Heaven Shall Burn:
8. Those Left Behind. Markus’s scream starts this track. About the local agents in the Afghanistan war who were promised to improve their lives if they helped the German Army, only to be abandoned afterward.
9. Ten Days in May. Another one begins with Markus’s scream, then a calm instrumental that evolves to a heavy song when he does a blegh. This song has my favorite guitar solo of the album.
Tells the story of the coup in South Korea in the 80s and the following people’s uprising.
10. Numbered Days (Killswitch Engage cover; featuring Jesse Leach).
This is a cover that features the same singer as the original song. Love the contrast between Jesse’s beautiful tone in his voice and Markus’s aggressive style.
11. Dora. Markus does some growling between his harsh vocals. Stunning guitar work and solid drumming.
Operation Dora was a German military operation in 1942 during World War II, aimed at gathering intelligence and planning future offensives in North Africa.
12. A Silent Guard. It began super calm, almost like a power ballad, until Markus starts singing, and the instruments go heavier, even though it retains some softer lines on the guitar throughout the song.
It has a beautiful, smooth instrumental interlude nearly at the end, just to go back to the previous tone of the song and the chorus.
13. Inter Arma. A melancholic instrumental that serves as the ending of the album (Disc 1). Sounds of the woods, birds, and a violin.
Disc 2:
14. Keinen Schritt zurück (feat. Donots). (No Step Back). It has a hardcore punk feeling, and it makes sense since it features the German punk band Donots, their singer, Jan Dirk Poggemann, starts the vocals.
It has a segment of isolated bass lines, like a mini solo.
15. Schweineherbst (feat. Dÿse). (Swine Autumn). A chaotic critic of Germany. A rocker guitar solo. Features Dÿse, a German Post-Hardcore duo.
16. Eisenkopf. (Iron Head). The heaviest and densest song on the album. Amazing guitar solo. About being strong and moving forward on your own.
17. Destroy Fascism. Short song. A track against neo-Nazis and racism.
Final Thoughts
Powerful drums, great guitar lines and solos, and a darkness that comes from the bass.
Their music is heavy but melodic with harsh vocals. Yet their lyrics are always positive. I love that they are so compromised with politics, animal rights, and social justice.
They mix my favorite causes together, all musicalized with massive music.
Splendid work.
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🎵 Album mentioned in this review:
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Tracklist
- Ad Arma
- War Is the Father of All
- My Revocation of Compliance
- Confounder
- Empowerment
- A Whisper from Above
- Imminence
- Those Left Behind
- Ten Days in May
- Numbered Days (Killswitch Engage cover; featuring Jesse Leach)
- Dora
- A Silent Guard
- Inter Arma
Disc 2:
- Keinen Schritt zurück (feat. Donots)
- Schweineherbst (feat. Dÿse)
- Eisenkopf
- Destroy Fascism