Heaven Shall Burn

The opening to Veto sounds oddly like the Police's "Message in a Bottle," which is the last thing you want from a metal band. Unfortunately, it doesn't get much more threatening from there. While that's part of metalcore's charm, Heaven Shall Burn, much like their European metalcore brethren, avoid the overt catchiness and singing choruses of their American counterparts. This leaves the group stuck in a strange purgatory of leftover In Flames riffs, chugging sections and awkward, catchy musical choruses, but without the vocals to complement them. There is, of course, an exception to every rule and "Valhalla" is Veto's. The singing (and song as a whole) sounds nothing like that on the remainder of the album, and for good reason; it's a Blind Guardian cover. Meanwhile, "You Will Be Godless" stands out in the entirely opposite way. By sounding more like Aborted or Benighted, the track justifies the act's threatening name. However, the majority of Veto lacks that certain spark to start a conflagration.