Album Review: Deafheaven - Sunbather

Sunbather is a rare album that really finds a spot for itself among the best albums of the year. This album mixes three very diverse genres and doesn't disappoint in delivering an album with elements of Black Metal, Post-Rock, and Shoegazing. This album tends to change from structures in which you are attacked by intense, fast drumming, and very clean screaming vocals from George Clarke to slow calm guitar playing and piano keys. These styles are reminiscent of albums such as Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To The Heavens By Godspeedyou! Black Emperor. There are also parts that are very rich with effects such as chorus, sounds which would be compared to the shoegazing band, Slowdive. Although this combination of genres is unusual, it has been done by the french group Les Discrets in their album Septembre et ses dernière pensées which had a darker more ghostly feel. This is where Sunbather differs in the sense that it takes a much lighter, uplifting, energetic approach to the combination. Deafheaven did a good job which the song placement.  All the post-rock style interludes gave the album an interesting flow that could be compared to a roller coaster in which very passionate black metal is followed by soothing post-rock. Sunbather is one of 2013's most important and impressive releases. I recommend Sunbather to anyone, it is a rare album which you do not have to enjoy black metal nor like heavy music to be captivated by. 9.5/10