Deafheaven Concert-Goers: Please STFU

<rant>

This past Friday, I ventured to one of my favorite venues in the city of Chicago, Bottom Lounge, to check out San Franciscan black metal outfit Deafheaven.  I had seen Deafheaven play once before; a sold out show at Subterranean, another Chicago venue who hasn't seemed to grasp the positive impact of air conditioning.  Thus, seeing Deafheaven play at SubT in the middle of summer when the place was packed to the gills was not very conducive to a pleasant concert experience.  However, Bottom Lounge had never steered me wrong before so I was convinced that my ideal live Deafheaven experience would be fulfilled.  It surely was and then some. The band played all of their latest album, Sunbather, in its entirety and even threw in a brand new song that was pretty solid.  Along with George Clarke's piercing screams, the guitars and drums were thunderous.  The band couldn't have performed any better, IMHO.  However, there was something amiss, which had nothing to do with band. Rather, all the ire I eventually accrued over the course of the evening was aimed towards my fellow concert-goers.

Deafheaven - Sunbather

FOREWARNING: If you expect me to use the terms "hipster," and/or "elitist" and any possible combinations thereof in excess (or at all for that matter), you'll be sorely disappointed.  This is a review of the music, not my commentary on how they choose to dress or what particular community they're revered in.    

It's apparent that San Fransisco black metal act Deafheaven doesn't know the meaning of the term "sophomore slump."  Sunbather, the follow up to their 2011 full-length debut, Roads To Judah, is not only an album that bests its predecessor but also enables Deafheaven to carve their own unique niche into the burgeoning atmospheric black metal scene.  From beginning to end, Sunbather is album that crafts an unbelievably enthralling experience.  Whether it be the traditional black metal guitar tones, the unrelenting blast beats, the clean shoegazey guitar passages, or the harrowing screams of George Clark, this album is one that is charming yet also haunting and empowering.  Take notice everyone.  This is "real deal" material.

We'll Do It Live Fridays - Deafheavenitely

Fridays here at Brutalitopia mean only one thing.....We'll Do It Live!  For the uninitiated, We'll Do It Live Fridays (or WDILF for short) is a celebration of live performances.  It's one thing if a band sounds good in the studio but the true test is whether or not they can deliver the goods live.  WDILF tries to bring to light specific bands and/or specific performances that truly shine through in the live setting.

See who made the cut this week after the break.