Review: Deafheaven – New Bermuda

Deafheaven
New Bermuda

Anti-
Street: 10.02
Deafheaven = Darkthrone + Built to Spill + Slowdive

The first three minutes and 24 seconds of New Bermuda is some of the best heavy music I’ve heard this year. It’s the lead guitar melody which immediately follows that will determine your opinion of New Bermuda. Put plainly: Your enjoyment of New Bermuda will be directly related to how much Built to Spill you are prepared for in your black metal. For me, it works. I found myself repeatedly coming back to these sections, using them as guideposts. Even though it’s kind of weird, it doesn’t feel like a gimmick, and most importantly it makes each song memorable and distinct. The other real standout is the straight-ahead metal riffage on New Bermuda. Chunkier riffs add muscle and are the perfect backdrop for the more unorthodox influences woven throughout. It’s bound to be divisive as hell, this is Deafheaven we’re talking about, but it’s a superb follow-up to Sunbather. –Peter Fryer