From the shimmering pink cover of their signature record “Sunbather” to vocalist/pianist George Clarke’s purple prose exposing “a multiverse of fuchsia and violet [that] surrenders to blackness,” the tension between darkness and light has defined Deafheaven. While genre purists dismiss the black-metal adjacent quintet for their occasional use of major keys and alleged tendency toward life affirmation instead of the genre’s beloved misanthropy, their past records harbored melancholy. If “Sunbather” is their naked affirmation for the band’s dreams of love and success, it’s one made in the throes of poverty and substance abuse. On the follow-up “New Bermuda,” the band was embittered and jaded, having come to the realization that these dreams were unattainable or hollow. While a fantastic record in its own right, it is clearly the product of an exhausted group which makes Deafheaven’s future seem uncertain.
Luckily, however, “Ordinary Corrupt Human Love” (OCHL) is a strong record and a hard-earned victory for the band. The record feels celebratory and wise beyond its years, radiating awe and relief after years of soul-searching. While Bermuda began with eerie church bells that got pummeled by dissonant chords and blast beats, OCHL’s opener, “You Without End,” starts with Clarke’s delicate piano work and spoken word poetry courtesy of actress Nadia Kury, and, on the next track, “Honeycomb,” the frontman muses, “I’m reluctant to stay sad/ life beyond is a field/ a field of flowers.” On a few songs, he breaks away from his familiar metal growls and actually sings on the aching “Near.” The haunting duet featuring Chelsea Wolfe, “Night People,” makes for a more-than-welcome addition to the band’s ever-evolving sound. That isn’t to say that the band has completely shied away from their black metal roots, as songs like “Glint” and “Worthless Animal” show the band hasn’t gone too soft. Deafheaven is more confident in its ability to break away from genre tropes and progress its sound.
No mention of this album would be complete without including the other members, as they’re all in top form. Kerry McCoy and Shiv Mehra nail both the metal riffs and softer guitar parts ranging from warmly melodic to trance-inducingly psychedelic, something that shouldn’t be surprising for longtime fans. More unexpected, however, is new member Chris Johnson’s awe-inspiring bass work. The bass on past Deafheaven albums was serviceable, but it never had an opportunity to stand out on its own until now, where its meandering noodling steals every song. Finally, if we’re going by the cliché that a band’s only as good as their drummer, then Dan Tracy makes Deafheaven the best band of the last 20 years with his intricate musicianship taking equal influence from scorched-Earth tempo black metal and spaced-out jazz.
Deafheaven, able to pound you against a wall and pull at your heartstrings in equal measure, has always been a unique band worth writing home about, but never have they sounded so confident about their idiosyncrasies and in control of their craft. When I first heard “New Bermuda,” I had no idea what direction the band could go in now, but this time I say that more with excitement and curiosity than fear.
Andrew Kilbride, a Staff Writer for the Voice, can be reached for comment at AKilbride21@wooster.edu.