If you want to understand where Australian metalcore has been for the last decade, you start with In Hearts Wake. This Byron Bay outfit built a catalog that swings from throat-shredding breakdowns to genuinely tender, string-laced ballads, and picking the 20 best songs of In Hearts Wake means tracing a band that refused to stay in one lane. I’ve had these tracks on repeat through headphones on long train rides and blasted through car speakers on late-night drives, and every relisten turns up something new — a vocal layer, a guitar harmony, a lyric that hits differently once you know the backstory.
What makes In Hearts Wake compelling isn’t just the heaviness. It’s the intent behind it. Frontman Jake Taylor has always written with an eye on environmental and social themes, and the band’s willingness to fold clean singing, electronic textures, and folk instrumentation into a metalcore frame is why they’ve stayed interesting album after album. Below is my rundown of the tracks that define them, pulled from across their discography and organized so you can build your own perfect listening session. If you’re deciding how best to hear these mixes, it’s worth browsing this comparison of headphones first, because the low end on some of these breakdowns genuinely rewards a decent set of drivers.
Divine
The title track from their 2012 debut album is where the In Hearts Wake formula first clicked into place. “Divine” pairs a chugging, palm-muted riff with Jake Taylor’s signature bark-to-croon dynamic, and the breakdown in the back half still holds up as one of the more satisfying pit-starters in their catalog. Lyrically it’s a statement of purpose, all youthful defiance and hunger, and you can hear a band figuring out its identity in real time. On a good pair of over-ear cans the low-tuned guitars have real weight without muddying the vocal mix.
Survival (The Chariot)
Part of the “Divine” tarot-card conceptual throughline, “Survival (The Chariot)” leans into relentless double-kick work and a chorus that’s built for shout-alongs. The song’s structure is deceptively tight — verses that coil tension before releasing into a hook that’s almost anthemic for a band this heavy. It’s a great example of early In Hearts Wake balancing aggression with actual songcraft rather than just riffing for riffing’s sake.
Departure (Death)
There’s something almost theatrical about “Departure (Death),” which uses its tarot-inspired title to explore transformation rather than literal mortality. The instrumentation here gets moodier, with atmospheric guitar swells bridging the heavier sections, and it’s one of the clearer early signs that this band wanted more than a straightforward metalcore template. The vocal performance shifts between guttural lows and melodic passages in a way that previews the dynamic range they’d lean into later.
Traveller (The Fool)
Closing out the tarot trilogy on “Divine,” “Traveller (The Fool)” rounds out the concept with a sense of forward motion baked into both the lyrics and the arrangement. The pacing feels restless, almost like the music is trying to outrun itself, which fits a song about stepping into the unknown. It’s a deep cut that rewards patient listeners who want to hear the band’s early ambition stretched across a full narrative arc.
Earthwalker
The title track from 2014’s “Earthwalker” is where In Hearts Wake really widened their sonic palette. This is the first record where the “elemental” concept — earth, air, fire, water threading through subsequent albums — becomes explicit, and the song itself is a mission statement wrapped in a massive, grounded riff. The tribal-leaning percussion accents give it a physicality that translates incredibly well live, and the clean vocal hook in the chorus shows real melodic confidence.
Healer
“Healer” is one of those tracks that proves In Hearts Wake could write genuine hooks without sacrificing heaviness. The verse-to-chorus transition is smooth, almost pop-adjacent in its structure, while the breakdown still hits with the density fans expect. Thematically it’s about resilience and restoration, and the production gives the clean vocal sections room to breathe against the wall of distorted guitar.
Breakaway
There’s an urgency to “Breakaway” that separates it from some of the band’s more meditative material. The riff writing is sharp and economical, no wasted motion, and the song builds to a climax that feels earned rather than bolted on. It’s the kind of track that works as well in a small club as it does through earbuds on a commute — check out this earbuds comparison if you want a pair that can handle the low-end punch without distorting.
Afterglow
“Afterglow” pulls back the intensity just enough to let melody lead. The clean vocal performance carries real emotional weight here, and the way the guitars layer underneath feels more like post-hardcore than straight metalcore. It’s a track that shows the band’s range — proof they can write something atmospheric and still land it with impact.
Skydancer
The title cut from the 2015 record “Skydancer” continues the elemental narrative, this time reaching for the air motif with soaring melodic runs and expansive, almost cinematic production. The mix opens up more space than earlier records, letting synth textures and layered vocal harmonies sit alongside the guitars instead of competing with them. It’s a genuinely uplifting listen despite the heaviness, which is a tricky balance to strike.
Badlands
“Badlands” leans harder into groove, with a mid-tempo riff that locks into the drums in a way that’s built for headbanging rather than blast-beat chaos. The lyrical content digs into environmental decay and human responsibility, themes Jake Taylor returns to often, and the arrangement gives that message room to land without feeling preachy. The bridge section is a highlight, stripping things back before the final push.
Passage
“Passage” is a transitional-feeling track in the best sense — it bridges heavier sections with melodic clean passages in a way that mirrors its title. The vocal interplay between harsh and clean styles is some of the more seamless work in the catalog, and the production keeps every layer distinct even during the busiest moments. It’s a song that benefits from close listening on a quality setup where the mix details actually reveal themselves.
Nomad
The title track from the “Nomad” era captures a more mature, road-worn version of the band. There’s a groove-forward, almost modern-rock sensibility to the riffing here, paired with lyrics about movement, displacement, and searching for home. It’s a strong example of how In Hearts Wake evolved their sound without abandoning the aggression that built their reputation in the first place.
Warcry
As the title suggests, “Warcry” is built for maximum impact — a rallying, fists-in-the-air anthem with one of the more instantly memorable choruses in their discography. The drum work drives the track relentlessly, and the gang-vocal elements in the hook make it an obvious live staple. This is the song you want blasting in the car with the windows down.
Frequency
“Frequency” plays with electronic textures more overtly than most of the band’s earlier work, weaving synth pulses into the guitar-driven core without diluting the heaviness. It’s a good showcase of the production choices that separate In Hearts Wake from more traditional metalcore acts — the mix has real depth, and the low end sits cleanly beneath the vocal layers.
Worldwide Suicide
Don’t let the title fool you into thinking this is a straightforward downer — “Worldwide Suicide” is a pointed, socially conscious track that channels frustration into propulsive energy rather than despair. The verses are dense and rhythmically aggressive, while the chorus opens things up melodically. It’s a good entry point if you want to understand the band’s lyrical conscience alongside their musical chops.
Hellbringer
“Hellbringer” is about as unrelenting as In Hearts Wake gets, with a riff that stays locked in a low, punishing register for most of the runtime. The vocal delivery matches that intensity, favoring harsh, guttural phrasing over melody, and the breakdown is genuinely one of the heaviest moments in their catalog. This is the track for anyone who wants proof the band never lost its teeth even as their sound matured elsewhere.
Son of a Witch
There’s a swagger to “Son of a Witch” that sets it apart — a groove-heavy riff with almost a strut to it, paired with confident, defiant lyrics. The song doesn’t rely purely on speed or brutality; instead it lets the pocket between bass and drums do a lot of the heavy lifting. It’s a track that translates surprisingly well outside the usual metalcore crowd, which speaks to its crossover appeal.
Dogma
“Dogma” tackles themes of blind conformity and institutional control, and the music matches that combative energy with tightly wound riffing and an aggressive vocal cadence. The structure builds tension methodically before releasing into a breakdown that feels like a genuine payoff rather than an obligatory heavy section. It’s a lyrically sharp track that rewards paying attention to the words as much as the instrumentation.
Hollow Bone
“Hollow Bone” brings a darker, more atmospheric tone into the mix, with guitar work that favors texture over pure riff-density. The dynamic shifts between quiet, tense passages and full-band eruptions give the song a cinematic quality, and the vocal performance tracks that emotional arc closely. It’s one of the more artistically ambitious tracks in the catalog.
The Flood
Closing things out, “The Flood” leans into water-element imagery with sweeping, almost orchestral guitar layering underneath the aggression. The pacing ebbs and flows — appropriately enough — between crushing low-end sections and more melodic, open passages. It’s a fitting closer for a list like this because it captures nearly everything In Hearts Wake does well in a single track: heaviness, melody, atmosphere, and message all in one place.
If you want to go deeper on tracks like these, or explore how they compare to other bands in the scene, there’s a solid archive of write-ups over in the songs category worth digging through.
Frequently Asked Questions
What genre is In Hearts Wake?
In Hearts Wake is generally classified as metalcore, though their catalog pulls in elements of post-hardcore, melodic hardcore, and even electronic and folk textures depending on the album. That genre-blending is part of why longtime fans consider them one of the more dynamic bands in the Australian heavy music scene.
Where is In Hearts Wake from?
The band formed in Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia, and their environmental and social themes are often tied to that coastal, nature-focused upbringing. That regional identity shows up repeatedly in their lyrics, especially on elemental-themed records like “Earthwalker” and “Skydancer.”
What is In Hearts Wake’s best album to start with?
It depends on what you’re after. If you want the band at their most straightforward and aggressive, start with “Divine.” If you want the fuller, more ambitious version of the band with broader dynamics and concept-driven songwriting, “Earthwalker” or “Skydancer” are excellent entry points.
Do In Hearts Wake songs work well on headphones versus speakers?
Both, but for different reasons. Headphones reveal the layered production details — the synth textures, vocal harmonies, and mix nuances — while a good speaker setup or car system lets the low-end breakdowns hit with physical weight. If you’re building out a home listening setup, it’s worth checking a headphones comparison to find something that handles both extremes well.
What are In Hearts Wake’s most popular songs?
Tracks like “Divine,” “Earthwalker,” “Worldwide Suicide,” and “Skydancer” tend to come up most often in fan discussions and setlists, representing different eras of the band’s evolution from tarot-themed aggression to elemental-concept ambition.