After four years, Heaven Shall Burn have returned with a massive double album titled "Of Truth & Sacrifice" (out March 20). The record is divided into two parts, "Of Truth" and "Of Sacrifice," to reflect the concept of truth and the sacrifices people will make for it.
The effort opens with the instrumental track “March Of Retribution,” which works to set the tone for the album before things really heat up with the hard-hitting "Thoughts And Prayers." That track is immediately followed by “Eradicate," an aggressive rocker with shredding guitar that can definitely be considered one of the highlights on the "Of Truth" portion of the record. Other highlights from this half include: "My Heart And The Ocean," which is a heavy and grooving track with solid lyrics, "Expatriate," which is an experimental nine minute track with parts that offer a sense of serenity within the chaos, and "Terminate The Unconcern," which is a straight up banger that would be killer in a live setting. Part one ultimately ends with "The Ashes Of My Enemies," a slow instrumental piece that allows one to breathe as they get ready for part two.
The "Of Sacrifice" portion opens with “Children Of A Lesser God,” a belligerent track that pumps the listener up as soon as they insert the second disc. It is definitely one of the highlights of part two. The other highlights on this one include: “The Sorrows Of Victory,” which is a musical masterpiece with moments of calmness mixed with the powerful intensity that you would expect from the band, “Critical Mass,” which you can't help but jam out to, and "Weakness Leaving My Heart," which brings the double record to a close with an epic display of musicianship that walks the line between beauty and pandemonium.
All in all, “Of Truth & Sacrifice” is one of Heaven Shall Burn's strongest releases to date and it proves that the four year gap between albums was well worth the wait.