Heaven To A Tortured Mind Album Review

Released early in the first few weeks of quarantine, Heaven To a Tortured Mind (2020) is Yves Tumor’s third studio album, and calling it a masterpiece is an understatement. Every single one of Tumor’s projects, regardless of size, breaks the mold for what a classic project should entail. Averaging about eleven songs per record, Tumor’s projects remind me more of intense short films than a musical compilation of songs. This particular record, Heaven To a Tortured Mind, encapsulates self-indulgence, confidence, and defeating an industry that needs more out of the box artists like Tumor. 

Filled with guitar solos and crushing synths, every note of this album is structured with Tumor’s boldest musical inclinations. Their first studio album, When Man Fails You (2016), could best be described as their most experimental album, especially when it was released in 2016. Littered with ambient noises and slower tempos, this project wasn’t the one that caught my eye. Personally, I didn’t get wind of Tumor’s music until early 2019 when I heard Tumor’s most ethereal songs “Licking an Orchid” with James K off their second studio album Safe In The Hands of Love (2018). At that moment, I knew that I had no choice but to deep dive into everything Yves Tumor related. 

When I first heard this record in early April, I had just started quarantining for a couple of weeks, so knowing myself I was thinking myself in circles about every problem I could come up with. Needless to say, Tumor could not have released the album at a better time. Every song is entirely cathartic, from start to finish this is the album to scream to when you drive. In particular, the guitar solo off “Kerosene!” envelops the listeners’ ears in a way that only “Where is My Mind” by the Pixies and “Today” by The Smashing Pumpkins do. Starting slow and building up to the great solo at the end, Tumor sings, “I can be anything you need/ I need kerosene!” Definitely taking the win as the standout track on this album, “Kerosene!” features Diana Gordon who shadows Tumor’s voice throughout the track in an otherworldly way. 

However, this album is also stacked with other tracks that I will definitely be queuing up for the foreseeable future. Tumor sings my second favorite track “Romanticist” with a raspy voice and guitar which scratches up the walls of my eardrums in the best way possible. Giving off early 2000s Radiohead energy, layered with drums, synths, and bass, this song is definitely one to add to your guitar playlist. Yves Tumor doesn’t shy away from their experimental tendencies whatsoever on this record, either. Another favorite track that reminds me of Tumor’s early work, “Folie Imposée” is sung with an echoing, all-knowing voice and with smooth synths that carry you to Tumor’s headspace as they sing about their obsession with a love that isn’t good for them. We’ve all been there. 

What I like most about Tumor on this album is how they never shy away from extravagance. Bold is the name of the game for this record through and through and they never say no to the challenge. Pushing their listeners to be their most bold, self-indulgent self, Tumor continues to create visceral music meant to remind you that you’re here and you’re alive, so indulge in who you are. 

If you have never heard of genre-bending artists Yves Tumor before, no worries at all. I did the work so you don’t have to. Here’s a playlist of all of my favorite genre-bending songs at the moment. Queue it up! 

Written by Sravya Gadepalli