Metalcatto
Time to give back to the deep underground. We’ve talked about HKSPK—I know, it sounds like the name of a K-pop band—before in our feedback special, but today we’re not pulling any punches. We’ll review Heimkehr with all the brutality of the law. The guys had their chance, so now they’re going to get a full review and get judged like a proper high-league act. Okay, I’m just scaring people off now, but I had to raise the stakes, right?
I’d say one thing from the get-go. I’m not totally sure what direction Heimkehr is going for. I don’t mean that in a negative way. It has those disgusting drums, Black Metal guitars, but the songwriting is much more Death Metal than you’d expect. So is it Blackened Death? Kind of, but neither identity stays with us too long. HKSPK just wants to attack you with as many rancid riffs as it can. This also means nothing is bloated here. Twenty-five minutes is basically EP territory. The beatdown is short, but you feel it for long. The pacing is tight, the transitions have no patience for you. Expect more than average speed here.
There are no problems with pacing, and the album doesn’t feel short. However, I’m still going to address the elephant in the room. The production is totally old school Black Metal. There’s a lot of that classic idea and some white noise here and there. In general, you shouldn’t expect to get depressed here—more like venting all that anger you accumulate after being late to the restroom again. The atmosphere is godless, the energy is high, and the tracks feels like a fistfight in a dark alley.
Now, I have to be transparent. HKSPK has been one of our financial contributors. Yet they pay me to be real, and it’s hard not to think that this mini-album wouldn’t benefit from better production—especially those drums that at times just sound like hitting a pan. Some of the tracks have truly nasty riffs that make me excited, but some of the punch is buried in that old school static noise. The potential is there, but it’s fighting against the limitations of the recording. A bigger budget would do wonders for these guys.
I think the people who call their homes a dungeon are the ones who will enjoy Heimkehr the most. It’s deeply underground, and at times it feels bare-bones, but that’s what some of you enjoy. In my case, there’s potential, but a bigger budget will give HKSPK another life. So fingers crossed these guys make a lot of dough soon. In the meantime, you can feel yourself trve or kvlt by giving this thing a spin or two. It might feel too raw, but at least you know it’s legit.
Label: Independent
Release date: September 11th, 2026
Website: https://open.spotify.com/track/5cmWJCaB8RMzWk5VBhxGRw?autoplay_ok=1
Country: Germany
Score: too kvlt to figure it out
