In 2013, American metal band, Deafheaven, were thrust into the national spotlight due to the overwhelmingly positive response they received from their sophomore album Sunbather. Guitarist Kerry McCoy described their new overall sound as being more “experimental” and “faster” than their debut, Roads to Judah. Sometimes, a metal band that decides to experiment with their original sound, can often lead to a disastrous response from fans — just look at the fan response to Suicide Silence’s new single “Doris”. However, Deafheaven’s long studio hours paid off, and Sunbather was among the most well received albums of that year.

The origin of Deafheaven can be traced back to San Francisco, California. Guitarist Kerry McCoy and vocalist George Clark had originally played together in a grindcore band called Rise of Caligula. Eventually, with the help of producer Jack Shirley (Whirr, Oathbreaker, Joyce Manor), they released a 4-song demo in 2010 at Atomic Gardens Studios. The demo began to attract the attention of many labels, including popular metal label Deathwish Inc., who later released their debut, Roads to Judah, in 2011. Since then, Deafheaven has seen a wide array of success, playing multiple festivals including SXSW, Fun Fun Fun, and Brooklyn’s Northside fest. Their latest album, New Bermuda, dropped in 2010, and followed in the footsteps of Sunbather — continuing the trend of a shoegaze and post-rock inspired black metal sound.

Check out Deafheaven’s unique take on modern metal music when they play at the Mohawk next month on March 2^nd.

w/This Will Destroy You, Emma Ruth Rundle

Thursday, March 2^nd

Doors at 7:30pm

Tickets: $18

All Ages