Review: ‘Lonely People With Power' Is Deafheaven At Their Best

Forbes

01-04-2025

The San Francisco metal outfit is back with another stellar LP, one which is easily their best sounding album to date and possibly their best overall. Deafheaven's sixth studio album, Lonely People With Power, is the culmination of the many slight turns the band has taken in their sound over the last 13 years. The sharpest of these turns was easily the band's previous LP, 2021's Infinite Granite, which saw the band adopt a more alternative rock and shoegaze focused direction. Furthermore, it was the first time the band had teamed up with producer Justin Meldal-Johnsen, who's also returned for the band's latest record.
Infinite Granite marked a turning point for Deafheaven just as it did for some of their fanbase, particularly those who didn't favor the noticeable lack of heavy riffs and blast beats. Regardless of whether Infinite Granite worked for you or not is separate from the fact that it was Deafheaven's most ambitious and best sounding record at the time. This aspect has certainly carried over into Lonely People With Power, and it's a testament to the band's honed sonic palette and their chemistry with Justin Meldal-Johnsen.
Mixing engineer Zack Weeks from GodCity Studios also did a tremendous job on this LP, and it's well worth sitting through with a decent sound system or pair of headphones. The ripping guitar tones captured on a number of the tracks combined with the ambient textures layered throughout the album are truly some of the album's biggest strengths. Not to mention that the incredible performances captured on this LP showcase the band at their absolute peak, especially drummer Daniel Tracy.
Of course, it's one thing if an album's production is on point, but the songwriting is ultimately what matters most. Like the myriad of sonic elements Deafheaven paint throughout this LP, the songwriting excellently combines the band's trademark black metal riffs and softer shoegaze moments. 'The Garden Route,' for instance, is a brilliant display of how far Deafheaven has come with balancing the dynamics of their contrasting genres — the tremolo guitar drone in the verses provides an eerie and haunting setup for the one-two punch of a spine-shaking chorus and outro on this track. Similarly, the guitar leads that soar atop big climactic moments like those on 'Doberman' and "Heathen' blend really well with the chaotic instrumentals.
There are songs like this throughout the record that combine elements of 2021's Infinite Granite with the raw heaviness of Deafheaven's early albums. Taking it a step further, Deafheaven even experiments with more death-metal-like moments than ever before. Tracks 'Revelator' and 'Magnolia' feature serrated guitar hooks that instantly sink their teeth into you upon hearing them. It's almost as if Deafheaven's overlooked 2019 single 'Black Brick' was teasing this sonic direction for the future.
The melancholic black metal that Deafheaven has coined with albums Sunbather and New Bermuda is also present once again, but it's carved into songs in a more nuanced fashion than heard in their previous records. Not until the end of the album, with tracks 'Winona' and 'The Marvelous Orange Tree' does the band embrace their iconic 'major key' black metal, with Sunbather-like moments scattered throughout these tracks. Overall, Lonely People With Power does feel darker in its tone and delivery than any of the band's more recent LPs, which is a welcomed return.
The jury is still out on whether or not Lonely People With Power is Deafheaven's best album. Sunbather (2013), New Bermuda (2015), and even their 2021 full-shoegaze outing Infinite Granite, all accomplish something sonically and stylistically unique, on top of being stellar LPs. Sure, Sunbather will forever be hailed as the album that put Deafheaven on every metal and indie fan's radar, and there's a solid argument to call it their best album. However, there's just no other Deafheaven album that's as dynamically complete and satisfyingly dark as Lonely People With Power. If you're a fan of Deafheaven, this album is one to cherish, furthermore if you're new to Deafheaven, Lonely People With Power might be the best place to start.
Verdict: 9/10