this album birthed endcore.

i like how Labyrinthian is almost a ballad compare to other songs lol

This band and album are basically a musical wall of death. It runs you over, helps you up, and runs you over again and again....for 40+ minutes. Masterpiece.

This album is just 50mins of stankface. Feels like a genre defining moment this one.

Bearer with Burden as an intro is something else. I It is like literally soundtrack to collapse of the world. That riff in the middle... It's overwhelming, full of agony and helplessness. God tier thing

the end of Catastrophize is some of the most evil shit I've ever heard, pure stank. thinking this'll end up in my top 5 albums of the year :) awesome to see you back at it homie, hope you're holding up alright

masterpiece of an album.

As much as I absolutely loved heavener and gave that album a 10 out of 10 and AOTY...but then Ashen came out. I give this album a 12 out of 10 because i don't think many bands can release something at this level. Only band who could top them would be vildhjarta ofc lmao

Passage was my favorite track as well, and then I heard Blood Spilled, and that changed everything for me.

Will be one of my most listened to albums this year

At the end of the album, one's face is just like a raisin lol

Glad you reviewed this masterpiece album by HLB. I also hope you are feeling better. The heaviness and sheer brutality of this album is unmatched! Buster and the band took it to a new dark level. 10 out of 10!!🤘🏻🔥🤘🏻

Great reaction! The atmosphere is so freakin' smothering, chaotic and earth-shattering, and i'm all here for it! Freakin' love it.

This was excellent, really nice to see you love it as well! I heard their last album and it didn't resonate with me that much. I don't feel like there's been a massive change in sound this album but for whatever reason it works for me here! Top 3 on first listen is probably Labyrinthian, Passage and either Blood Spilled or Lifeless, Deathless! I'm quite glad as you mentioned the blast beats were used sparingly, they are much more effective for me if they aren't overdone. My only critique might be a slight lack in variety and the tracks maybe blending too much into one another but I know for a lot of people that won't be a problem if they love this sound! Hard to say if this will be a top 10 album for me with the list getting very crowded but certainly something I will be coming back to! Thanks again for all your effort with these album reactions!

Thank you so much Rachelle for putting this on yt. Passage is my favorite song as well. Great Album Reaction, as always.

It's just such a good album, so much fun stuff to pick out on every listen, and truly feels apocalyptic, I also think you put it really well since Catastrophize is my fav for the reason you mentioned where it kinda sounds like a good encapsulation of the feel of the album if that makes sense. Anyways fantastic vid, and hope you have a great day :D

God, those visualisers are perfect. Staring into a black hole...

Its the first time when i actually cant decide which one is my favourite. I love all of them

This is the music you hear entering a black hole. Incredible.

Definitely the album of the year by far! Love it!!

I lost interest for metal years ago. But this album just brought me back into it. I love the production, the lyrics, the writing. Just excellent work. 10/10 without any doubt.

Thanks, tonight I know what I will watch, great reaction 😁

Sitting on the train to Copenhagen to go see HLB live tomorrow and watching your reaction. That little giggle at the end of ”Passage” had me burst into laugther so loud that the other passengers turned around and checked what’s going on. 😂 Awesome reaction as always Rachelle! I love how passionate and genuine you are about music. Greetings from Sweden!

I’ve listened to HLB from the beginning. Not impossible, but hard to think of someone else being as much of a diehard fan as me, and maybe one other friend who introduced me to them. From what I’ve gathered from their music, in all details (lyrically and musically) is that this band gives off the vibe where they are conceptually a species of an outer-space beast, that was created by an alien life form, who’s sole purpose is to destroy an entire solar system of life within seconds. Then report back to the alien life form from which it was created to deliver the harvested goods from that solar system it just eradicated mindlessly, with no remorse.

One of my favorite bands and albums

ALBUM OF 2023!!!! Not even close!!!! HLB FOREVER

My fav parts are the rhythmic chugs sprinkled throughout, either Tuomos or Buster salt bae sprinkling those in 👌🏽 Tied for top track are Lifeless, Deathless and Catastrophize for me. This group just cannot miss. t h a l l

I dont think anything will top Sleep Token for me. But i am willing to make a 1.5 for HLB with this album. And omg, imagine if we get a Vildjharta album as well??? I wont survive this year lol

out of all the albums to not have an instrumental version (at least on spotify) and it being this one hurts my soul. because i feel like this one would benefit from that the most. I'm pretty sure this album just has the most in it out of their discography in terms of how much the songs contain.

New Vildhjarta song out soon - den spanska känslan

straight from the pits of hell ..love it

Who else up systeming their down?

These songs are like getting hit by a brick wall, absolute chonk. It's nothing but nasty the entire time. *Sidenote: What happened to the Sleep Token album review? That was a great reaction vid

I play this album daily on my way to work

I had birthday when this album came out, now Im going to make a tattoo with logos of the songs... My sweet and dark HLB.

The whole mix just completely crushes, but these are some of the CHONKIEST drums I've ever hesrd. This whole release is like a soundtrack for Armageddon. That ×$#÷ing groove in Withering gets me every time, and the chorus that follows is simply god-tier. stankery.

Can't stop listening to HLB since Materiafest 2023! Vocals are from the afterlife, sound is a killing machine!! Lyrics!!! Visuals are perfect! This band is complete!!! \m/

Low and slow with flashes of evil > fast and evil with disgusting sludge once in a while. Love both though. Low and slow is comfy and then you're reminded that it's not at all safe here, then it's gone and you're left scared shitless. About the thought you start at 49:55. It does seem to me that Passage is the most riff dense track. It's actually the most conventional in comparison with the rest of the album. I've listened to the whole thing about 5 times now and I just can't shake this impression that these weirdos have managed to create ambiance that grooves. It's low and slow, it's evil, it's triumphant, it moves, there are some scary riffs that stand out as punctuation, but it's weird how few of them there are for a 47 minute album that is absolutely relentless. I've read some reviews that found it very boring and I can actually see how some people might feel that way. In retrospect the singles were chosen very well as well as the release order. Linger is the only track that doesn't fit in the album somehow. I don't know why. Bearer is a perfect ending. The simple bendy melody reminds me of the sorrow slides in Vildhjarta - Den Helige Anden. The second half of the track, when the lyrics come in with "I feel like I'm worsening".... To me this is the reason this album was written and sounds like it does. AOTY absolutely. Also - album of the foreseeable future. This thing is important. I don't know what happened, I saw some comments wishing you well. What you do is awesome and very much appreciated. It can get lonely out here. I've been subbed for a while and while I'm not a regular, I am interested in your opinion, because from what I've seen I know you get 'it'. Take care.

If this album was something physical, I'd love to get hit by it right in the face. I put this on top of my deathcore albums list right beside Black Tongue's Nadir

Hey! Whats the song from the beginning?? So cool

fucking spotify gave me the false hope with the singles that I have the endurance for that album, well I am weak AF

artcore

Humanity's last breath takes no prisoners

A fu**ing bulldozer!

This album is good but its kinda repetivie. Almost all of them songs feels like they are all the same. Valde was different and special. This one is heavy but they forgot to do something different with all tracks. 3/5 for me but I'd dtill say this might be the album of the year.

Hello Rachelle new Sub here also hope to join you on twitch do I need to be a patreon to make request