Heights

They might look like a couple of adorable British cherubs, but with debut Dead Ends, the boys in Heights have created a surging post-hardcore album that delivers in every respect. Channelling the passion and intensity of youth into a mature sound is no easy task, but these lads accomplish it beautifully. Nearly every track on Dead Ends has nuanced, intense emotions combined with superb songwriting ― this is a very bleak album and that's what makes it so good. The band are able to channel their existential angst by combining crushing riffs and breakdowns with harmonics and melody. It might sound odd, but Heights are essentially the Interpol of heavy music. Dead Ends is consistent in its themes and sounds, as each song builds off the last. It's not quite into concept territory, but the themes of alienation, loneliness and loss are consistent throughout. In fact, existentialism brackets the album with opener "We Live Alone" and its reprised closer, "…And That's How We Die." The band are solid throughout, never missing a note, holding each song's complex arrangements together. Frontman Thomas Debaere lends Dead Ends a scream reminiscent of Refused's Dennis Lyxzén: powerful, emotional and raw. Every track stands out, but be sure to check out the band's Facebook page for video and first single "Eye For An Eye."