One of the most eagerly anticipated forthcoming albums of 2015 is undoubtedly the third from Californian post-black metal outfit Deafheaven, New Bermuda. Following up their critically acclaimed near-masterpiece, 2013’s Sunbather, the record’s title and cover art were recently unveiled before the release of the opening track and first single ‘Brought to the Water’.
Opening with a barrage of driving, sinister riffs and downright evil sounding vocals, the track shows a move on from the mix of post-rock chord progressions played with black metal intensity that made up much of Sunbather to the darker and more riff-driven sound of the 2014 one-off single ‘From the Kettle onto the Coil’.
However, it doesn’t take too long for the beautiful harmonies and soaring lead lines to come shining through and then it’s business as usual, with the band’s shoegaze elements coming to the forefront and melting into the intensity of the song. The fade-out into the piano outro may sound rather lazy compared to some of the transitions between passages on Sunbather, but nonetheless Deafheaven have produced a solid and exciting track to introduce fans to the album to come.
All that’s left to be seen is whether the band can raise the standard that they have set so very high in the past.
Words by Joe Gilbertson