Cardiff’s Falselove have taken one of The Weeknd’s biggest hits, dragged it through a wall of towering guitars, thunderous rhythms and cinematic darkness, and emerged with something altogether heavier.
And frankly? We’re very much here for it. 🖤🔥
The Cardiff alternative metal quartet have returned with a bold reinterpretation of ‘The Hills’, transforming the global smash into a crushing modern metal anthem while keeping the sinister atmosphere and emotional tension that made the original so bloody effective in the first place.
This isn’t your standard “turn the distortion pedal on and call it metal” cover either.
Oh no, butt.
Falselove have ripped the thing apart and rebuilt it in their own image.
🌑 FROM GLOBAL POP SMASH TO CINEMATIC METAL MONSTER
Originally released by The Weeknd, ‘The Hills’ became one of the defining songs of his rise to global superstardom.
Its brooding production, uneasy atmosphere and enormous chorus already contained a darkness that made it ripe for heavier treatment.
Enter Falselove.
Rather than simply copying the original arrangement with bigger guitars, the Cardiff lads have approached the song as if it were their own material.
The result is a version built around towering guitar work, haunting melodies, thunderous rhythms, atmospheric textures and huge dynamic shifts.
There’s heaviness here, absolutely.
But importantly, there’s also space.
That combination allows the quieter moments to simmer before everything comes crashing back in, giving the track the kind of cinematic rise-and-fall that modern alternative metal does so brilliantly.
It’s dark.
It’s atmospheric.
It’s massive.
And it sounds like ‘The Hills’ has wandered into a Cardiff metal venue at midnight and decided it’s never going home. 😂🤘
🔥 NOT JUST A COVER — A COMPLETE REBUILD
There’s always a danger when a rock or metal band tackles a massive pop song.
Play it too faithfully and you’re basically doing karaoke with an expensive pedalboard.
Change absolutely everything and you risk losing the magic that made people love the original.
Falselove have aimed for the sweet spot.
Their interpretation preserves the emotional tension running through ‘The Hills’ while dramatically changing its sonic surroundings.
The darkness remains.
The melody remains recognisable.
But everything surrounding it now belongs firmly in the Falselove universe.
The guitars hit harder, the dynamics become more explosive and the atmospheric elements give proceedings an almost soundtrack-like quality.
Rather than simply asking “What would The Hills sound like with guitars?”, Falselove appear to have asked a far more interesting question:
“What would ‘The Hills’ sound like if Falselove had written it?”
That distinction matters.
🤘 WELCOME TO THE DARKER SIDE OF MODERN METAL
There’s a particular corner of modern heavy music that has become ridiculously exciting over recent years.
Metalcore, alternative metal, electronic production, cinematic soundscapes and massive pop melodies are increasingly smashing into one another — and the old barriers separating genres are disappearing quicker than a pint when the support band unexpectedly turns out to be brilliant.
Falselove fit comfortably within that new generation.
Listeners who spend their time blasting the likes of Bad Omens, Sleep Token, Spiritbox, Bring Me The Horizon and Dayseeker should find plenty to sink their teeth into here.
But those comparisons only tell part of the story.
Because what becomes increasingly important for any emerging band operating in that space is identity.
There are plenty of bands capable of writing a massive breakdown.
There are plenty capable of producing atmospheric synths.
There are plenty capable of delivering emotional vocals.
The trick is combining all of those ingredients into something where you can recognise the band responsible.
And that’s where this reinterpretation becomes particularly interesting for Falselove.
🖤 HEAVY MUSIC DOESN’T NEED TO LIVE IN A BOX
Heavy bands tackling mainstream pop isn’t exactly a new phenomenon.
Some of rock and metal’s most entertaining covers have come from musicians looking at a completely different genre and thinking:
“Yeah… but what if this had an absolutely filthy guitar tone?”
A great cover can introduce listeners to a band who might otherwise never encounter them.
Someone searching for ‘The Hills’ could stumble across Falselove’s version, hit play out of curiosity and suddenly find themselves disappearing down the rabbit hole of Cardiff’s modern alternative scene.
That crossover potential is enormous.
And crucially, Falselove aren’t approaching the track like a novelty.
There’s no wink at the camera.
No comedy metal gimmick.
They’ve treated the song seriously, recognising that underneath the enormous pop production was already something brooding, uncomfortable and emotionally charged.
They’ve simply turned those qualities up until the walls start shaking.
🐉 CARDIFF’S HEAVY SCENE KEEPS DELIVERING
And, of course, there’s another reason this one has caught our attention here at The Riff Report.
They’re from Cardiff.
YESS MUN! 🐉🤘🏴
Wales has never exactly struggled when it comes to producing heavy bands, and the current generation continues to prove there’s far more happening across the Welsh scene than people outside the country sometimes realise.
From grassroots venues and sweaty support slots to increasingly ambitious studio releases, Welsh heavy music continues punching well above its weight.
Falselove are another name worth keeping firmly on the radar.
Their combination of modern heaviness, atmosphere and melody places them in an increasingly popular area of alternative music, but their willingness to reshape something as recognisable as ‘The Hills’ demonstrates ambition too.
Playing safe clearly isn’t particularly high on the agenda.
Good.
Rock and metal never became exciting because everyone behaved themselves. 😈
🎬 A BIGGER CAMPAIGN BEHIND ‘THE HILLS’
The release isn’t arriving quietly either.
Falselove are backing ‘The Hills’ with a wider campaign incorporating music video content, press coverage, playlist promotion and live performances, giving the reinterpretation plenty of opportunity to reach listeners beyond the band’s existing audience.
And this feels like exactly the kind of song capable of doing that.
There’s instant familiarity because of the original.
There’s curiosity because of the transformation.
And once those guitars arrive, Falselove have the opportunity to show newcomers exactly what they’re about.
For an emerging band, that’s a pretty tasty combination.
🔥 THE RIFF REPORT VERDICT
Covering a song as enormous as ‘The Hills’ takes some confidence.
You’re dealing with a track millions of listeners already know inside out, which means every decision you make is immediately going to be compared with the original.
Falselove haven’t tried to beat The Weeknd at his own game.
They’ve changed the game entirely.
By rebuilding ‘The Hills’ around crushing guitars, cinematic atmosphere, haunting melodies and explosive dynamics, the Cardiff quartet have created something that respects the darkness of the original while planting a massive Falselove flag straight through the middle of it.
For existing fans, it’s another glimpse at what this band can do.
For newcomers, it could be one hell of an introduction.
And for those of us keeping an eye on the Welsh heavy scene?
It’s another reason to turn the speakers up and pay attention.
Falselove are bringing the darkness home to Cardiff.
And bloody hell, it sounds heavy. 🖤🔥🤘
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. 🐉🤘
Keep your eyes on The Riff Report for more Welsh rock and metal news, new music, interviews, reviews and general riff-fuelled chaos from across the scene.
