Chicago duo 2MYGRAVE have released their album War on Heaven, a shared dialogue of internal torment. Partners SURGE and LXWLIFE are known for their ability to transform their recounts of mental struggle and addiction into poetic testimonies. War on Heaven is a cathartic attempt to show listeners they are not alone; detailing the horrors within one’s mental in a hopes to spin straw into gold. Coming together on this album with a focus unlike before, the two hoped to showcase a newfound confidence within their writing and creative execution. In 10 tracks, 2MYGRAVE make their pain sound bittersweet; beautifully articulating their strains within.
With careful attention to detail, each of the tracks come together like a dream; melodic productions laced with hard hitting bass and rattling drums create otherworldly playgrounds for the pair to skip back and forth. Each track melts into the next, creating a sweet cohesion amongst their soul crushing lines. “Empty Promises (prod. John J)” sets the tone for the project. Faint birds chirping in the background of the instrumental ensue a feeling of early morning defeat; lying awake at 4 o’clock in the morning dissolving into feelings of insufficiency. Energy builds with “War In My Head (prod. Sauron),” transitioning from feelings of defeat to indifference. After being consumed by feelings of inferiority, they long for release; severing emotional ties to their pain and calling for an end to it all,
“I thought I told you I ain’t givin a fuck, I thought I told you I ain’t giving a fuck. Now let me die in peace right now, let me die in peace right now.”
A smooth transition into “Nothing Luxurious About It (prod. KHAIL)” reveals an open hearted message from the pair; tearing into themselves by unfolding their greatest insecurities and fears over a somber melody. Heartbreakingly honest, they explain their mutual reasons for why reaching the other side of the hill feels impossible. With “Momento Mori (prod. LONESXME)” they continue this narrative, as they detail the mentality they have to battle every day and the lengths to which it pushes them,
“I’ve been losing to this fight, i think i can see the light, i think i’m afraid to die.”
A delightful interlude produced by YZ and including a verse from King Krule’s “Baby Blue” refocuses the direction, giving an emotional break to the listeners to prepare for the later half of the album. “Autumn Clouds” juxtaposes the energy of the first half, providing an almost optimistic outlook and taunting inner demons; stripping them of their power after they have nothing left to lose emotionally. The album comes to a close with “Behind this Mask (prod. by MAH), and the album builds to this emotional state; they vulnerably reveal their hopes which have been buried before.
2MYGRAVE approached this body of work with a professionalism they earned. SURGE explains the difficulties and journey in which it took to be able to build an album they felt represented them as musicians, “We’ve had a lot of ideas with projects in the past that never followed through; whether its one sided with our agreements or disagreements, and that’s what’s hard about being in a group. We both compliment each other and know where we are with music, and this project had a better point of view of that.”
After revising three separate track lists for War on Heaven, the pair agreed on the 10 tracks that made the cut. Careful consideration went into crafting this body of work, solidifying a new age of 2MYGRAVE; an eye for direction and maturity have only strengthened the already fierce duo. LXWLIFE hopes it can help others in the way his favorite albums have done for him, “I hope one day that it can be looked at as a project people can always go to whenever they are going through it. Tapes like Macadelic, Overly Dedicated, and live.love.asap. kept my mind intact. Hopefully War on Heaven does the same for others in a new era of music.”
With a new air of confidence beneath them, 2MYGRAVE are fighting their way to the top. Dive in to War on Heaven, and be ready for more from the pair before the end of the year.