• Reviews

• All
• Music
• DVDs
• Live
• Cinema
• TV
• Books
• Comic Books
• Video Games

Jul 10, 2018 Web Exclusive By Adam Turner-Heffer

When Deafheaven—and along with them, the “is it true Black Metal though?” debate—exploded with their 2013 sophomore record Sunbather, there was always a risk they were going to be a mere flash in the pan trend. However, the San Francisco band responded with the equally well-received New Bermuda to suggest they were going to outlast the labels unfairly thrown at them, leading the band to here, their fourth album, Ordinary Corrupt Human Love.

From here, there can be no mistake; Deafheaven are the real deal. By now you’ve probably heard the album’s lead single “Honeycomb,” but if you haven’t by now, do so, it will instantly make up your mind as to whether this album is worth your time. Still here? Good. How great is that? Just about one of the contenders of song of the year, in its first half at least.

So what of the rest of Ordinary Corrupt Human Love? Well, it begins in a similar mode to a certain glorious WWE superstar’s theme, and yet, given the level of theatrics the band’s frontman George Clarke in particular employs, it works, like everything here does. The opening piano ballad “You Without End” successfully sets up the following 50 minutes or so of music perfectly, floating gently into the aforementioned single where the chaos fully takes off.

“Canary Yellow,” the album’s centerpiece, which follows, is an epic journey in and of itself, which categorizes just how confident the band, led by guitarist Kerry McCoy, are at this point in time. Meanwhile, the band still display their dreamier, shoegaze moments on the album’s shorter interludes, such as “Near” and “Night People,” the latter almost working like an ‘80s synth-pop melody. All before finale “Worthless Animal” brings things to a crashing end on yet another excellent album from the Bay Area metallers, and long may it continue. (www.deafheaven.com)

Author rating: 8/10