Skydancer (In Hearts Wake album)


Skydancer is the third studio album by Australian metalcore band In Hearts Wake. It was released on 1 May 2015 through UNFD and Rise Records. It was produced by Josh Schroeder, Dan Brown and Troy Brady. It is the continuation of their second studio album Earthwalker. The album peaked at No. 2 at official ARIA Charts. It's the last album to feature Caleb Burton as a writer, with his departure following the release of Skydancer. Nic Pettersen of Northlane played drums on the album, with Caleb being unable to secure a US Visa in time to record the album; producer Josh Schroeder revealed on Reddit that he was originally going to track drums for both Earthwalker and Skydancer, going as far as writing the drum tracks for both records and practicing as a touring member for the upcoming shows close to his studio.

Background and promotion

The single "Breakaway" was released on 4 March 2015, alongside an accompanying music video.
In Hearts Wake played a nine-date Australian tour in June to promote the album.

Writing and composition

The title track "Skydancer" features guest vocals Jonathan Vigil of The Ghost Inside. J Hurley and Ben Marvin of Hacktivist feature on the track "Erase". The track "Intrepid" features Marcus Bridge of Northlane and guitarist Nick Hipa of Wovenwar and As I Lay Dying. The album's genre has been described as metalcore and hardcore.

Critical reception

In a positive review from Impericon they said: "In Hearts Wake prove that they are able to push the boundaries of the genre without losing themselves in the complex details." In a review from KillYourStereo, Matty Sievers on calling the album average said: "It is filled with songs that are more or less filler for what should have been an otherwise standout album." Jack Parker from All Things Loud rated the album 8.5 out of 10 and said: "Despite the record following similar structures for the most part, In Hearts Wake have just the right amount of power and edge to make them stand out from their contemporaries."
Tom Valcanis from Beat magazine praised the album saying: "Skydancer is a blazing record, confirming In Hearts Wake's much vaunted potential has come into bloom."

Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from AllMusic.
;In Hearts Wake
;Additional musicians
;Additional personnel