just pre-ordered and got the download code for the debut from DeafHeaven.
Their hybrid musical approach is outright stunning. A melding of epic Post Rock leanings (Envy, Godspeed You! Black Emperor) with experimental Black Metal (Xasthur, Weakling, Leviathan), and classic era "Screamo" (Orchid, Crimson Curse) into something never successfully experienced before.
"...Blasting percussion; high-quality tremolo picking riffs; distant, sneering vocals… it's all here. And that's all great, but it is the little boundary-pushing bits and pieces that they offer that really pushes things over the edge – from the beautiful acoustic passages to the epic, surging melodies, and even some "post-rock" textures, to...I'm probably scaring people away with some of these claims, but please don't let that happen. Amidst all of this, they really retain a sense of aggressive feeling. It is black metal, when all is said and done. And it's fucking awesome..."
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http://www.aversionline.com"...By far, this is my favorite album of 2010, and I've not nothing else to say about it except GET INTO IT..."
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http://www.youwillmove.blogspot.com"...Deafheaven have created a masterpiece with this self-titled debut; so much so that I am already anticipating a future full length from the band..."
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http://www.metalarmy.com"...If there isn't a superstar line-up behind this stuff, there is some serious talent in desperate need of recognition here. Bottom line - go get it..."
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http://truecultheavymetal.com (Jose's Band of the Week)
In early 2011, Deafheaven released two songs from their celebrated demo as a 7"EP on Deathwish and served as an introduction of San Francisco's Deafheaven to the Deathwish world. "Libertine Dissolves" and "Daedalus" showed the band at their most abrasive to date. Hyper blasts of speed, entwine with infectious melody and emotional breakdowns to create a mesmerizing metallic atmosphere. A welcomed hybrid of styles that breathed fresh air into the constantly evolving aggressive music community.
Since then, people have been clamoring for a proper Deafheaven album...
Deathwish are proud to announce the release of Deafheaven's debut album "Roads to Judah".
Recorded by Jack Shirley (guitarist of Comadre), "Roads to Judah", is a hypnotic thirty eight minute plunge into hazy musical darkness. A dizzying hybrid of Shoe-gaze shimmer, Hardcore vulnerability, and Black Metal intensity.
From the opening drone of the album it's as if we are are peering through a dream into the private world that is Deafheaven's "Roads to Judah". Layers and layers of instrumentation build, tangle and swirl before the real onslaught begins. A ferocious drum fill then thrusts us from the serene into a free fall, as if the ground below suddenly gave way. From there we plummet through one awe inducing sonic fog into the next, blurring the traditional lines of song. Hyper blasts of speed rage and pulse while lush guitars bellow, roar and whine with unorthodox melody. And just as we feel we've departed from reality from the aural overload, tortured vocals cry out from afar. Serving as a stark reminder that there is something very human about "Roads to Judah" and Deafheaven themselves.
Though the title could suggest something otherworldly, the "Judah" referenced is in fact the "N Judah" train, the busiest line of the San Francisco transit system. A relatable landmark to compliment the haunting ambiguity that surrounds Deafheaven and the music that they collectively create. On it, much of the lyrical writing and personal reflection for this album took place.
With that said, "Roads to Judah" isn't Heavy Metal role play, but a beautifully blackened artistic exploration of the issues and self loathing that can cloud every day life. A stunning a achievement emotionally and musically that will surely shape aggressive music for years to come.
