I don’t think Post-Metal gets enough love. I mean , I don’t think a lot of things get enough love but Post-Metal is near the top of my list. Being somewhat of a guitarist myself I’ve been intrigued by the genre since I would say 2013, just as it was kinda gaining some steam, but really this isn’t about what I think of it or anything; this is about the song Black Brick by a largely successful band of the lesser known genre: Deafheaven.
So…Black Brick. Having been a fan since the 2013 release of Sunbather (I know, bandwagon fan) and going back to their first demo and albums I really wanted to hear a more focused and “heavy” composition. Black Brick is just that.
Starting off I immediately hear Bolt Thrower, just classic blast-beats and chugging down-tuned riffs with atmospheric, raspy yelled vocals. I think it might pair well with one of these modern, brutal horror movies that come out on Netflix these days.
At around the 2 minute mark, the song starts to settle into a very 90’s style EXTREME METAL!! groove, ya know, like Cannibal Corpse. I like it. It really gets into that coherent metal sound I want out of them. If I had enough hair, you know I’d have that windmill goin’.
Coming in at 5 minutes, give-or-take, the vocals switch it up on ya. They come down to the lower register and the guitars take on a softer, even melancholy feel, the tempo slows, every one finds a partner and heads out to the dance floor….oh wait. But anyway, the ending kinda wraps everything up in a pensive, introspect way, don’t get me wrong, it’s still loud.
All-in-all, I really like this one single from Deafheaven. It’s loud, shoegazy, heavy and even grating yet still focused and groovy enough for even us guys that can’t get over the invention of the “breakdown.” Will this be in my top 10 playlist on Spotify? Probably not. But does it bring some old school vibes to a new genre struggling for validity among “older” metalheads?
Totally.
And that’s not sarcasm.
Two Dudes and Music Reviews 