All these things belong to Deafheaven
The metal community at large has always had issues with they way they’re interpreted by outsiders. In 2013, this issue came to a head after the groundbreaking release of Deafheaven’s Sunbather. Journalists and journalism outlets who had done little to cover metal in the past suddenly found themselves hopelessly enamored with the groups innovative blend of shoegaze, post-rock and black metal, while metal veterans contested that groups like Alcest and Lantlos had been doing the very same for years without a hint of the acclaim. Regardless of perception, Deafheaven have found themselves becoming one of the most important metal acts of recent memory, serving as a bridge between indie genres and metal. Ordinary Corrupt Human Love sees them pivot away from the increased brutality of New Bermuda, exchanging it for a more indie friendly sound, while managing to keep their roots buried deep in the black.
Right off the bat it’s pretty clear Deafheaven isn’t trying to remove the stigma they have received from the greater metal community. In fact, if anything they are leaning harder into the indie community support they received after their incredible Sunbather. Yet despite the perceptible shift away from the drama and ferocity of metal, this album still has teeth. “You Without End” begins more calmly than any Deafheaven song to date, however in doing so it overcomes an issue that has plagued the band from its very inception—lyrics. Now, that isn’t to say that Deafheaven is a group that has often found themselves writing poor lyrics, in fact, they suffer from the opposite problem in that they are excellent lyricists that are held back by the genre they choose to create in. By allowing themselves to play with having clean spoken lyrics, they give some of their less metal acquainted listeners a chance to experience some of the poetics that they have been perfecting since Road to Judah.
The guitar work on this record is also some of the most exciting they have played to date. By releasing themselves from the confines of more standard black metal, they allow their guitars to speak with the same level of urgency that bands like Mogwai and Godspeed You! Black Emperor have. This rings especially true on “Honeycomb” and “Worthless Animal,” where strings of bright guitars propel the tracks out of darkness, lending a triumphant quality to the painfully howled vocals. Yet even when they work in this space, metal is not far from their hearts. “Canary Yellow” and “Glint” are at turns equally vicious and uplifting. It pulsates with the understanding that dichotomy propels them forward ahead of their peers. The whole experience culminates with the bold, shouted statement that this is a band fiercely on top of their game who is never content to sit still.
There’s a phrase that can be traced back to the apostle Paul that essentially translates to “all this is yours,” meaning that good, no matter its source, is there to help you discover truth. Deafheaven fiercely clings to this philosophy in the face of purists and critics. Ordinary Corrupt Human Love may not blister with the intensity of Norwegian Black Metal, nor does it calm with the softness of Beach House, instead it steals and converges upon all of these things, finding the truth hidden across various planes of music. All these things are Deafheaven’s, there is beauty everywhere for those who are willing to look, and Deafheaven again proves themselves as keen eyed searchers, forever uncovering diamonds.
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