First time at BA
Deafheaven is an American band formed in 2010 in San Francisco, which rose to prominence for blending black metal, shoegaze, and post-rock into a style often referred to as blackgaze. Their breakthrough album, *Sunbather* (2013), captivated not only metal fans but also a broader audience with its ability to combine extreme aggression with beautifully atmospheric melodies. In the following years, with records like *Ordinary Corrupt Human Love* (2018) and *Infinite Granite* (2021), the band experimented further—adding more alternative rock and dreamlike elements, at times moving away from the extremity of their earlier sound. Their latest album, *Lonely People With Power* (released March 28, 2025 via Roadrunner Records), however, marks a return to heavier roots: blast beats, frantic guitar passages, and George Clarke’s screamed vocals re-emerge, while the album simultaneously weaves atmospheric breathing space with crushing intensity. Critics have praised how the band managed to elegantly merge the melodic approaches of recent years with their harsher past—especially tracks like “Doberman,” “Magnolia,” “Heathen,” and “Revelator,” which showcase a masterful dynamic of beauty and brutality, while interludes with guest vocals add unexpected layers of depth. *Lonely People With Power* is considered perhaps their most balanced, heaviest, and most mature work, confidently synthesizing all of Deafheaven’s sonic paths to date.
