Deafheaven - Ordinary Corrupt Human Love

Deafheaven in the past few years has taken the American Metal scene by absolute storm.  I may have gotten on the bandwagon around the time of "Sunbather", but these guys started out strong in 2011 with "Roads to Judah".  While future releases were a little more sprawling and fueled by occasional ambient passages, this was a crushing debut.  Right from the start, Deafheaven knew the sound they wanted to conquer, and they did masterfully with it between thunderous Black Metal and hazy Shoegaze influences.  Now, for my liking, this album was a little short, but to hear the band this confident and knowing their sound right off the bat was impressive.  But Deafheaven turned up every amp and their creativity and skyrocketed to the hearts of every modern Metal fan with 2013's "Sunbather".  Adored by critics and fans alike, this album was more than just a masterpiece.  This album just showed how much Metal still had to offer the world, combining crushing Black Metal, breathtaking instrumentals, all mixed together with a fiery charisma and epic song structures.  Not to mention, Deafheaven here just seemed to tap into this true sorrow of the genre which resulted in this often unbearably sad project.  It's not an easy listen and demands some patience, but it's the epic Metal album this generation demanded and deserved.   Deafheaven returned in 2015 with "New Bermuda", an ever shorter but more streamlined album.  And, hot take, this album is better in every way.  Sorry, not sorry.  This album was heavier where it needed to be, more intense, more atmospheric, more emotional, and when it needed to be, more beautiful.  The Black Metal influences were amped up, but the band's atmospheric interludes were done masterfully.  It may not be as sprawling as their breakthrough album, but it exceeds it by leaps and bounds as far as technicality and ambition.  Deafheaven is back after a few years, and from the sound of it, on top of their game in every way.  Let's chat boys and girls.

This album starts off with the very slow ballad “You Without End”.  Now, you have to really give it to Deafheaven, because they are 100% fearless in the world of Metal.  They want to start things off with a 10-minutes piano ballad?  Consider it done, and consider it genuinely gripping.  There is just so much sadness here that it’s unbearable at times, as these ambient sounds just hit you from all angles.  As this one begins to pick up, it’s just so wildly interesting just how much Deafheaven has made this their sound.  Their instrumental interludes that fall on the prettier side of thing s have been around for ages.  But with “You Without End”, it becomes more obvious just how much personality is crammed in here.  It’s just so smooth and hip, between all the confident pianos and wailing guitars, as well as George Clarke’s screams over it all.  You would honestly think a lot of this came off either awkward or strange or both, but it ends up coming off much more epic and grand than you would expect in a way that this literally sounds like a mission statement for the album.  This is far from Deafheaven’s brand of triumphant and charismatic metal.  But for a very grand and powerful start, not to mention genre-defying, “You Without End” is amazing.  Then we have “Honeycomb”, which right off the bat has Deafheaven getting you right on the edge of your seat.  Mostly due to these very otherworldly sound effects, and it’s awesome.  As far as just how passionate they sound and how unbelievably charismatic they come off, makes this a pretty flooring display.  I love just how muscular this track is, between the pouring drums and wailing guitars all over George’s very emotional screams.  Not only have Deafheaven completely gotten down the American Black Metal sound, they’ve perfected it.  These guitars have seemingly limitless personality and end up complimenting everything wonderfully.  By the end of this one, it’s practically anthemic.  You have to give these guys credit, they’re on top of their genre.  Even the ending instrumental break is just so incredibly rewarding and seems so therapeutic after that onslaught.  As this album rolls on with “Canary Yellow”, this album continues to be an absolute guessing game as far as Deafheaven goes, as this one literally starts off with another very sweet instrumental.  Which is fine, it’s what sets Deafheaven apart from every other band in this genre.  Now, in the past, the term “Shoegaze” i always felt like you had to use very loosely with Deafheaven.  I always just sort of felt like they weren’t pulling from the genre exactly.  But with “Canary Yellow”, they are absolutely bringing in that classic sound of Shoegaze.  The dreamy atmospheres, the hazy guitars, it’s all here in spades.  But Deafheaven turns on a dime and end up bringing in the metal, and quick.  I feel like as far as legitimate anthems, this collection of tracks are some of the most strangely catchy in the band’s catalog. It’s wild and aggressive, but still has just enough hazy guitars lying underneath to really set them apart.  Now, I do sort of feel like some time in the future this could come off as a little watered down.  But I’ll be damned if this isn’t still wildly entertaining and absolutely crushing when it needs to be.  And once again, those last few minutes are absolutely rewarding and therapeutic.  “Near” once again shows the band taking a more subtle approach.  The thing is, once upon a time this track would have been genuinely shocking to hear an all-out Metal band drop their defenses for another very sweet, harmless instrumental.  It’s very bouncy sounding and has just such a sense of innocence to it.  And while no, this isn’t anything to write home to Mom about, my God is this ever soothing and euphoric.  Like, hearing these guys go for an all-out instrumental Post Rock album really doesn’t sound like such a bad idea.  The vocals really never get to be too much of the star here, because this one folks is all about atmosphere.  But I have to say they really aren’t even missed. This album continues to be some of the most emotional music we’ve heard yet from Deafheaven.

Deafheaven continues to surprise me with tracks like “Glint” which honestly may be my favorite track here.  The band’s patience here is genuinely flawless.  There’s instantly so much danger and trouble brewing, and these instrumentals from a distance do sound like they’re on the lighter side.  But with every passing moment, I feel like just a little more darkness piles up on top of these very meditative riffs.  Not to mention, with just how slow “Glint” is it’s wild just how aggressive and muscular some of these instrumentals come off.  The drums are patient and the guitars just seem ready to pounce seemingly at any second.  And they do, and it’s glorious and absolutely ripping and anthemic.  It’s a brutal track. but so many little details help this one come off absolutely flooring, like those wailing guitars and George’s emotional cries.  And after all these years, I feel like Deafheaven just know how to make a track like this into a genuinely catchy tune.  But then we get “Night People”, by far the shortest and strangest track here.  And yes folks, this is a true blue ballad.  Not some fusion black Metal and a ballad, this is a Piano ballad straight up.  And honestly, this one took some time for me to really get into, mostly because how radically different this one is.  But all around, the vocals, including guest vocals from Chelsea Wolfe of all people, are absolutely beautiful and charming.  It’s an emotional tune, which by the end of it with the pounding drums and epic instrumentals gets pretty gigantic.  Now, I’m going to come out and say it, this isn’t terrible.  But this would have been a lot more flooring to me if it was tied on to the end of one of their heavier songs.  But while they’ve certainly given us a whole lot to chew on so far, they clearly aren’t done yet as this album ends with “Worthless Animal”.  This track is back to the band on their drearier and more emotional side.  And as far as that goes, this is powerful and incredibly raw.  And then we have George’s performance which is just so vicious, quite possibly his most vicious here.  For a finale, I have to admit one thing I love is just how final this DOES come off.  These guitars are soaring, it’s epic, majestic while remaining just as creative as the rest of the tracks here. 

Rating: 8.4/10

Give A Listen To: “You Without End”, “Honeycomb”, “Canary Yellow”, “Glint”

Least Favorite Track: “Night People”

Genre: Black Metal / Shoegaze / Blackgaze 

Overall Thoughts:  Deafheaven return after a few years away with quite frankly, their most diverse and fleshed out release yet.  Take the best moments of “Sunbather” and “New Bermuda” and bring in an excess of it, and that makes for this new album.  The guitars are more epic, the vocals are more cutting, the instrumental interludes are longer, and the emotions run deeper than ever.  It’s more beautiful, it’s more gruesome and more twisted.  Which yea, makes me feel like Deafheaven is ready for a little bit of a switch up in the near future.  But for one of the best Metal bands to come through with an album of what they do best time and time again, this album is a wonderful reminder of how awesome they are.