For the uninitiated, Deafheaven‘s third album is a visible gateway into the world of Blackgaze (black metal + shoegaze).The opening track “Brought To The Water” sounds like the perfect crossover track: typically metal screams and chord progressions woven into gorgeous, new-wave-ish melodies (echoed in the album’s Peter Saville-inspired cover). When I first heard this track, I got a similar feeling to when I first heard “Turn On The Bright Lights.” The album stays close to this theme, utilizing an array of musical devices such as breakdowns, unexpected shifts, and outros to cut down the edge. The closer practically made me laugh… the band sounds almost like F it, let’s just throw some metal vocals over an indie track and see what happens. Metal fans seem divisive over this album and I wouldn’t expect anything less. Crossovers hurt. Recommended.

• black double vinyl pressing
• gatefold sleeve
• music label: Anti- 2015

reviewed by the mgmnt 01/2016