New Bermuda
Anti-Records
Depending on what side of the fence you fall on, Deafheaven’s third record New Bermuda is either incredibly anticipated or the physical manifestation of hipster gentrification within the metal community. What’s undeniable is the immense success and attention their sophomore record Sunbather brought the San Francisco shoegaze act. Now with a full permanent band Deafheaven collaborating with long time producer Jack Shirley have reemerged with 5 songs and forty three minutes of interlude-less material. Returning are the epic reflective poetry and harsh screech of George Clarke along with the various experimental guitar tones of Kerry McCoy which range from soft melodic beauty to aggressive fast-paced guitar licks apparently inspired by "Kill ‘Em All" era Metallica. This record does not stray far from its predecessor, but shows growth and experimentation from a band knowing they are under a microscope.
Deafheaven stated that they did not want to make a Sunbather sequel and when they revealed their debut single, “Brought to the Water,” things were looking great in that regard. George Clarke’s growl has never been deeper or more aggressive. Kerry McCoy creates actual discernible riffs rather than the washed reverb sound that was characteristic of “Sunbather”. The thrash metal influence is obvious and the track ends with epic repetitive screams from Clarke that recalls “Dream House” or “The Pecan Tree.” Rather than ending promptly the track wanders aimlessly into a piano piece that seems to function entirely on its own. The piano does not act as an interlude to the next song nor does it seem to connect with the beginning of the track all that well. It feels quite forced. One of the few criticisms “Sunbather” received was the mundane fade out ending indicative of uncertainty or a lack of ideas so it is a shame the first track off “New Bermuda” has to suffer the same fate. However this does not stop “Brought to the Water” from being a major stand out on this record.
The second track “Luna” starts with another big riff from McCoy and the trademark George Clarke howl. As Clarke discusses feeling trapped and depressed in his new L.A. surroundings, Daniel Tracy makes his case as one of the best drummers in metal today. Tracy is a whirlwind all over this album and makes the drumming one of the major overall highlights of the album. “Luna” sets an unrelenting pace, while implementing riffs at the forefront of the mix, and a shoegazey backdrop from guitarist Shiv Mehra. “Luna” best represents the sound Deafheaven were trying to create out of all the tracks on this record. Deafheaven slows this track down creating melody, dynamic range, and a powerful post-rock atmosphere when they crank the volume back up.
“Baby Blue” is the third track off “New Bermuda” and presents itself as the track that seems to be the most inspired by the 80s thrash sound. This track is another 10 minute odyssey that begins methodically before exploding into the trademark Deafheaven dissonance. What should surprise on this track is a rare guitar solo from Kerry McCoy featuring a wah pedal that sounds straight out of a record by Coheed and Cambria. Although it certainly sticks out on the album the guitar solo does not feel out of place. Unfortunately, the rest of “Baby Blue” is rather unremarkable featuring a riff that feels rather generic by Deafheaven’s standards despite Clarke’s best efforts to give a jarring vocal performance. Another inexplicable fadeout closes this track as a sample plays from an airport recording. The recording is an obvious Godspeed You! homage, but its use is just functions banally here.
The last couple tracks on here expose the band’s love affair
with Oasis and “Gifts for the Earth” is Deafheaven’s attempt at a “Champagne Supernova.” This is the fourth track in a row where the intensity of George
Clarke is on display and the band matches that intensity well; however, the
post-rock/shoegaze portions at this point just feel so forced in order to
create dissonance. The slower portions throughout this record can feel unnecessary. When
considering the record Deafheaven were looking to create, “New Bermuda” feels like
the band just dipped their toes rather than jumping in. The intense portions of
this record are phenomenal. With this record Deafheaven proved they can be an
aggressive metal band. They’re much more than just a shoegaze act. They can
write aggressive and effective riffs. The slower post-rock and shoegaze was
blended well on Sunbather because the guitar tones remained relatively unchanged
throughout the record giving the project cohesion. “New Bermuda”’s more
aggressive tone makes these pieces of the same cloth feel like a grasp for the
older Deafheaven sound. Ideally the band can use this record as a stepping
stone to fully emerge themselves within this new sound whether that leads to
fan alienation or not. This record shows growth and a band that refuses to be
content. That alone should make Deafheaven fans excited. “New Bermuda” just
seems to have caught the band between two sounds at the moment which hampers what could have been an excellent record.
7/10
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TJ Kliebhan
10/6/2015
Listen to "Brought to the Water":
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