Since their inception, Deafheaven have always been that band not to show where they’re going next. After releasing what some could consider their magnum opus in Sunbather (Deathwish Inc.), the band did not let that define the band they would become. Only two years later, they’d return with the far more moody New Bermuda (Anti Records/Epitaph Records). This would continue for the career they’d lead up to this point, especially in their previous efforts, Infinite Granite (Sargent House), taking the band from the Blackgaze sound they had cultivated and popularised, in search of a lighter, synthier approach. That brings us to the modern day, and it seems for all the teasing the band have done over the lead-up to their new project, Lonely People With Power, their debut release in their new deal with Roadrunner Records. This appears to be a culmination of what’s come before in one solid package, how these conflicting sounds will come together and meld is a completely different matter altogether.Continue reading
Tag Archives: George Clarke
ALBUM REVIEW: Infinity Shred – Forever, A Fast Life
Infinity Shred‘s Forever, A Fast Life (3DOT Recordings) is like if Health had their own interpretation of Deafheaven‘s Sunbather. Yeah, I never thought I’d type out a such a sentence and half of the readers have probably walked away at this point but hear me out. Again, imagine Sunbather, but only strip away George Clarke‘s corrosive vocals and replace them with copious amounts of synths. Again, not the best sentence to describe Infinity Shred, so I’m going to need you to put on some headphones and take this thing for a test drive.Continue reading
Deafheaven – Ordinary Corrupt Human Love
While no person is an island, entire of themselves, the principle should not be applied to Deafheaven. For while there are glorious, rich, organic threads that tie and bind each of their albums to the others, and each collection is clearly derived from the same creative womb, Ordinary Corrupt Human Love (ANTI-), the San Franciscan quintets’ fourth album, continues the premise that each occurrence is a happening in and of its own right, and that responses to one do not necessitate a similar response to another.Continue reading
Deafheaven’s George Clarke Names His Top Ten Metal Albums Of All Time
As we all know by now, some of the biggest names in metal helped contribute to Rolling Stone‘s list of “The 100 Greatest Metal Albums Of All Time”. Continue reading
Deafheaven – New Bermuda
(Editor’s note: The editor staff of Ghost Cult acknowledges the story of Deafheaven guitarist Kerry McCoy and his past homophobic tweets: which we find deplorable and unacceptable. This review was completed before the story broke, and we await McCoy’s apology and explanation for his behavior.)
Deafheaven is the most polarizing popular band in metal since Ghost. While it’s easy to take a common side in the hipsters versus troo kvlt versus mainstream metal fans war, this is unnecessary. Good music is good music. This band has been putting out genre-redefining music for some time now. This is not disputable if you have ears and good taste. The fact that they have gotten as huge as they have and the backlash that has come with it only serves to illustrate what a time this is in the world as a music fan. Fifteen years ago this band would surely have had much less of a chance to come from the underground and become huge. Let’s measure Deafheavan on their merits, new output and their impossible to top 2013s Sunbather (Deathwish Inc.) album, and not some intangible stuff that has no place in the world of music lovers, shall we?
Rather than try to top their best album, they just continue to stay in their own bubble and build out the sound they started. So if you already love this band, there is a lot to love on New Bermuda (Anti Records). Opening up with the harsh ‘Brought To Water’, this track serves notice that this band is immune to the weight of outside influences or trolls. Blastbeats and waves of frotsy riffs greet your ears, before a straight up death thrash riff blows you away. George Clarke’s vocals are even more gnarly than ever before, and Deafheaven’s best asset has raised his already choice lyric game considerably on this album. ‘Luna’ is the track most in line with Sunbather and is a quintessential cut for this band. Black metal and shoegaze melded together to form something sick and lovely all at once. Once again, the Jack Shirley’s production aesthetics are immaculate. He is one of the most in demand producers for a reason. Guitars shimmer and scream when they need to, while the drums sit in the mix perfectly with the cymbals never taking away from the high-end of the guitar army.
‘Baby Blue’ is the best track found here. Fooling you with its sneaky dynamic power: lush post-rock beauty juxtaposed with destructive chords of death. The buildup and release of this track is overpowering. Clark reaches a new level of grotesque with his vocals, invoking the spirits of all of his influences. It also has an excellent thematic guitar solo part, that is more akin to Soundgarden or Metallica than USBM. The final outro of the track has one of the most righteous, head-nodding riffs* this year. ‘Come Back’ will surely be another one holdover fans fawn over, a lot. The final stanza of the track has one of the most righteous head-nodding riffs this year. Closing out with the shortest cut on here at 8:22, ‘Gifts of Earth’, the band puts a brilliant exclamation point on this album and in some ways, their legacy as a band. A sprawling mini-opus, one that tells us much of where this band can really go musically both now and in the future.
While not as groundbreaking or original as Sunbather, which any band would be challenged to follow, New Bermuda hits you in all the right G-spots musically and emotionally for one of 2015’s undoubtedly finest releases.
8.5/10
Video: Deafheaven Announce New Album, Premiere Trailer
Controversial US Post-blackmetal band Deafheaven have announced their highly-anticipated new album, for release this October via Anti Records. In a one minute teaser trailer released by the band they hinted at a possible title of album being New Bermuda. You can watch the video at this link or below:
The trailer features serene beach setting followed the band in the studio recording. A bruising track plays behind the video. The new Deafheaven album will be the follow-up to 2013’s Sunbather (Sargent House) album.
Deafheaven – Sunbather
First off, that’s a crap album cover and a crap album title. Fortunately, what lies within album number two from this San Franciscan duo fares much better. The three instrumentals (placed between the other four tracks with vocals) are exquisite. Track two, ‘Irresistible’, with its clean guitar melody washing along on the waves of a gentle breeze, is exactly that. And the contorted electronics of the first half of track four, ‘Please Remember’, as well as the soothing guitar of the second, as disconcerting as they are, have a strange familiarity about them that stir something within that is deep rooted and has been almost forgotten. A touching piece, track six, ‘Windows’, again bears something mystical and transcendent, the soundscape created by its ambient keys and captivating samples is warm and alluring. Were Deafheaven to release just these three tracks as an EP, they would already be on to a winner.Continue reading