Heavy Song of the Week is a feature on Heavy Consequence breaking down the top metal and hard rock tracks you need to hear every Friday. This week, the top spot goes to “Future of Hell” by HEALTH.
HEALTH dropped a whopping five singles leading up to the release of their brand-new album RAT WARS. A testament to the strength of the LP, the other album cuts measure up to the hype built by the singles, especially the second track “Future of Hell.”
The song is built around an invigorating electro-industrial beat that threatens to collapse into harsh noise before being squelched before the next downbeat — a hypnotizing push-and-pull dance rhythm. The group let this ride for an extended duration before the music drops out and the vocals come in. In contrast to the song’s rather brutal intro, the vocal passage is saccharine and melodious, a well-timed twist that dictates the remainder of this catchy deep cut.
Honorable Mentions:
Sebastian Bach – “What Do I Got to Lose?”
It’s interesting to note that Sebastian Bach co-wrote his comeback single “What Do I Got to Lose?” with fellow rock singer Myles Kennedy (Alter Bridge, Slash). The track definitely has the same flair as some of Kennedy’s work alongside Slash, and the vocal arrangement is insanely demanding, testing Sebastian’s famous vocal range. Of course, he nails it. We also love his quote describing the song: “It’s an anthem for coming back and crushing it. It’s time to lay down the law and put the hammer down old school-style.”
DragonForce – “Power of the Saber Blade”
The upcoming DragonForce album, Warp Speed Warriors, has a loose video-game concept, with the band having previously visited the land of Hyrule for the Zelda-themed “Power of the Triforce.” DragonForce’s latest single and non-album track, “Power of the Saber Blade,” is more new-school as far as its gaming premise, being featured on the soundtrack for the VR rhythm game Beat Saber, where you literally slash at “the beats of adrenaline-pumping music” with a saber as they fly at you. It’s a callback to DragonForce’s most famous rhythm-game placement: “Through the Fire and Flames” in Guitar Hero 3.
Lucifer – “Slow Dance in a Crypt”
Occult hard-rock revivalists Lucifer bring things to a crawl on “Slow Dance in a Crypt,” a ballad from their upcoming album Lucifer V. This is a straight up waltz, and the murky guitar leads and staggered pace allow the band to indulge in a lighter-hoisting slow burn, giving vocalist Johanna Platow Andersson the spotlight among the muted notes and open space in the arrangement.
