{"id":98534,"date":"2025-03-28T12:48:25","date_gmt":"2025-03-28T12:48:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/?p=98534"},"modified":"2025-03-28T12:48:25","modified_gmt":"2025-03-28T12:48:25","slug":"review-deafheaven-lonely-people-with-power","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/review-deafheaven-lonely-people-with-power\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Deafheaven – Lonely People With Power"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Deafheaven<\/p>\n

In the 12 years since breaking through with ‘Sunbather’,\u00a0<\/em>Deafheaven<\/strong> have continued to evolve beyond their “blackgaze” roots. 2015’s ‘New Bermuda’<\/em> and\u00a02018’s\u00a0‘Ordinary Corrupt Human Love’<\/em> stylistically maintained the post-black metal sound, yet allowed them to explore myriad ideas. However, when it came to\u00a02021’s\u00a0‘Infinite Granite’<\/em>, the abrasive intensity was replaced by often dreary shoegaze. Album number six,\u00a0‘Lonely People With Power,’<\/em>\u00a0could be seen as either a sign of regression or an opportunity to get things back on track.<\/p>\n

On the surface, it sees\u00a0vocalist George Clarke, guitarists Kerry McCoy and Shiv Mehra, bassist Christopher Johnson, and drummer Daniel Tracy, return with feverish ferocity. Early cuts,\u00a0‘Doberman’<\/em> and\u00a0‘Magnolia’,<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>are demanding and a vigorous reminder of\u00a0Deafheaven<\/strong>‘s ability to destroy while preserving their layered nuance. The former sees a rambunctious Tracy pummel away as McCoy and Mehra’s relentless guitars go skywards. The latter chugs away as Clarke’s piercing screams erupt amongst the chaos.<\/p>\n

Whenever\u00a0Deafheaven<\/strong> have “gone heavy”, it’s done with structure and a magnetic quality. It’s also more often than not levelled out by poised moments of considerable tranquility. ‘Lonely People\u2026’<\/em> thoroughly does this. Whether that is on ‘The Garden Route’<\/em>s circling guitars around Clarke’s growls, or the pensive strums that ease us into\u00a0‘Amethyst’<\/em>s eight-minute journey. The jump from tranquil serenity to volcanic eruptions is rarely jarring. The quintet have mastered the ability to easily transition from the light to the dark with cinematic poise. Another example can be heard on ‘Heathen’.\u00a0<\/em>With verses consisting Clarke’s clean vocals and ringing guitars, the jump to the fierce wall of noise is intuitive.<\/p>\n