ALBUM REVIEW: Half Black Heart – New Years Day
After almost two decades of being a band, you would have thought that NEW YEARS DAY would have achieved everything they ever dreamed of, but they’re not quite done yet. After a lengthy five-year hiatus, the rock quintet from Anaheim, California are back with their fifth studio album Half Black Heart. As well as putting their heart and soul into the writing and recording of this new record, the group spent the majority of last year on the road with artists such as HALESTORM, ICE NINE KILLS and IN THIS MOMENT.
Whilst NEW YEARS DAY are keen to explore new musical avenues, it appears that they are also keen to go back to their roots. Half Black Heart is the first release in nine years to feature returning band members bassist Brandon Wolfe, rhythm guitarist Jeremy Valentyne and drummer Trixx Daniel, with vocalist Ash Costello explaining that this enabled them to tap into “the original sound that initially defined NEW YEARS DAY,” adding that it allowed the band “to evolve into an authentic representation of who we are today!”
The album begins with Vampyre, which is the perfect introduction. Starting off with a fantastic, thumping metal guitar riff, it really sets the scene for what’s to come, lyrically discussing a person in Costello‘s life that seems to drain her in every way possible. By the time it gets to the chorus, it has the listener hook, line and sinker. The bridge breakdown is just exhilarating, complimenting the track in the best way possible. Next up is the title track, which is the ideal combination of an infectious pop chorus layered with impactful rock filled attitude, while the following Hurts Like Hell and Secrets are two great examples of NEW YEARS DAY at their finest.
In Fearless, Costello recognises herself as a powerful, strong woman in the world, as she belts the repetitive yet catchy chorus “I was born to be fearless / Fearless, fearless, fearless.” Bullet Proof turns the album in a slightly unexpected direction, expressing the sudden realisation of a romantic partner being abusive. A gentle piano melody leads as you witness the true talent of Costello who really wows on the track. It’s a welcome change of pace and it also shows some vulnerability lyrically with Costello seemingly expressing her personal pain following a romantic break-up.
Burn It All Down uses slight electronic production to make this track dissimilar to that which came before, which definitely works in their favour, although the song is a little lacklustre in comparison to others on the release – the first let down on the album. The same proves true of Enemy and I Still Believe – another two tracks which are pretty lifeless, with nothing to really distinguish them from the rest. The choruses just don’t match up to some of the hard hitters elsewhere on Half Black Heart. Unbreak My Heart is an additional slower number, which is a little bit boring and doesn’t have the necessary oomph, at least until the last minute or so, which is something.
The penultimate track So Sick is an improvement to say the least. The chorus lives up to what a listener may have been anticipating from NEW YEARS DAY – if the rest of the album was like this, the band would definitely be onto a winner. Closer Creature Of Habit is strong too; it has a somewhat creepy introduction which is truly fantastic, and it ends Half Black Heart on an absolute high, showcasing what NEW YEARS DAY do best. Ultimately, Half Black Heart is a record with mixed results, but the many musical pluses most certainly work to the band’s advantage here, evidently summarising what they really stand for and showing it off in spades.
Rating: 7/10
Half Black Heart is set for release on March 1st via Century Media Records.
Like NEW YEARS DAY on Facebook.