Deafheaven's second album, Sunbather, was released in 2013 to wide critical acclaim, becoming one of the best reviewed albums of the year in the US. In 2015 the band followed up with New Bermuda and in 2018 with Ordinary Corrupt Human Love. Their 2021 fifth album, Infinite Granite, drastically reduced the presence of screamed vocals.
Deafheaven formed in February 2010 in San Francisco with vocalist George Clarke and guitarist Kerry McCoy, who previously performed in a grindcore band together. Clarke isn’t sure how he arrived on the name Deafheaven, though he is aware of its appearance in William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 29. The two words ‘deaf’ and ‘heaven’ were combined as an homage to Slowdive.
Clarke and McCoy recorded their demo in April, 2010 at Atomic Garden Studios which was released both on cassette tape format in limited quantities and digitally. It featured four songs that combined black metal and post-rock. Originally, Deafheaven did not intend to release the material but they later sent it out to a few of their favorite blogs.
After the demo had been positively received, Clarke and McCoy recruited three additional musicians, bassist Derek Prine, guitarists Nick Bassett of the shoegaze bands Whirr and Nothing, and drummer Trevor Deschryver who responded to an ad on Craigslist to form a five-piece group and started playing their first shows on July, 2010.
Their debut full-length Roads to Judah was released by Deathwish Inc. on April 26, 2011. As early as September, 2011 Deafheaven announced they had begun writing new music for a potential split album, EP or full-length. At the time, McCoy described it as being "faster, darker, heavier and far more experimental" than their previous material. However in December, 2012 Clarke described their new material as "less melancholic and less centered around only black metal," but rather featuring a more "lush and rock-driven, even pop-driven sound at times."
Their third album titled Sunbather was written solely by founding members Clarke and McCoy. This was similar to the way the band's first demo was composed, and different from Roads to Judah, which was written as a five-piece band. The duo was also joined in the studio by new drummer Daniel Tracy, who "added his own drum style to already-constructed song skeletons." The title of the album reflects Clarke's idea of perfection. He stated that it's meant to represent "a wealthy, beautiful, perfect existence that is naturally unattainable and the struggles of having to deal with that reality because of your own faults, relationship troubles, family troubles, death, et cetera." Deafheaven entered the studio to record in January 2013 with Jack Shirley, and released the album on June 11, 2013 through Deathwish Inc.
Sunbather was critically acclaimed upon release. Metacritic rated the album 92/100, based on 18 reviews, and later declared it the best-reviewed major album of 2013. It was also Deafheaven's first release to chart on Billboard — it ranked at number 130 on the Billboard 200 and number 2 on the Top Heatseekers chart.
In addition to new drummer Daniel Tracy, who was a part of the band for the recording of Sunbather, the band recruited bassist Stephen Clark and guitarist Shiv Mehra for the 2013-2014 tours. Founding members Clarke and McCoy said previous band members parted ways due to difficulties with life on the road and earning little-to-no money.
In 2014, the band released the track "From the Kettle onto the Coil" as a free download for the cable television network Adult Swim's weekly singles series. Their third album, New Bermuda, was released on October 2, 2015, through the ANTI- record label, to critical acclaim.
The band started working on the follow up to New Bermuda in January 2018, when they announced they were in the studio working on a new album, scheduled for release later in the year. On April 17, 2018, the band released "Honeycomb", the lead single to their fourth studio album Ordinary Corrupt Human Love. On June 12, 2018, a new track from the new album titled "Canary Yellow" was released.The album was released on July 13, 2018 through Anti- Records. It received widespread acclaim from critics.
Their music is described as “a dizzying hybrid of shoegaze shimmer, hardcore punk passion, emo vulnerability, and black metal intensity.” They have cited a wide range of musical influences, including, but not limited to: Morbid Angel, The Smiths, Burzum, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Orchid, Emperor and My Bloody Valentine.
Deafheaven
Current Members
George Clarke – lead vocals (2010–present)
Kerry McCoy – guitar (2010–present), bass (2010, 2012–2013)
Daniel Tracy – drums (2012–present)
Shiv Mehra – guitar, backing vocals, keyboards (2013–present)
Chris Johnson – bass, backing vocals (2017–present)
Former Members
Nick Bassett – guitar (2010–2012)
Derek Prine – bass (2010–2012)
Trevor Deschryver – drums (2010–2011)
Korey Severson – drums (2011–2012)
Stephen Clark – bass (2013–2017
2010 - Demo (Remastered in 2012)
2011 - DW Live Series 08: Live at The Blacktop 01.15.11
2011 - Libertine Dissolves (single)
2011 - Roads to Judah
2012 - Deafheaven / Bosse-de-Nage (with Bosse-de-Nage)
2013 - Sunbather
2014 - From the Kettle onto the Coil
2015 - New Bermuda
2018 - Ordinary Corrupt Human Love
2021 - Infinite Granite
Sunbather
Deafheaven Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I watched how green the trees were
I watched the steep walkways and the white fences
I gripped the wheel
I sweated against the leather
I watched the dogs twist through the wealthy garden
I watched you lay on a towel in grass that exceeded the height of your legs
I gazed into reflective eyes
Crippled by the cushion, I sank into sheets frozen by rose pedal toes
My back shivered for your pressed granite nails
Dishonest and ugly through the space in my teeth
Break bones down to yellow and crush gums into blood
The hardest part for the weak was stroking your fingers with rings full of teeth
It's 5 AM and my heart flourishes at each passing moment
Always and forever
Deafheaven's "Sunbather" speaks about a person's inner turmoil, as they navigate through wealthy neighborhoods, watching their surroundings and feeling uneasy with themselves. The opening lines of the song describe this person as they drive through a maze of wealthy homes, commenting on the green trees, steep walkways, and white fences, alluding to the affluence of the area. As they drive through this affluent neighborhood, they express inner conflict, as symbolized by their sweaty grip on the wheel.
The second verse expresses their inner turmoil further, as they speak of their physical vulnerability and their deep desire for their loved one. They feel crippled by the comfort of their bed, and they are in pain from the injuries caused by their loved one's teeth. They are aware of their own ugliness, and they are uncomfortable with their space in the world, lashing out at those around them. Despite all of this, their heart flourishes at 5 AM, showing that there is still hope for redemption.
Overall, the song speaks to the battle between inner and outer worlds, describing a person who is struggling with themselves and the environment around them. It reflects the human experience of feeling out of place and disconnected from the world while fiercely holding onto hope.
Line by Line Meaning
Held my breath and drove through a maze of wealthy homes
I navigated through an area of luxurious houses with bated breath
I watched how green the trees were
I observed the lush foliage of the environment
I watched the steep walkways and the white fences
I noticed the angular paths and bright barriers
I gripped the wheel
I firmly held onto the steering wheel
I sweated against the leather
I perspired onto the car's seat material
I watched the dogs twist through the wealthy garden
I observed the canines roaming around the rich yard
I watched you lay on a towel in grass that exceeded the height of your legs
I saw you reclining on a mat in foliage that was taller than your limbs
I gazed into reflective eyes
I stared into reflective ocular organs
I cried against an ocean of light
I wept amidst an abundance of illumination
Crippled by the cushion, I sank into sheets frozen by rose pedal toes
Paralyzed by the pillow, I slouched into icy bed linens cold on my rosy toes
My back shivered for your pressed granite nails
My spinal area quivered due to your firm grip with stone nails
Dishonest and ugly through the space in my teeth
I am deceitful and aesthetically unpleasant, evidenced by a gap between my teeth
Break bones down to yellow and crush gums into blood
Snap bones into discolored fragments and mash gums, resulting in bloody injury
The hardest part for the weak was stroking your fingers with rings full of teeth
The most difficult task for those who are feeble is caressing your fingers adorned with grinning rings
It's 5 AM and my heart flourishes at each passing moment
The current time is 5 AM and my emotions heighten as each second passes
Always and forever
Forever and eternally
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: George Lesage Clarke IV, Kerry Dylan Mccoy
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mahathirmoon5010
1. Dream House
Hindered by sober restlessness. Submitting to the amber crutch. The theme in my aching prose. Fantasizing the sight of Manhattan; that pour of a bitter red being that escapes a thin frame. The rebirth of mutual love. The slipping on gloves to lay tenderly.
"I'm dying."
- "Is it blissful?"
"It's like a dream."
- "I want to dream."
2. Irresistible
[Instrumental]
3. Sunbather
held my breath and drove through a maze of wealthy homes. I watched how green the trees were. I watched the steep walkways and the white fences. I gripped the wheel. I sweated against the leather. I watched the dogs twist through the wealthy garden. I watched you lay on a towel in grass that exceeded the height of your legs. I gazed into reflective eyes. I cried against an ocean of light.
Crippled by the cushion, I sank into sheets frozen by rose pedal toes. My back shivered for your pressed granite nails. Dishonest and ugly through the space in my teeth. Break bones down to yellow and crush gums into blood. The hardest part for the weak was stroking your fingers with rings full of teeth..
It's 5 A.M...and my heart flourishes at each passing moment.
Always and forever.
4. Please Remember
Twisting and turning beside the slumbering Tereza, he recalled something she had told him a long time before in the course of an insignificant conversation. They had been talking about his friend Z, when she announced, 'If I hadn't met you, I'd certainly have fallen in
love with him.'
Even then, her words had left Tomas in a strange state of melancholy, and now he realized it was only a matter of chance that Tereza loved him and not his friend Z. Apart from her consummated love for Tomas, there were, in the realm of possibility, an infinite number of
unconsummated loves for other men.
We all reject out of hand the idea that the love of our life may be something light or weightless; we presume our love is what must be, that without it our life would no longer be the same; we feel Beethoven himself, gloomy and awe-inspiring, is playing to our own great
love.
5. Vertigo
Destined as the servant to the night where
your moon dreams of the dirt and the
sharp tongue of your zealous will is only
congruent with the salt in your mouth and
the approaching eulogy of the world. Lost
in the patterns of youth and the ghost of
your aches comes back to haunt you. And
the forging of change makes no difference.
Memories fly through the mask of your life
shielding you from time. The years that
birthed the shell that you gained. Hunched
over in apathetic grief with a disregard for
steps except the one taken back. Perched
up on a rope crafted in smoke / a sword
wielding death that buried your hope.
Focusing on light through the blinds. A
slave to reality under a monarch in the sky.
Lost in the patterns of youth where the
windows shine brightly back at you.
6. Windows
7. The Pecan Tree
Drooling red from my eyes to meet the bitter
sun that shines past into light. Setting fire
to curtains in hope that you’re dreaming.
Destroying the tomb of memories from your
life. In the room full of family, but couldn’t
find one. In the hallways lit up brightly,
but couldn’t find myself. I laid drunk on
the concrete on the day of your birth in
celebration of all you were worth.
I am my father’s son.
I am no one.
I cannot love.
It’s in my blood.
@SomniaArcadiae
1. Whether people like it or not doesn't relate to whether or not the music has been written from within or without the (sub-) culture that spawned its form. The "hipster" term is used against bands/musicians that incorporate divergent aspects of various kinds of music without taking the time to fully integrate them in their composition; in short, it's cherry picking for the sake of aesthetic. This album seems to me a prime example of such behaviour, except that it's not even particularly original in its appropriations.
2. Arguably, the best music of which we have records - namely, the world's Classical traditions - are all written within relatively strict guidelines (compared to, say, rock'n'roll or other forms of pop music). There is very little room for divergence, and yet no better music is created (using as objective criteria as we can). In fact, it would appear that having to work within a rubric would provide a firmer support for a composer's vision: much of the form is already worked out, leaving much more time for the composer to focus on content rather than style.
I understand the point that you're trying to make, but I would like you to consider music from an evolutionary standpoint: some mutations are successful, some are not. A dog with gills will not live very long; a frog with wings is probably just an easier target for birds; a man with feet for hands will have a tough time of it.
Similarly, music which takes bits from here and there, stitching them together willy-nilly, is unlikely to be powerful, emotive, or lasting in its effect on the populace. Music that has a firm tradition behind it - no matter how much it might break from that tradition - is more likely to communicate something of value to people, simply because that way of expressing ideas and emotions through sound is tried and tested.
Look at it this way: if you speak English and Spanish, and I start talking to you in Spanglish, you're going to have a harder time understanding me than if I spoke either language on its own, despite the fact that you speak both fluently. Furthermore, I'll have a much harder time saying anything to you. Communication fails when it attempts to draw on conflicting sets of signifiers; what would you make of blackened electrofunk? Death soul? How about crust jazz?
@gerunkwon2598
I agree with everything you said except that it is dark sounding. It doesn't sound dark. The band plays happy and uplifting melodies with major keys/scale (lower notes) which are the scales that traditional black metal uses to give it a dark tone. The lyrics are also very deep and full of emotion:
Hindered by sober restlessness. Submitting to the amber crutch. The theme in my aching prose. Fantasizing the sight of Manhattan; that pour of a bitter red being that escapes a thin frame. The rebirth of mutual love. The slipping on gloves to lay tenderly.
"I'm dying."
- "Is it blissful?"
"It's like a dream."
- "I want to dream."
Twisting and turning beside the slumbering Tereza, he recalled something she had told him a long time before in the course of an insignificant conversation. They had been talking about his friend Z, when she announced, 'If I hadn't met you, I'd certainly have fallen in
love with him.'
Even then, her words had left Tomas in a strange state of melancholy, and now he realized it was only a matter of chance that Tereza loved him and not his friend Z. Apart from her consummated love for Tomas, there were, in the realm of possibility, an infinite number of
unconsummated loves for other men.
We all reject out of hand the idea that the love of our life may be something light or weightless; we presume our love is what must be, that without it our life would no longer be the same; we feel Beethoven himself, gloomy and awe-inspiring, is playing to our own great
love.
@StalinBballin
First and foremost, Deathwish Inc. distributed this album, so of course it's good. They don't release things they don't believe in.
Who gives a fuck about a genre, or being called a hipster.
I got my dad to listen to this record.
His words were, "it sounds like a really heavy Pink Floyd"
He's 51 years old.
Good music is good.
Stop fighting, and get on with your life.
@ultimadum7785
When you try to get your brutal friends into my bloody valentine
@m.bennett9656
Haha! Absolutely
@cthulhu5707
Great comment
@ssshakesss
@jeeshwa123 aphex twin a god
@parchemiarz
i laughed way too hard at this
@mar15115
Perfect
@Daanwat
Once we have figured out the genre, we should argue about what shade of pink is the prettiest on this album cover.
@weswaterhouse3978
Top right
@Sashhe
@@weswaterhouse3978 thats salmon, not pink
@matsimoto3541
@@Sashhe how dare you