Review:
Deafheaven has taken a momentous step forward with their second album
Sunbather. It is massive is its sonic scope, blending the rawness of black
metal with the beauty that can be achieved with post-rock tonal guitars.
The album is unlike anything in
metal, daring to be radiant yet tortured. Split into four epic tracks with
three more experimental ambiance pieces separating them, it is a journey that
asks the listener to accompany the band into the pits of doubt and despair and
then back up into the warmth of the sun (and then back down and back up again
and again). The songs feature scathing black metal stylized vocals, intricately
melodic guitars, and powerfully cascading drums. From my own metal collection,
Sunbather reminds me of the beauty and anguish of Dawn’s Slaughtersun
(though not as intense) with the tonal depression (in moments) of Daylight Dies’s
Dismantling
Devotion.
Deafheaven’s album is
transformative, an aesthetically masterful piece that will influence the future
of black metal. It is not just a record for metal fans; it is a must for fans
of music, as this is surely one of 2013’s great works. 5/5
Essential Tracks:
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