We seem to have this insatiable need to put a label on everything. Whether it's who we are personally or the music we listen to. We try to ensure that every band or artist ticks a specific box, are filed under a certain genre and stick within that field. Throughout their career Deafheaven have defied these rules – are they black metal? Are they shoegaze? Blackgaze? Post-metal? More importantly, why do we even care? What's important is that Deafheaven have produced an outstanding body of work and have arrived in London to play their largest ever UK show.
Ordinarily, albums played in full are a pre-billed feast of nostalgia, often showcased to mark an anniversary of a significant and legendary work. However, such is Deafheaven's confidence and belief in their art, tonight they perform their latest album 'New Bermuda' in full from beginning to end.
There's an immediate sense of urgency as the band kick straight into album opener 'Brought To The Water'. Lead singer George Clarke ominously stalks the stage as the band perfectly blend together moments of delicacy and beauty with outright ferocity. What makes Deafheaven such an intriguing proposition is that their sound isn't just a basic rehash of obvious metal influences, but at moments has more in common with the likes of Slowdive and Godspeed You! Black Emperor. There's a euphoric yet contemplative element to their sound, which is at odds with Clarke's bloodcurdling, ungodly screams.
There's a complexity to their sound, which is an obvious result of the band's widespread influences. Somehow they all come together to fuse perfectly to create a dark yet heavenly atmosphere, with the transcendent instrumental build up of 'Baby Blue' proving just how tight the band now are, led by the outstanding work of drummer Dan Tracy.
Following the performance of 'New Bermuda', the band return to the stage to an encore of songs from 2013's lauded 'Sunbather'. To wild cheers, they launch into the title track from the album. Whilst unquestionably bleak, there's a radiant joy about this performance, which segues into a rousing finale of 'Dream House', a 10-minute journey of abrasive noise and subtle instrumentation which just about sums up everything Deafheaven are about.
Leaving the venue, despite the onslaught of noise that had just taken place, it's difficult not to overhear a conversation where two men are trying to come to terms with what they've just witnessed. "Well they were never going to play 'Come on Eileen' were they". Well, quite.
FUTURE GIGS
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