M. John Henry – Heart Of Coal (2025)
Emerging from the embers of cult indie outfit De Rosa, M. John Henry returns with ‘Heart Of Coal’ – a brooding, haunting single that sets the stage for his upcoming solo album, Strange Is The Way (out June 20). Released via Gargleblast Records, the track marks a bold yet graceful reintroduction to a voice that once defined the heart of Scotland’s underground rock scene.
‘Heart Of Coal’ doesn’t rush. It doesn’t need to. Opening with a delicate hush of guitar, the track quickly casts a long shadow steeped in atmosphere and heavy with memory. There’s a kind of slow-burning intensity to the song – think Smog by way of Lanarkshire – that unspools patiently, rewarding the listener with each minute. Henry’s voice, still laced with the gentle weariness that made De Rosa so beloved, floats through the arrangement like a ghost in a derelict colliery, his lyrics mournful yet matter-of-fact.
The track is, in Henry’s own words, a tribute “to the lost souls of our industrial past here in Central Scotland.” That purpose is felt in every chord, every echo. This isn’t nostalgia; it’s reckoning. The weight of history, the soot and sorrow of forgotten towns, the quiet dignity of labour, the ghosts of men who gave everything and were left with little, permeate the music. Yet, ‘Heart Of Coal’ resists becoming overly bleak. There’s a tenderness here, even a kind of redemption in remembrance. The song feels like a candle lit in a darkened pit; a small flame kept alive for those no longer heard.
Sonically, the track balances Henry’s folk leanings with the post-rock textures that defined much of his past work. Engineered and mixed by Robert Dallas Gray (formerly of Life Without Buildings), the production is warm but weathered, like rain on old stone. Gray’s touch ensures nothing is over-polished – the imperfections breathe, the ambience lingers. Guitar lines shimmer and swell, never intruding, always supporting the weight of Henry’s quiet conviction.
For fans of De Rosa, this is both a continuation and a departure. It’s more introspective, more sparse, but no less powerful. ‘Heart Of Coal’ proves that Martin John Henry is not merely revisiting old ground, but reworking its soil, unearthing new meaning in the ruins. As the lead-in to Strange Is The Way, it’s a quietly devastating promise of what’s to come.
Find out more about M. John Henry on his BlueSky and Bandcamp.
