The Black Heart Rebellion:
Har Nevo – REVIEW

The Black Heart Rebellion is a Belgian collective, and Har Nevo is their second full-length. After an impressive debut album, Monologue, which was received well by critics and was based in the composition of massive atmosphere with a hardcore approach, these guys decided to take their art a “little” further, stretching their boundaries.

But let’s cut the crap and talk about their latest effort. “Avraham,” the first of the eight songs compiled in this album, starts with the beautiful sound of wind chimes, mixed with crescendo percussion work, that collides with heavy breathing and finishes with the sung words, inviting all the listeners of The Black Heart Rebellion’s house to share all the “worries” and “sin.” You can see that this makes all the sense in the world, especially when you listen to the full record and you see (understand) all the changes which occur…these guys are trying to find their home, and I’m guessing this will be the work of a lifetime.

Sonically, we can trace some of this music back to dark folk music, and even the great names like Swans or The Velvet Underground. Well, I’m sure we can point to dozens of other “influences,” but it’s an exercise that’s rather boring and useless. The truth is that Har Nevo exceeds itself and plays in its’ own league…Just like any brilliant piece of art.

All the brilliance in this record is in the way the little details work together, building an incredible journey where the listener is affected both physically and mentally. Take “Circe” for example: the dark atmosphere mixed with a whispering voice and introspective lyrics…It’s incredible the immediate affect that this track has on the listener.

Talking about the “little” details, I have the obligation to mention the percussion work that runs throughout the eight tracks. The band works in a cohesive way, but it’s impossible to ignore the huge impact of this percussion work. The way he creates space, shifts moods and plays with your soul…it’s mesmerizing. In fact, I think it’s one of the most brilliant, delicious and enigmatic works that I have heard in a long time.

It’s also mandatory to talk about the vocal performances too. What impresses me the most is not the quality per se, but the intelligent way that it is applied in all the different moments of the record. And don’t think it’s an easy job. The diversity here is kind of scary.

I can’t say that I understand this record, and I think it will be impossible to, no matter how many times I’ve listened and how much effort I put into it. Har Nevo is a journey of humanity, trying to find the answers to the most complex and enigmatic questions that we, human beings, ask. Maybe that’s why this is a fine piece of art…Because it touches on the strange ways of human life.

With Har Nevo, The Black Heart Rebellion achieves one milestone in the heavy (not in the way you might think) scene that we have today. They run through unknown ways, and we don’t know what they will do next. FUCK IT! What’s the point of knowing that kind of shit? In this case, not knowing is the best gift. For now, they leave us with a classic and timeless record…And the promise:

For the rise of our land
For the growth of its fields I’ll rise
For the warmth of its seeds I’ll grow
I’ll grow
I’ll grow

Apart from the fact that this is a BRILLIANT piece of work, we can draw from it other important conclusions:
– Church of Ra (the collective around Amenra, which TBHR is a part of) is one of the most vital art collectives of our times – Colin and Mathieu from Amenra appear as guests in “Ein Avdat”;
– We live in an era of great and astounding music;
– The Black Heart Rebellion has written their name on the wall of the Great Ones – Har Nevo will be forever in our souls;

IMPORTANT: Hearing the record without paying attention to the lyrics is like trying to live without breathing.

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Released 18 January 2013
Recorded March-August 2012 at La Patrie, Ghent, BE.
Recorded and mixed by Koen Gisen.
Mastered by Uwe Teichert at Elektropolis, Brussels, BE.

Smoke & Dust Records (BE), Adagio830 Records (DE), Tokyo Jupiter Records (JP)
Benelux distribution by Rough Trade