Opener ‘Violence’ begins with slick, crisp guitars and gorgeous splashing cymbals before a raw and emotional Frank Iero begins singing, each word sounding full of pain and vulnerability that cuts deep in the chorus, “your silence makes it harder to breathe, your distance feels like I’m not enough… I need your touch”. This vulnerability continues in the following track, ‘Sewer Wolf’, a slow and deliberate song filled with anger that needs to be played loud.
Following the speaker-breaking outro to ‘Sewer Wolf’ is a beautiful reimagining of REM’s Losing My Religion, a song that followed Frank during his recovery from his bike accident in 2017. This cover is outstanding, a raw and stripped back showcase from the band which manages to still maintain the soul of the original song and Kayleigh Goldsworthy provides the icing on the musical cake with her gorgeous voice. The record then, fittingly, ends with ‘Record Ender’, this song is big, bold, and bright and serves as the conclusion to this era of Frank’s solo career.
As a whole, Heaven is A Place is an outstanding EP, showcasing talent, raw emotion, and supplying a healthy dose of heaviness to your ears in 2021. Opener Violence shines as the EPs best, but each of the songs are unique and holds their own.
Score: 8/10