From Agony to Elegy: Unraveling The Animal Warfare Act’s Newest Single
In their newest single, “My Hellbound Heart”, Toronto-based horror-metal group The Animal Warfare Act explores the nuances of terror, despair, and melancholy in a nine-minute track that vibrates with spine-chilling grief, and soul-stirring narratives. The song taps into the eerie world of Clive Barker’s 1987 film “Hellraiser”, resulting in a bone-rattling symphony that reveals a gloomier aspect of the band’s discography. Despite deviating from their more traditional aggressive sound, the single still captures the horror-metal genre with a numbing intensity.
“My Hellbound Heart” begins with echoing whispers weaving through a backbone of steady guitar before Hopskotch’s (guitar/ vocals) voice cuts in and begins to tell the sorrowful tale of a thorny relationship. The first verse emerges with a scream, ending the intro’s grim lament with an arrangement marked by Corndog’s (drums, piano) precise percussive assault and Hopskotch’s gritty dissonant guitar. As the track progresses into the chorus, the lyrics paint a clearer picture of a protagonist whose love refuses to be severed, even unto death. The chorus unveils a thunderous cacophony that harkens back to early primal sounds of bands like Korn and Slipknot. Hopskotch’s comparable, yet singular, expressive, and confrontational vocal style adds a letter of authenticity to the song, giving the tune a unique identity among its genre counterparts.
Along the continuum of the song, it moves into a repetitive refrain “all my nightmares are about you.” This iteration is sung alongside blistering metal instrumentation that hits you in the gut and stirs a serious longing to catch it live.
Music journalist and photographer Isabel Glasgow affirms this yearning:
“Their shows are some of the most captivating, fun and entertaining I’ve ever seen, with wicked music to match the feral chaos they conjure.”
The heart of the song is shrouded in anguish and heartbreak, a dynamic that is likely to intensify in a live setting.
In the last phases of the song, a melodic intensity creates the backdrop for the song’s protagonist to plead for their departed love not to abandon them and a gentle piano emerges, providing listeners with a cathartic release. The piano is enchanting and provides a moment of solace for listeners as the priorly experienced chaos fluidly spills into a melancholic lullaby.
“My Hellbound Heart” is a bold and chilling single that attests to the band’s commitment to push their limits and grow as artists.
“I didn’t really care about what anyone else would think of this song when I wrote it,” comments Hopskotch. “This one was for me, and I wanted to challenge myself and grow as a songwriter, singer and player by doing something different than anything I’d done before. As far as I’m concerned, this song is already a success because it achieved its goal.”
“My Hellbound Heart” is bound to exceed its intended goal and transcend expectations. The single is a phenomenal accomplishment for The Animal Warfare Act, seamlessly blending elements of hair-raising horror, heartbreak, and musical prowess. As the piano melody resonates in the final notes, the song becomes more than just a Clive Barker tale- it’s a demonstration of the band’s fervent desire to grow as artists and create a distinct and innovative musical narrative- a desire that they successfully realized.