The Heart Is a Monster

Released in 2015, The Heart Is a Monster serves as the long-awaited successor to Failure's 1996 cult masterpiece, Fantastic Planet. Recorded at Red Swan Studios in Los Angeles, the album was self-produced and mixed by Ken Andrews, ensuring the band's signature 'space rock' precision remained intact. The record is structured with six instrumental 'Segues' that continue the numbering convention from their previous work, providing a cinematic flow and Philip Glass-inspired textures between the heavier tracks. Sonically, it maintains the band's focus on Greg Edwards' unique chordal bass style and Andrews' meticulous engineering. While it revisits the band's past - including a re-recording of the early track 'Petting the Carpet' - it avoids simple nostalgia by incorporating more complex, mature arrangements. Critics noted its intellectual depth and the 'creep factor' that distinguishes Failure from their grunge-era peers, cementing their status as a musician's band.