My Heart To Fear

Just when I thought I wouldn’t be impressed with a new metalcore band, My Heart to Fear comes along and gives the genre a breath of fresh air. The band doesn’t reinvent the wheel with their debut full-length release Algorithm, but they certainly bring more to it than any other band has in several years. They have the technicality of a Becoming the Archetype, but add so much of their own style that comparisons to any other band are almost impossible.

One of the first things you notice on Algorithm is that the breakdowns are replaced with solos – and good solos at that. The keys play another part, highlighting an area that separates MHTF from most other metalcore bands. Instead of sticking to simple chords backed with string effects, the keyboardist uses a variety of sounds and frequently takes the lead; “The Witching Hour Part 2” and “The Sneaking Chair” both demonstrate the keyboardist’s skill along with an interesting take on clean vocals in metalcore.

One good thing about Algorithm is that the band realizes they don’t need to constantly play as fast as they can. The tempos change fairly frequently, and it keeps the listeners on board. “Pack Up, We’re Leaving” is the best example of this. The song starts with a slow melody before kicking into a typical hardcore tempo. But at the 1:12 mark, the vocals change to a rap-like tempo. Several of the other songs have moments like this that keep it fresh. If you’ve lost hope that there is no more fresh, heavy music, check out My Heart to Fear.

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Sean Huncherick

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