Metalcatto
Marketing is an extremely underrated skill in the Metalsphere, especially when it’s done in an enigmatic way. Would you be able to ignore an Indonesian Post-Metal band named after a controversial German philosopher? Why? That was the first question I had as I giggled and expected Heidegger’s Tyrant to not be as serious and hopefully not as pretentious as Sein und Zeit. It won’t be as obscure—that would be impossible, right?
So I’m still confused here, because Tyrant has two faces. On one hand, the album delivers an atmospheric and ethereal Post-Rock vibe that makes you feel like you’re listening to an Ashbringer track. Then it quickly throws you into an old school Swedish Death Metal storm that could honor acts like Crawl or Feral. It’s such a strange combination that doesn’t feel forced or inorganic. The emotional exploration here is wide, and at times you really don’t know what to feel. So in that sense, it does honor the philosopher—unsettling, contradictory, and layered.
Tyrant‘s creativity is something to behold. Sure, the band uses familiar ideas, but these two styles are usually so removed from each other that you truly need to be an omnivore to enjoy this thing. It’s as if you’re eating your Caesar salad and someone flips the table to one side only to offer you a steak so raw it’s still beating. No track reaches five minutes, so imagine a Fall of Efrafa track—the best Post-something band you never heard of—but compressed to its most essential parts. I’m being too nice so far. We should change that.
I do wish Tyrant took a bit more time to explore things around. It’s so focused on being hostile and intense that it can leave you wanting more contemplation. The band can evidently offer a lot of emotional depth. Perhaps a way forward would be to build the album more as one thematic piece instead of isolated tracks. I know there’s some attempt at cohesion here, but I believe Heidegger’s Tyrant could develop it even further.
Hey, but don’t despair. This is certainly a strange and entertaining endeavor that can offer as much bashing as sadness. Tyrant is a deceiving album. You see that artwork and think this is just going to be some mindless Punk, but then there’s more to it than it seems. It’s so quick—maybe too quick—which allows for decent replay value. I’ll probably return to it sooner rather than later. Sometimes brevity and strangeness are their own reward.
Label: Independent
Release date: April 15th, 2026
Website: https://heidegger13.bandcamp.com/album/tyrant
Country: Indonesia,
Score: 3.5/5.0
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