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Forbes
01-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Review: ‘Lonely People With Power' Is Deafheaven At Their Best
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
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Deafheaven Bring Back the Roar on ‘Lonely People With Power': Album Review
At a time when heavy metal has mutated and evolved into so many different shapes that even the term 'post-metal' feels reductive, it's hard to slap the term on anyone — especially, er, post-metal pioneers Deafheaven, whose unusual fusion of screeched vocals and blast beats with towering, majestic guitars and gentle interludes have always made them hard to pin down. Now 15 years into their career, the band had made a hard left in their sound with 2021's 'Infinite Granite,' which found singer George Clarke dropping the goblin shriek and singing in a more conventional, dare we say alternative style. It was a worthy experiment, but actually removed one of the key elements that made them so different, and with 'Lonely People With Power,' he's back to shredding his larynx about 90% of the time. 'Return to form' is very much the vibe here, and any fans of the band's stellar trio of 2010s albums ('Sunbather,' 'New Bermuda' and 'Ordinary Corrupt Human Love') will find much to love. But that doesn't mean they're repeating themselves: It's a more refined sound, the towering textures of the guitars are more carefully crafted than ever, and the softer moments are more frequent and effective. There's also more variety, with Clarke slipping into spoken passages more often and guest vocals from Paul Banks of Interpol and Jae Banks from darkwave duo Boy Harsher. Former Beck bassist Justin Meldal Johnson (Wolf Alice, Paramore, M83) is back behind the boards, weaving the instruments into a tropical cyclone one minute and a tidal pool the next. There's one of their trademark closing opuses, this one titled 'The Marvelous Orange Tree,' that's so epic in scale it almost feels like the soundtrack to the final scene of a film. Yet the most remarkable thing about this band's sound is the way the whirlpool guitars and bass meld with the hyper-fast beats and Clarke's vocals into a trebly, unified sound that would almost be like ambient music if it weren't so aggressive. Diving in is like an ice bath that shocks at first, but then is incongruously relaxing and peaceful. Best of Variety The Best Albums of the Decade
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Deafheaven Unleash New Song 'Heathen': Stream
The post Deafheaven Unleash New Song 'Heathen': Stream appeared first on Consequence. Deafheaven have released the new song 'Heathen,' the second single from their upcoming album, Lonely People with Power, arriving March 28th. The genre-bending track runs the gamut for Deafheaven, opening with majestic guitar arpeggios and clean singing from frontman George Clarke, a la the band's last album Infinite Granite. These majestic moments are broken up with metallic blasts that feature harsh vocals, though the overall aggression has been toned down as compared to the full-on black metal of the previous lead single 'Magnolia.' Get Deafheaven Tickets Here Based on the two songs we've heard, Lonely People with Power is setting up to be one of Deafheaven's most diverse albums yet, balancing the harsh metal of their early years with the post-punk/dream-pop elements that defined Infinite Granite. The new album was recorded at EastWest Studios with producer Justin Meldal-Johnsen (St. Vincent, M83) and features additional vocal contributions from Jae Matthews of Boy Harsher and Paul Banks of Interpol. Deafheaven will be supporting the LP with a spring North American tour that kicks off April 19th in LA and runs through May 23rd in Mesa, Arizona, hitting Chicago, New York City, Dallas, and other markets along the way. Deafheaven's itinerary also includes two festival slots at Sonic Temple and Welcome to Rockville. Get tickets here. Pre-order Lonely People with Power on vinyl, including a 2-LP deluxe edition and several limited edition color variants, at this location. Stream 'Heathen' below. Deafheaven Unleash New Song 'Heathen': Stream Jon Hadusek Popular Posts J6 Prison Choir to Perform at Kennedy Center Tony Hawk Wishes Kurt Cobain Could Meet Their Shared Grandson Wu-Tang Clan Announce Final Tour with Run the Jewels as Special Guest The 69 Sexiest Film Scenes of All Time Grimes Turns to Twitter to Beg for Elon Musk's Attention Amid Child's "Medical Crisis" Kanye West Acknowledges Report That He's Inhaling Nitrous Oxide Subscribe to Consequence's email digest and get the latest breaking news in music, film, and television, tour updates, access to exclusive giveaways, and more straight to your inbox.
