Deafheaven’s current place in music culture is a confusing one.
Their sophomore LP Sunbather, released in 2013, was both critically acclaimed and tremendously polarizing. The band’s melodic and shoegaze-ish approach to black metal left metal-heads either loving or hating them, with little middle ground. At the same time, their sound offered a warm welcome to listeners unversed in the more abrasive and aggressive side of music.
Their follow up album New Bermuda serves as both an extension and antithesis to the concepts explored in Sunbather. The heavy reverb guitars, blast beats and ear-piercing screams of vocalist George Clarke that defined Sunbather are still present. However, in New Bermuda, the elements that defined Sunbather serve less as centerpieces and more as transitional elements, carrying the listener into more ambitious sonic landscapes.
The songs on New Bermuda are far more concise than what was present on Deafheaven’s previous LPs. This self-contained construction gives each song a sharpness that serves as a direct response to Sunbather.
If their previous album’s songs bleed together in a way that creates a dream-like continuum of hills and valleys, the songs of their latest resemble that of a lurching roller coaster. It’s an invigorating ride featuring pummeling riffs that send listeners sidewinding and piano ballads that raise them toward the apex. Screaming guitar leads will then send their stomachs into their throats.
Deafheaven wears their influences on their sleeves in New Bermuda and uses them masterfully to create a collage that’s massive in scope.
Their inspiration stems from all over. Slayer-inspired riffs greet you at the door on the opening track,“Brought to the Water,” the melancholy Red House Painters’ ballad builds tension in “Baby Blue,” and the Oasis inspired outro on “Gifts for the Earth” serves as a calming resolution to the dissonant cacophony that precedes it.
However, Deafheaven’s manifestations of their influences aren’t impressive simply because of their scope, but also in how they’re able to use them in a way that never feels out of place. In New Bermuda, each influence serves as another tool for Deafheaven to continue their crusade of juxtaposing brutality and beauty.
Never is there a single note, beat or vocal phrase on this record that doesn’t contribute to Deafheaven’s vision. Every piece has its purpose in the album’s grand design, and its construction is executed with finesse and grandeur.
New Bermuda is not just an important black metal album — it’s an important piece of art. With the success of Sunbather, it would have been easy for Deafheaven to create a “Sunbather II,” but this album is anything but that.
New Bermuda explores an entire new universe that’s far more overwhelming and demanding than their previous work, but still extends a welcoming hand to those unfamiliar with the genre. Both conceptually and sonically, New Bermuda is Deafheaven’s full-frontal assault against complacency and stagnation.
Rating: 4.9/5
