Let’s be honest: “Sunbather” from 2013 is the most important black metal album of recent history. While Deafheaven was certainly not the first band trying to gel black metal with shoegaze, they did it with a level of emotional intensity and warmth that is not traditionally associated with such a harsh-sounding genre. To their credit, they did not repeat it and somehow managed to become bigger and brighter with every successive release. They mix shoegaze, indie and post-rock for a wide audience. This brings us to “Lonely People With Power.” On the surface, it’s got everything that made Deafheaven big. On a closer look, LPWP is an improvement on all cylinders that the band has been firing. The blast beats, the riffs, the screeching vocals, the tremolo picking—everything sounds bigger and more furious while also feeling gorgeous and ethereal in its wall of noise. In short, LPWP shows Deafheaven flexing their legendary strengths and is a strong contender for being their best album to date.

While no number of words can do justice to the experience of listening to the best Deafheaven songs, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention “Winona”—this might be one of the greatest songs the band has put out. That sense of ecstasy and catharsis trickles into other songs. “Magnolia” rips it out with its gnarly atmosphere. “Doberman” is a stunning opening assault of fury, and “Revelator” is a delicious combo of thrash and hardcore screamo. Despite the abundance of brutality, the band never ceases to inject cinematic interludes and dream-pop passages. These dynamics feel more nuanced and elegant, with lyrics exploring power, disillusionment, and the quiet desperation of modern life. The album throws in some curveballs of collaborations—notably a spoken word passage from Paul Banks (of Interpol) on “Incidental III” and—better—Jae Matthews (of Boy Harsher) in “Incidental II.” The latter is an absolute blood-curdling piece of dark noise, that will please many Lingua Ignota fans (like me!). 

Overall, LPWP positions Deafheaven as a band in their own league, and I am excited to see where the band goes from here!