With Shivering Hearts We Wait

iTunes Review

On their first album in six years, Blindside reclaim their spot in the Christian hardcore ranks with an ambitious, Spirit-infused exploration of suffering and transcendence. With Shivering Hearts We Wait finds the Swedish combo stretching their limits beyond rock bombast with brain-prodding lyrics and a brutal yet nuanced instrumental attack. Between the album’s opening cry for help (“There Must Be Something in the Water”) and closing declaration of freedom (“There Must Be Something in the Wind”), Blindside plunges into the angst of mortal life with a warrior’s fervor. Along the way, the band manages to combine ferocious riffs with techno beats and pop-slanted melodies, making tracks like “My Heart Escapes,” “It’s All I Have” and “Bloodstained Hollywood Ending” aggressive yet accessible. Lead singer Christian Lindskog captures the right mixture of desire and loathing in “Monster On the Radio,” a scorching anthem with punk overtones. The scream-filled desperation of “Withering” is balanced by the promise of salvation within “Our Love Saves Us.”