Deafheaven
Infinite Granite
** out of *****
This album was clearly coming for Deafheaven, but the bands breaking up with the metal scene unfortunately doesn't return topnotch results.
The San Francisco based metal band has been moving towards a straight rock record as they progress but Infinite Granite not only scales back George Clark's piercing screams to dour straight ahead singing, it also zaps all the energy from the band gone are the power drums and soaring climaxes and what's left in their wake moody almost dream pop record.
If someone finds this album without hearing the bands past work, they would be stunned the first time Sunbather or Bermuda roles out. The group have morphed into more alt-rock territory without the catchy hooks, yet when certain riffs from Kerry McCoy cut through the gloom with exciting tone. Ordinary Corrupt Human Love was the transition, now the new Deafheaven has arrived.
Opener "Shellstar" uses soft indie rock to start building to a finale while "In Blur" amps the ringing six strings and heavy drums but ends up feeling weighed down and depressed. There is a sense of Joy Division and Morrissey influences throughout the album and "Great Mass of Color" revels in that with ooh and ahhs around well recorded bass.
The best of the bunch is the layered "Lament For Wasps" as the band lets the song roll out and breath around different metallic like sounds. Both "Other Language" and "Villain" use dance ready beats for dark night clubs, but while "Other Language" lavishes in shiny riffs, "Villain" tacks on a metal screaming ending from their past and it feels forced among all of the other changes which lead to the newly acquired light shoegaze sounds.
On their fifth studio album Infinite Granite, Deafheaven has morphed into a completely different band with tepid results. The ex-metal group are leaving blast beats and lacerating screams behind, forging their own path and are fearless in making the music that suites them at the moment.
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