Oakland’s Houses of Heaven fuse the grit of early industrial with dizzying hits of EBM, techno, and drum & bass, all imbued with lyrical themes that draw equally from the emotional and the mechanical. Within/Without, their sophomore LP for Felte, delves into a realm of intricate intensity, pushing electronics to the forefront with the production prowess of Matia Simovich (INHALT), and features top-of-their-game guest vocals from Douglas McCarthy (Nitzer Ebb) and Mariana Saldaña (BOAN).
While the dub-influenced, shoegaze throb of Silent Places (2020) immersed itself in the paradox of opulence against the unsettling backdrop of California’s wildfires, Within/Without confronts social order through the lens of inner strife. It explores a contrast between the fantasy worlds and unfiltered truths that define modern survival, and a yearning for genuine human connection brought on by the anxiety and isolation of technology.
On Within/Without, Houses of Heaven truly come into their own with a distinctive alloy of electronic, industrial, psychedelic and shoegaze elements. They create a dynamic conduit for discord and harmony with a profoundly human essence, bridging interior lives and exterior pressures through visceral songcraft and deft pacing. In a cruel and technologically dominated world, emotional gridlock is rampant. Yet, in the propulsive paranoia of album highlight “Flesh Techniques”, we’re reminded that it’s often best to “breathe in / these dreams
again / shake, shake it off”.
While the dub-influenced, shoegaze throb of Silent Places (2020) immersed itself in the paradox of opulence against the unsettling backdrop of California’s wildfires, Within/Without confronts social order through the lens of inner strife. It explores a contrast between the fantasy worlds and unfiltered truths that define modern survival, and a yearning for genuine human connection brought on by the anxiety and isolation of technology.
On Within/Without, Houses of Heaven truly come into their own with a distinctive alloy of electronic, industrial, psychedelic and shoegaze elements. They create a dynamic conduit for discord and harmony with a profoundly human essence, bridging interior lives and exterior pressures through visceral songcraft and deft pacing. In a cruel and technologically dominated world, emotional gridlock is rampant. Yet, in the propulsive paranoia of album highlight “Flesh Techniques”, we’re reminded that it’s often best to “breathe in / these dreams
again / shake, shake it off”.
TRACK LISTING
A1. Strange Temptation
A2. Within/Without
A3. The End Of Me (feat. Douglas McCarthy)
A4. New Decay
A5. The Depths You Hold
B1. Flesh Techniques
B2. Deserve (feat. Ms.Boan Mariana Saldaña)
B3. Pisces
B4. Serpent Coil
B5. Sightline