Austin, Texas based melodic death metal band-to-watch Hinayana will release their massive sophomore full-length album, “Shatter And Fall”, this Friday, November 10, 2023 via Napalm Records.
Following their stunning recent singles ‘Reverse The Code’ and ‘Triptych Visions’, Hinayana have released their third new single, ‘A Tide Unturning’, featuring guest vocal contributions from Tuomas Saukkonen of Wolfheart.
The track shines as one of the most brutalizing yet pensive metal ballads of 2023, as flowing melodies and deep resonating guitars surround the crushing voices of Saukkonen and frontman Casey Hurd.
In 2018, Hinayana first ensnared the masses with their self-released debut, “Order Divine”, and later defied the pandemic with their subsequent 2020 release, the “Death Of The Cosmic” EP. Produced by frontman Casey Hurd and Kevin Butler with mastering by Dan Swanö at Unisound, upcoming “Shatter And Fall” serves as a darker, more solemn work in comparison to their previous releases, yet superior without question in songwriting, technicality and cohesiveness. “Shatter And Fall” also features guest contributions from melodic death metal purveyors and label-mates Tuomas Saukkonen of Wolfheart and Vincent Jackson Jones of Aether Realm.
Setting them apart from contemporaries like Insomnium, Amorphis and Swallow the Sun, “Shatter And Fall” blends modern, accessible elements with equal parts melody and menace, emerging as a fresh entry in this year’s most head-turning metal offerings.
Frontman Casey Hurd says about the album: “‘Shatter And Fall’ is about Karma, one’s own fate, consequences, grief about our own actions, depression, loss of faith, yin and yang, light and dark, and our own unchanging nature as humans. It’s darker, heavier, and more diverse than our previous releases. We’re evolving and expanding on our sound to include more catchy and anthemic elements in addition to the darker, heavier material. This new album is a significant milestone for Hinayana.”
Introductory track ‘Slowly Light Collides’ opens the heavy gates of “Shatter And Fall” without hesitation, setting the stage for its impending intensity with a potent mixture of headbang-inducing heaviness and hair-raising melodies and harmonies. Second track ‘Mind Is A Shadow’, featuring guest vocals from Vincent Jackson Jones of fellow American melodic death metal frontrunners Aether Realm, hits equally hard with a gripping, chunky verse riff and searing chorus.
Frontman Casey Hurd’s deep growls juxtapose effortlessly with Jones’ skyscraper screams before a seizing solo from Erik Shtaygrud marks the track’s apex. Anthems like ‘How Many Dreams’, ‘The Answer’ and enthralling groove machine ‘Reverse The Code’ – the latter boasting one of the album’s most flourishing closer passages – march further into the icy depths, proving “Shatter And Fall” as a multifaceted melodeath record.
Powerful ‘Spirit And Matter’ and somber yet essential, spine-tingling ‘Triptych Visions’ feature some of the album’s most melancholic and introspective moments, traversing expansive peaks and valleys of deep metallic intensity and some of the album’s most delicate, acoustic-driven moments. The implementation of diverse styles, showcased by the varied instrumentation and intensity of songs like touching interlude ‘From Our Darkest Moments’, versus massive, crushing sonic saga ‘Lost To Flame’, poise the band for undeniable recognition.
All-consuming single ‘A Tide Unturning’ shines as the most desolate summit of “Shatter And Fall”, serving as one of the most brutalizing yet pensive ballads of 2023. The album ends on the grimmest note of all with blackened closer ‘Taken’, a re-recorded, renewed look back at a track originally released on the band’s 2014 demo “Endless”, marking an apt finish to an contemplative, emotional album tangling with themes of fate, grief and inevitable consequence.
“Shatter And Fall” will be available in the following formats, and it can be pre-order HERE.
- 1LP Gatefold BLACK
- 1CD Digisleeve
- Digital Album
“Shatter And Fall” Track List:
- Slowly Light Collides
- Mind Is A Shadow (feat. Vincent Jackson Jones)
- How Many Dreams
- Spirit And Matter
- From Our Darkest Moments
- Reverse The Code
- Lost To Flame
- The Answer
- Triptych Visions
- A Tide Unturning (feat. Tuomas Saukkonen)
- Taken
Hinayana are:
Casey Hurd / Guitar/Vocals
Daniel Vieira / Drums
Erik Shtaygrud / Guitar
Michael Anstice / Keyboard
Matt Bius / Bass
