Album review by Lucas Bell
Mathcore is a tricky genre. Most of the time, it’s okay, but when done right, it can be brilliant. Atlanta mathcore/post hardcore band The Callous Daoboys have been a band that have quietly sat under the radar for a few years. So much so, that I didn’t really know of their existence until riding up Interstate 95 on my way from South Carolina to New York in late 2023, when my friend Morgan threw on some of their stuff to get me on board. At the time, I remember loving it, but never came back to them. Which is a damn shame, because they’re just that good.
May 16th, 2025 saw the release of the bands third record, I Don’t Want to See You in Heaven. Again, I haven’t seen a lot of people talking about this record, yet. But from what I had heard from people that had heard it, was that it was fantastic at minimum, and brilliant at its best. So, with my surface level knowledge on the band, I threw it on and let the music take me where it took me. And my god, did it take me somewhere.
Song Breakdowns
I. Collection of Forgotten Dreams – I don’t often talk about the intro tracks or interludes, but this track definitely helps set a scene, in that this record has been found as if its some relic of yesteryear, putting the listener almost in a state of nostalgia, before a note is even played. Interesting way to start the record.
Schizophrenia Legacy – The intro immediately launches into a song where the title kind of explains it all. Opening on the immediate harshes, to go into the quiet cleans, it immediately lets you know how this record is going to sound. The jazz interlude around the three minute marker is sick too. Big fan.
Full Moon Guidance – Probably the most “2010s post hardcore” track on the album, and in an album of incredible music, this is the one I find myself coming back to the least. Not denying how sick it is. But if you’re looking for the “hot take” of the review, it would be not liking this as much as the rest of the album.
Two-Headed Trout – You’ll see this a lot throughout the review, but this is a banger. Mostly filled with cleans, the intro kicks heavy, with the vocal lead in, not what I was initially expecting. But this record subverts a lot of expectations about what mathcore and post hardcore is. This is both genres at their best.
Tears on Lambo Leather – The lead in from ‘Trout’ to this is seamless. Where ‘Trout’ is more of a chill vibe, Tears immediately throws you deep into riff and carnage city. It’s so good. This would be a sick song to pit too. It almost gets deathcore-y at times, showing again the fluidity of just how good these guys are.
Lemon – Definitely the most radio friendly track on the album. Not bad by any stretch, but if you’re looking for the song that might give you an in, if you’re not into the heavy stuff, this is a great entry point.
Body Horror for Birds – Lemon bleeds flawlessly into this song, so much so, that for the initial few listens, I didn’t realise it was another song. The song takes the lower energy of ‘Lemon’, and turns it somehow, even more lo-fi. Filled with jazzy little pieces throughout, and really gives lead singer Carson Pace a track to show off just how unreal his clean vocals are.
The Demon of Unreality Limping Like a Dog – After going 10 minutes of slower, quieter music, into TDoULLaD, holy shit this song kicks your face straight into a brick wall. Heavy, melodic, and fun. This song has it all. The final section of the track has a triple arf that when I heard it for the first time, almost activated me like I was a sleeper agent, ready to burn my house down. Album highlight for sure.
Idiot Temptation Force – Ugga-ugga-boo, ugga-boo-boo-ugga Ugga-ugga-boo, ugga-boo-boo. This is all I will sing, forever. What an absolutely insane way to start a song, and not only that, but to have it part of the breakdown at the end. This truly is the activation of caveman brain. Absolutely sick song.
Douchebag Safari – The jazz intro on this track, probably is my favorite from an instrumental standpoint. The blending of the electronic elements, into the straight up metal of it all, rules. On an album of what seems like it’s all experimentation, this song feels the most experimental, blending electronia, jazzy, metal, and almost RnB style vocals at times. Pretty wild song, but super fun.
Distracted by the Mona Lisa – Another album favorite for me, this song really captures the strengths of post hardcore, and distills it into a single piece of music. The guitar intro on this track has the riff itself singing almost, reminding me very much like the intro to ‘LIGHTS’ by Paledusk. The chorus is huge, and for a conclusion to the “Collection of Forgotten Dreams” segment of the record, an awesome way to close it out.
II. Opt Out – Nothing really of note to say about this track. An extended interlude wrapping up the Collection of Forgotten Dreams segment of the record, to lead us into the final track.
III. Country Song in Reverse – When I saw this track was nearly 12 minutes long, I shat my pants. The majority of the record has been songs all under 4 minutes. So I was very interested to see what a 12 minute Daoboys track could be. I was not expecting it to be THIS good though. I’ve listened to this song alone, more than the record. The song builds and builds all the way to its logical end point, and doesn’t overcomplicate or rush itself. They even interpolated a Björk track in this thing. Phenomenal way to end a record.
Final Thoughts
In short, this album is a work of art. This record hits every single marker of what I think, shows what mathcore can be at its greatest. The wild vocals and instrumentation. The progression between post hardcore, pop, jazzy influences, and ultra mayhem, fuels my caveman brain. The only real skips are ‘Opt Out’ and ‘Collection of Forgotten Dreams’, purely because they are interludes. However, the interludes at times feel cinematic, and offer a chance to break up the record between the first 10 songs, and the final song, ‘Country Song in Reverse’, which is well needed. Utterly flawless, and worth your time if you want to experience what the next wave of metal will sound like.
Score – 10/10
Standouts – The Demon of Unreality Limping Like a Dog, Country Song in Reverse, Distracted by the Mona Lisa
