Heavener (album)

Heavener is the fourth studio album by American metalcore band, Invent Animate. The album was released on March 17, 2023, through UNFD. It was self-produced by the band and Landon Tewers of American rock band, The Plot in You.

The album was preceded by four singles: "Shade Astray", "Elysium", "Immolation Of Night", and "Without a Whisper". Invent Animate would tour extensively across in North America, Europe and Australia throughout 2023 in promotion of the album, concluding with a headlining North American tour with Australian and Swedish bands, Void of Vision, Thrown and Aviana respectively during Fall 2023.

A year following the album's release, the group would reissue, Heavener (Definitive), a deluxe version of the album with three new songs and a re-worked electronic version of "Without a Whisper" on May 31, 2024 via UNFD.

Critical reception
The album received generally positive reviews from music critics. Distorted Sound scored the album 8 out of 10 and said: "It would be cheap of us to compare this album to the notions of Heaven and Hell. Slightly sacrilegious also. What Invent Animate deliver is an in depth examination of two of the most complex life lessons humanity can accost; grief and self-acceptance. The idea that nothing is permanent and learning to embrace that is something very few bands execute well. Yes, there are some stumbling blocks within Heavener, but on the whole, this is an album we implore everyone to listen to at least once, if only to draw an individual interpretation of life's experiences." Kerrang! gave the album 3 out of 5 and stated: "No question, Heavener is proof that Invent Animate remain one of the most compelling acts in progressive metalcore. It's just that the real intrigue lies in where they go next now they've left this baggage behind..."

New Transcendence gave the album an almost perfect score 9/10 and saying: "This might be an unpopular opinion, but Heavener feels like the first time Invent Animate have tried anything measurably different in several releases—if not ever. Largely, the album is a success, and with songs like 'Shade Astray', 'Void Surfacing' and 'Emberglow' it really isn't a surprise. If anything, Invent Animate are victims to their own immense success, as Heavener only stutters in the context of their own discography, but overall remains an incredibly strong listening experience in its own right. The takeaway? Invent Animate remain at the top of the progressive metalcore food chain, and Heavener opens up a huge number of new directions for the band to expand into next."

Personnel
Invent Animate
 * Marcus Vik – lead vocals
 * Keaton Goldwire – lead guitar
 * Caleb Sherraden – bass
 * Trey Celaya – drums (tracks 1-11), rhythm guitar, backing vocals
 * Brody Taylor Smith – drums (tracks 12-14)

Additional personnel
 * Invent Animate – production, engineering
 * Landon Tewers – production
 * Daniel Braunstein – mixing, mastering
 * Hayden Clay Williams – artwork