"Epic" is thrown around WAY too much when talking about extreme music. But, screw you, Deafheaven's new track "Dream House" is EPIC! NPR just premiered the song – the first from the band's upcoming sophomore LP, Sunbather – and if this is any indication of what to expect from the album, June 11th can't come soon enough.
If you're familiar with the band's first release, Roads To Judah, you'll find plenty to like in "Dream House". The band retains it's signature amalgamation of black metal, post-rock, and shoegaze, and this new track is much more expansive sounding and, dare I say it, uplifting than their previous material. But fear not, sad-sack metalheads, there's still a sense of longing imparted by George Clarke's screams and Kerry McCoy's increasingly Mogwai-influenced guitar work.
"Dream House" isn't a leap forward, but it's more than a few steps in the right direction. These guys understand what critics and fans are responding to in their music, and they are evolving that sound into something new but still familiar. Disregarding rage, there's often a deficit of genuine emotion in metallic music. Deafheaven have demonstrated that there's also a place for beauty and sadness in this genre alongside the fury.
