I Don't Want to See You in Heaven

4.25

PICKMETER

4.56

HMB

4.51

CRITICS

band:

The Callous Daoboys

release date: May 16, 2025

label: MNRK

type: Full-length

HMB´S REVIEW

Listening to I Don't Want To See You In Heaven made me pause and reflect on The Callous Daoboys. From what I've followed, they had already made their mark with earlier releases like Celebrity Therapist and the EP God Smiles Upon The Callous Daoboys. This new album, their third, continues their trademark unpredictability and fearless blending of styles.

What truly pulled me in was the concept behind the album: the idea that it's an artifact unearthed 300 years in the future and displayed in a 'Museum of Failure'. That premise alone raises a fascinating question: if something endures for centuries, can it really be called a failure? From what I gather, frontman Carson Pace was the driving force behind this idea, both in vision and execution.

Diving into the music, unpredictability is the only constant. The band refuses to be confined by genre labels, they stretch far beyond mathcore, building a chaotic yet deliberate sonic collage. It's an explosive exploration of sounds that jump from pop and emo to nu-metal, jazz, and even R&B. This is no easy listen, it's challenging, intense, and proudly refuses to play it safe. It's a record that doesn't just break the mold, it melts it down and recasts it into something else entirely.

Several tracks stand out as examples of this genre-fluid madness. Songs like 'Schizophrenia Legacy', 'Tears On Lambo Leather','Distracted By The Mona Lisa' twist and turn through sounds like a musical roller coaster with no track map. The collaboration with ORTHODOX on 'Tears On Lambo Leather' adds an extra layer of chaos and energy. Meanwhile, tracks like 'Full Moon Guidance' and 'Two-Headed Trout' only reinforce the feeling that you never quite know what's coming next.

It's clear that this album carries personal weight for Carson Pace. You can hear it in the vocals, in the lyrics, in the unpredictable emotional swings baked into the music.

In the end, for a record that plays with the idea of failure, it's anything but one. Despite its name and conceptual framework, the album feels like a bold, defiant triumph. I Don't Want To See You In Heaven was released on May 16, and if you ask me, it's a chaotic, beautiful mess, the kind that sticks with you.

Review by Troadie - HMB´s Staff