HEAVENWOOD – The Tarot Of The Bohemians – Part II
HEAVENWOOD – The Tarot Of The Bohemians – Part II
Mighty Music
Release date: 12/06/26
Review by: Jon Deaux (A record that has now eaten up a lot of my time and still hasn’t decided whether it owes me a stiff drink or a darkened room.)
7/10
Right, let’s tackle the elephant in the room right away. Ten years! That’s not a break, that’s a fucking epoch. Long enough for sub-genres to emerge, declare themselves as the next big thing in metal, make everyone hate them and then lovingly embrace them only to have them fade to dust. Yet, here they are. One of the most atmospheric bands ever to come from the Iberian Peninsula has just released their comeback album and finished what they started in 2016. Apparently, their initial record revolving around their Tarot concept and Papus was not enough to tell their story completely, and, if anything, Heavenwood’s creator and driving force, Ricardo Dias dos Santos, did the right thing. After all, if anyone could see how cursed the last decade has been, it’s surely him.
And if you thought the story behind that album would be a good one, wait till you hear the rest. Following a severe injury in 2022, dos Santos managed to recover and create another ambitious project that, as far as albums go, ranks among Heavenwood’s finest hours. While most people’s response to the brush with death would be to get rid of the excess weight and maybe buy a new car, Ricardo has stared Death in the eye and chosen to make a symphonic gothic metal album revolving around the Major Arcana. That, folks, is the right response.
‘Death’ is Heavenwood’s way of saying, “Listen, here’s what I am and here’s why you need me.” Produced by Niko HK Krauss at Vamacara Studios, this release features rich and cinematic production that breathes life into the entire album. As if you weren’t supposed to sit in your kitchen while eating cereal. This is a proper soundtrack that will help you imagine the ravens flying around a mysterious candle-lit tower. As soon as the music starts playing, you will start making comparisons to Paradise Lost, but you’ll find something more fragile and melancholy. That’s the Sentenced style for you. Gorgeous Nordic despair with hints of Edge Of Sanity at best.
As for ‘Temperance’, Heavenwood didn’t take their ten-year break to change anything. Sure, some polishing happened, but this is definitely the right album that shows there is more to goth metal than polished-up versions of their previous works. In addition, if anyone thought that Heavenwood was going to take the easy route – that’s not true, because the record does feature actual heaviness that will shake listeners to their cores. For example, The Devil brings a welcome touch of aggression to the album, with Eduardo Sinatra contributing a few drum tracks that add the necessary backbone to this otherwise beautiful piece of work. As for The Lightning-Struck Tower, this song is definitely a step into the gothic side of Heavenwood, as well as one of the album’s dramatic peaks.
It goes without saying that when discussing Heavenwood, we cannot forget about vocals. In fact, dos Santos provides both clean and harsh vocals that are hard to confuse with those of other singers. In a similar way to Nick Holmes, there is something raw about this singer. However, unlike the Cathedral vocalist, he manages to add some depth to the lyrics he’s singing. As if Ricardo really had the brush with death and has to deal with it.
The midsection of the album is represented by the three songs – ‘The Stars, The Moon and The Sun’. These tracks are incredibly melancholic, and, depending on your current serotonin level, the listener may find them either comforting or exhausting. However, if you’re already emotionally unstable enough, this album may be the one to give you a warm embrace, albeit an extremely dark one. At the same time, the song The Sun appears to be the least emotional part of the album, because, after all, the end is always in sight.
‘Judgement’ reminds us of the overall theme of the album – that people always come back and have their second chance. It takes a great talent to revive the past, and Heavenwood is definitely one of those bands. At the same time, The Fool is definitely one of the tracks on which Ricardo reveals everything he has been keeping inside since their previous record. It makes the song one of the album’s most impressive.
Speaking of closing songs, ‘The World’ is the perfect ending that doesn’t solve all questions but answers some of them. Overall, this song seems to sum up everything said in the previous songs and gives the listener a sense that they were right all along.
Overall, even though the middle third of the album is rather atmospheric, the music becomes somewhat boring at times. Also, since the record features session musicians and not a fixed band, there seems to be an absence of harmony. Finally, the ten-year break created too many expectations that the band could never live up to.
However, ‘The Tarot of The Bohemians Part II’ is definitely a brilliant concept album that has a lot to say. It is amazing that Heavenwood’s leader managed to produce such an elaborate work of art in spite of being involved in a serious incident in 2022. In 2026, such dedication is definitely worth some credit. Lots of it, in fact.
Papus would definitely approve. Also, he’d probably own the blue vinyl.
Track List
- Death
- Temperance
- The Devil
- The Lightning-Struck Tower
- The Stars
- The Moon
- The Sun
- The Judgement
- The Fool
- The World
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Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Jon Deaux and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
