ROMANIA — Romanian heavy-hitters HVNDS have put out their third full-length record, Control, via Radikal Records. Their sound fuses modern metalcore riffs, nu-metal grooves, and industrial electronics, set against heavy lyrical themes about guilt and how inescapable it is. It is their first English-language album.
On release, Control hit #1 on Apple Music Romania’s Metal and Rock Album Charts and reached the Top 10 across all genres. Release single “Earthquake” also topped Apple Music Romania’s “Best New Songs.”
Control is an enthralling ride from beginning to end, with explosive moments that keep you wondering what’s next. It opens with “Earthquake,” which begins on a blooming synth harmony that serves as the overture to the whole record. The sound is familiar enough to draw comparisons to Linkin Park, Enter Shikari, and Bring Me The Horizon, but what HVNDS have built is entirely their own. Tracks like “Breathe” and “Gravity” pair radio-ready hooks with dark, brooding soundscapes.
Lead singer Iustin is a powerhouse vocalist ready to command arena crowds. You can hear it in the way he leads the chants that open “Blood,” and in the deathcore fry and guttural he bellows on “Another World.” His versatility shows on lead single “Baba Yaga,” where he sings in a softer timbre.
Lyrically, the album is laden with religious references that question the character of human beings. “Hallelujah” reckons with how evil people can walk the earth while claiming to be just in the name of their god. “Until There’s Nothing To Burn” warns of demons while a Mick Gordon-esque guitar riff pounds through your chest.
The record also shows that HVNDS are more than students of heavy music. A liquid drum and bass beat opens the title track, “Control.” “Another World” has a Nine Inch Nails moment. “Arriba” is a bombastic salsa fusion that Don Broco wishes they’d thought of first.
It closes with “DOR,” a song about carrying heartbreak in one hand and hope in the other: being grateful for love while feeling the emptiness it leaves behind. “DOR” also became a radio success in Romania, joining the heavy rotation at ROCK FM.
The fan-favourite lead singles are “Blood,” “Baba Yaga,” and “DOR.”
Over the past few years, HVNDS have built a reputation as one of the most intense and emotionally charged acts in the region, with festival-ready music that hits hard, sings deep, and dares to be vulnerable. They don’t play at you. They pull you into something you already know by heart, even if it’s your first time hearing it.
Their first highly acclaimed record, Animal, arrived in 2022, followed by Sintetic in 2023. Both reached #1 Rock Album on Apple Music Romania, and each carried the band higher than the last, to sold-out record release shows for 1,000+ people. Breakout single “Vin Vin Plec Mort” was placed in Teambuilding, Romania’s highest-grossing film to date.
HVNDS have played major festivals including Electric Castle, Untold, Neversea, and Beach, Please!, sharing lineups with Bring Me The Horizon, Travis Scott, Twenty One Pilots, Massive Attack, and Iggy Pop.
HVNDS kicked off their headlining 10-date tour in support of Control on Friday, 23rd October. The campaign leads into a European run and their ESNS 2027 showcase. Tickets and merchandise are available on the band’s website.
