Iconoclast
Heaven Shall Burn · 2008
66 min · 16 tracks · metalcore
A relentless barrage of melodic riffs and aggressive rhythms echo the struggle against oppression and despair.
Top tracks — play these first
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Endzeit — This track combines driving instrumentation with urgent vocals, encapsulating the album's themes of apocalypse and resistance against societal destruction.
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Murderers of All Murderers — With its intense breakdowns and thought-provoking lyrics, this song critiques violence in society, making it a standout for its lyrical content and musical aggression.
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A Quest for Resistance — This track features soaring melodies intertwined with powerful growls, representing the struggle to rise against oppression in a compelling musical narrative.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album features intricate compositions and dynamic shifts, solidifying its place in metalcore while exploring meaningful themes.
What we noticed
- The album opens with a brief intro track that sets a dark tone before launching into high-energy songs with fast tempos and intricate guitar work.
- Many tracks feature alternating vocal styles, combining harsh screams with melodic clean vocals to emphasize lyrical themes of struggle and resistance.
- Several songs incorporate tempo changes, shifting from aggressive sections to slower, more melodic passages, creating dynamic contrasts throughout the record.
- The last three tracks build in intensity, culminating in a climactic finish that leaves the listener with a sense of resolution.
- Composition 25% of the score
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7/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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8/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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6/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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6/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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7/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- wave-like dynamics with resolution
- intense moments of cathartic release
- reflective pauses amidst aggression
- engaging narrative through each track
Maybe skip if you
- prefer instant gratification tracks
- avoid lengthy, immersive experiences
Where this album fits
- Career context
- Released in early 2008, Iconoclast marked Heaven Shall Burn's fifth studio album and showcased their evolution into a more complex sound. Following the success of their previous album, Antigone, this record solidified the band's status within the melodic death metal and metalcore scenes, demonstrating their thematic depth and musical maturity.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Caliban· As I Lay Dying· Killswitch Engage
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 Awoken (intro) 1:28
- 2 Endzeit 4:17
- 3 Like a Thousand Suns 3:45
- 4 Murderers of All Murderers 3:54
- 5 Forlorn Skies 4:50
- 6 A Dying Ember 6:56
- 7 Joel 5:03
- 8 A Quest for Resistance 4:51
- 9 Black Tears 3:06
- 10 The Bombs of My Saviours 4:22
- 11 Against All Lies 5:08
- 12 The Disease 2:46
- 13 Equinox 3:09
- 14 Atonement 4:34
- 15 No One Will Shed a Tear 4:41
- 16 Downfall of Christ 3:10
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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