Deafheaven - Sunbather

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Jackson
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Deafheaven - Sunbather

Post by Jackson »

Sunbather is currently obliterating the 2013 charts at both Metacritic and Anydecent Music.

Anyone here heard it? I knew I'd like it from the Swans, MBV, and Godspeed You! Black Emperor namechecks in the reviews, and it is really great if you can tolerate the vocals. Another I'd compare it to is Fucked Up's David Comes to Life, my favorite album of 2011.
Nick
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Re: Deafheaven - Sunbather

Post by Nick »

I'm liking it. People are saying it's a mixture of black metal, post-rock, and shoegaze, but I don't know enough about black metal to speak for that part of the description (there are also a lot of people claiming that its not "true black metal", though once again, my ignorance of the genre prevents me from chiming in on this except to say that the black metal community is notably a very insular one, and one that places much consideration on the concept of "genre purity", so interpret the cries of "this album is not black metal!" with this in mind). The vocals are alright though, even if the lyrics are impossible to make out. I am by no means a metal fan, and the only metal album released in the past 5 years that I've even bothered to listen to in full was Shining's "Blackjazz" (which is a fantastic album, by the way). But where most metal sounds gloomy and depressing (to my ears at least), "Sunbather" sounds positively uplifting, almost euphoric at times. I love the fast paced intensity of the instruments, along with the song structures and crescendos influenced by post-rock groups like the aforementioned Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Overall the album does tend to get a little monotonous sonically in my opinion, and some of the songs do tend to drag a bit time wise, though Deafheaven are smart enough to sequence the album by placing the shorter songs in between the longer ones. It'll probably end up in my top 20 albums of the year, but that's about it. Still, a very respectable position, even more so due to the fact that it's from a genre that I tend to shy away from.
irreduciblekoan
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Re: Deafheaven - Sunbather

Post by irreduciblekoan »

I'm a big fan. As a native San Franciscan, it's great to see a band from my hometown get lots of national praise. Happened in 2009 with Girls. I'm not even a screamo fan, but the vocals don't bother me at all, probably because they're mixed so low that it's more like another instrument or texture.

I hope it gets more reviews though. At least 15-20 on Metacritic and AnyDecentMusic, and enough ratings for it to chart high on our MCCh.
o.m.
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Re: Deafheaven - Sunbather

Post by o.m. »

Thanks Jackson...Excellent recommendation...Here's the Pitchfork review...

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/180 ... sunbather/
Nassim
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Re: Deafheaven - Sunbather

Post by Nassim »

I just listened to Dreamhouse for the first (and second and third) time(s) and I'm pretty much blown away. Gives me the kind of earnest intensity I loved in Tarot Sport and Young Team. I'll listen to the full album as soon as I can !
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Luke JR68
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Re: Deafheaven - Sunbather

Post by Luke JR68 »

Wow... That was a truly remarkable experience, thank you for suggesting it Jackson
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Chambord
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Re: Deafheaven - Sunbather

Post by Chambord »

Brandon Stosuy (Pitchfork) on twitter: "When people go on first dates, they ask the other person "Have you cried to Deafheaven," right?"
-------------------------------

In the haze surrounding this album I saw many names dropped but first that popped up in my mind is Maudlin Of The Well (most of the respectable music press don't have a clue who they are (american band, mind !) or never bothered reviewing them). Sure, one is doing art/prog/avantgarde/death metal, the other screamo/ blackgaze and yeah they sound pretty different. But I see an influence.

Sunbather is a good, solid album, also more "first date" friendly (accessible) than any of MOTW ones but in terms of technical skills and creativity Maudlin is leading by an observable margin.

http://rateyourmusic.com/artist/maudlin_of_the_well

However, the fact that a metal album is getting this attention from press is a definitely a good thing. Hope to see it in many EOY lists. On mine it will be for sure.
Jackson
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Re: Deafheaven - Sunbather

Post by Jackson »

irreduciblekoan wrote: I'm not even a screamo fan, but the vocals don't bother me at all, probably because they're mixed so low that it's more like another instrument or texture.

I hope it gets more reviews though. At least 15-20 on Metacritic and AnyDecentMusic, and enough ratings for it to chart high on our MCCh.
It looks like it's not getting many more reviews, unfortunately. I'd be interested to see if other critics would rate it as highly. And I agree about the vocals; I hardly notice them. To me these guys sound more like Godspeed You! Black Emperor than anyone else, especially in the shorter, more experimental songs.
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Mattceinicram
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Re: Deafheaven - Sunbather

Post by Mattceinicram »

I gave this a listen earlier today....I was absolutely floored...
Check out my music review blog! Matt and Music! mattandmusic.blogspot.com
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Matski
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Re: Deafheaven - Sunbather

Post by Matski »

T'is a solid album to be sure, though the level of breakthrough appeal it's attained is very surprising. When it comes to metal this year, both Inter Arma's Sky Burial and Altar of Plagues' Teethed Glory and Injury are albums just as impressive, if not moreso.
Jackson
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Re: Deafheaven - Sunbather

Post by Jackson »

Matski wrote:T'is a solid album to be sure, though the level of breakthrough appeal it's attained is very surprising. When it comes to metal this year, both Inter Arma's Sky Burial and Altar of Plagues' Teethed Glory and Injury are albums just as impressive, if not moreso.
I think its acclaim makes a little more sense if you view it less as a metal album and more as a post-rock album, as critics have seemed to do. I should check out those other two albums though.
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Matski
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Re: Deafheaven - Sunbather

Post by Matski »

Not so sure. Perhaps it's just me but a lot of reviews tend to purposely play up the focus on the black-metal tag in combo with (if anything) the shoegaze elements. The mentions to post-rock often feel secondary by comparison.

Saying that, I guess it is this dynamic combination of all three which genres that has given the band a chance to attain much of its recent recognition. It still seems somewhat surreal...
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