Deafheaven - New Bermuda [2LP]

After Sunbather made them the most argued-about band in metal, Deafheaven answered with New Bermuda, a heavier, darker and more ambitious record, spread here across two LPs.

Released in 2015, the San Francisco band's third album was their first for Anti- and found singer George Clarke and guitarist Kerry McCoy pushing back toward the riff. Where its predecessor floated in pink-hued euphoria, this one digs into thrash, doom and classic heavy metal while keeping the shoegaze shimmer and post-rock crescendos that made their name. The lyrics trade sunlight for the restless unease of a new life in Los Angeles, and the music feels appropriately unsettled.

Producer Jack Shirley captures the band at full force across just five long tracks. "Brought to the Water" opens with a slow, ominous build before erupting into blast beats, and "Luna" may be the most punishing thing they have ever put to tape. "Come Back" swings between pummelling black metal and passages of gorgeous calm, and "Gifts for the Earth" closes on an unexpectedly bright, melodic note that feels like sunrise after a storm.

It is a record that rewards volume and patience in equal measure.

For anyone who thinks extreme metal and beauty cannot share a room, this is the counterargument, pressed on wax.