Deafheaven - Roads To Judah review
| Band: | Deafheaven |
| Album: | Roads To Judah |
| Style: | Shoegaze, Atmospheric black metal, Post-metal |
| Release date: | April 2011 |
01. Violet
02. Language Games
03. Unrequited
04. Tunnel Of Trees
Black metal is arguably enduring its third shift in stance - the first wave being essentially "evil" speed/thrash metal, the second being grimm and frostbitten kvlt metal, and this, the unofficial third wave, being "hiptellectual": Gorgoroth meets Jefferson Airplane or Pink Floyd or Radiohead or something...
Anyway, like it or not, it's happening. Northern skies are being blazed, tragedies are being blown...the black metal realm is expanding. And Deafheaven, a seemingly withdrawn American quintet, are here to take you by the hand.
Roads To Judah. It's a magical journey, a storied undertaking; musically it transforms reality and breathes new life into your vapid existence. It's energy, with the goal of awakening a sleeping giant, to uplift and sustain. It's aggressive, but is careful not to assert itself as spiteful. Is it pretentious? Not even half as much as this review.
What makes the story worth reading here is how playfully the words roll off the tongue, in that the lulling effect of the guitars and hazy, dream-like atmosphere slowly tug at your pant leg from the depths of murky waters before gripping your ankles and pulling you under at 2,000 meters a second. Every song is dancing at the edge of a climax. It's ugly. It's beautiful.
The instruments are mired in a thin-sounding production, with the drums choreographing the chaotic dance among the flowery meadow as piercing shrieks are heard in the background, only to drown in the pool of blastbeats.
The harmonies become lost -
lost in the desolation of love,
the passion they reap and sow.
It's Fenriz on Prozac, searching for happiness in the music, in the melodies, digging through the dirt of daily life only to find a bottomless pit. It's a black hole made up of the world's negativity. It's a beacon of hope. It's nothingness. It's essence.
It's a road to Judah.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 9 |
| Songwriting: | 10 |
| Originality: | 8 |
| Production: | 9 |
 | Written on 15.06.2011 by I'm total pro; that's what I'm here for. |
Comments
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Comments: 41
Visited by: 421 users
| Fat & Sassy! Elite Posts: 3857  |
"Every song is dancing at the edge of a climax." This is KEY to this kind of stuff it seems. I remember when I first was getting into post-rock stuff way back when, this was one of the ways I describe Radiohead's music and why I loved it. Also, I was JUST talking to my friend about the new post-rock/shoegaze element trend (primarily black) metal bands are taking. And to be honest, I fucking love it, so I'm definitely checking this out. Great review. Hoping I perceive it just as you described. ;3
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306  |
Written by Fat & Sassy! on 15.06.2011 at 04:43 Indeed, when I'm on the edge waiting for it to get better, knowing that it will get better...well that's just fucking awesome, really. Thanks for checkin' my latest scripture.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| Timmeh Dudeman Posts: 344  |
Nice review Troy, I think you've summed up the album's dreamy architecture well. I'm also falling in love with this new "Blackgaze" movement, it just seems like a wave of fresh air into a contemporary metal scene that's maybe starting to feel a bit stale.
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| Pyramid God Posts: 184  |
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKUSNv6hSYk&feature=related Who the hell would've guessed they looked like they do? I'm really trying to get into but I'm having a hard time, I'll keep at it though. Edit: I just can't....I gave it a real shot but I just don't like it. They have some parts I really get into and others that sound as bad as nails on a chalkboard.
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| Fane Posts: 292  |
This band proves the statement about the theatrical aspect of black metal. The music is something I would give a well-earned 9.5, but if I was attending their live show, I couldn't do much else than laugh. The situation would seem to me as if a teddy bear was giving a lecture about killer clowns. Well put together Troy! This review sums up the album in its entire glory.
---- Coffee for power Music for creativity Sarcasm for fun
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
I think their image is all part of separating themselves from the stereotype of black metal. Akercocke and A Forest of Stars members happen to dress rather sharp on stage as well, further removing them from the stereotype of corpse paint and bullet belts.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| Merchant of Doom Posts: 702  |
Ah, ah, yes, Weezer playing black metal...  Regardless of how they dress, it's still boring shit.
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| Being and Time Posts: 53 |
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| Mindheist No Longer Human Posts: 618  |
To me, it's a great thing that they have separated themeselves from the usual kvlt metal stereotype. I don't know about you but I think it's ridiculous to see middle-aged musicians covered in corpsepaint and sheep blood. I bet, had they spent the hours putting make-up on their wrinkled faces to come up with new stuff like Deafheaven and few other black metal bands have, the black metal scene would have been more exciting to follow. I enjoyed reading this review by the way. You've always been good at writing reviews but I think this is the first time that you've decided to take a different approach in writing them. Good job  .
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| Unhealer Eclecticist Posts: 2311  |
I agree with the "third stance" thing. I've been telling everyone I can about it. 2010's best efforts IMO were from Ihsahn, Agalloch and Enslaved with this intelligent, beautifully executed black metal. Hopefully this gets massively recognized as such! Definitely going to check this album now then
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| Unhealer Eclecticist Posts: 2311 |
Written by Fane on 16.06.2011 at 14:24 Pretty much like Cult of Luna
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by Mindheist on 16.06.2011 at 19:16 Thanks a lot! Indeed I took a much different approach this time. More...philosophical maybe, or at least in touch with the feel of the sound as opposed to just the perception of the music, if that makes sense. One of my next reviews - for Moon's 2011 re-release - will be written in a similar way. Hopefully I don't crap the bag. 
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| hadriel Posts: 257  |
Loved this album when I first listened to it and it has still managed to grow on me and it's shaping up to be one of my favorite releases of the year. Very excited to see what this band can create going forward, incredibly impressed. May just end up being a fad, but I can't get enough of this blackgaze movement.
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| Pyramid God Posts: 184 |
I wish I hear what apparently everyone else hears. I really tried but I couldn't stomach when the droning guitar riff kicked in over the semi-screeching vocals. I must have an untrained ear or something but I just didn't get it. I listened to them for almost an hour trying really hard but it never happened.
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| Kuroboshi Posts: 1168  |
This is an absolutely stunning album! Leaps and bounds above their demo. Great work guys! I'm also getting absorbed by this new movement... If you find this interesting you should try Lantlos, another awesome band in this genre.
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| Frost Beast Account deleted |
Frost Beast
Account deleted Written by Pyramid God on 17.06.2011 at 14:41 I'm starting to like this, and I really think you should give them another try. 
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| Chobo_jokeR Posts: 427  |
 I had initially glanced over this release. I thought it was pretty good, but never really gave it much thought. I recently have listened through it many more times and well...glad I did, because its quite the little gem.
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by Chobo_jokeR on 24.11.2011 at 17:14 Did you make that image yourself? I can't imagine too many people know about this release to make it part of a meme.  Glad you checked it out and like it though. Perhaps between this and my WoD review I was a bit melodramatic, but I wanted to capture the sort of ... grandiose feel I had when listening to it.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| Chobo_jokeR Posts: 427 |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 24.11.2011 at 20:25 actually I didn't haha. I liked the cover of the album so much that I googled it to see a larger image, and this meme came up as one of the pictures. WoD and this release are awesome little albums. You definitely got your point across that these two albums should NOT be missed. I also enjoyed the Fell Voices release that you have on your list. I've used your list for alot of my listening this year actually.
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by Chobo_jokeR on 24.11.2011 at 21:10 Thanks! It's always nice to hear people take note of your work, be it a review or a list. Once I'm done with a few more of my negative reviews (kind of a mini-series project) I'll be reviewing albums people SHOULD check out.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| Chobo_jokeR Posts: 427 |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 24.11.2011 at 21:14 Awesome to hear. I enjoy reading the reviews where you bash albums too. Quite entertaining. Are you doing one for Estoeric's new release by chance?
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by Chobo_jokeR on 24.11.2011 at 21:17 I want to. DerRozzengarten called dibs on it so I'd have to ask him. Although if he still wants to review it I'll leave it up to him; he has a much nicer way of saying nice things about stuff than I do. 
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| Chobo_jokeR Posts: 427 |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 24.11.2011 at 21:20 Are you both not allowed to review it and perhaps offer differing insights?
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by Chobo_jokeR on 24.11.2011 at 21:25 Well I know for a fact we'd both only have glowing things to say, and we're both Staff members so it'd appear on the front page, and he called dibs on it first. If he were going to give it a 4 or 5 then I could write one up since I'd give it a clear 9.0, but since our opinion on the matter is so similar two reviews would be overkill. Or at least two reviews in the same month.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| Chobo_jokeR Posts: 427 |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 24.11.2011 at 21:29 Yeah I suppose thats valid reasoning. Any idea of what albums you are going to write reviews for, or is that top secret?
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by Chobo_jokeR on 24.11.2011 at 21:32 I can tell you the next few, but then we'll have to take it to PMs or something because this is really off-topic. Cavalera Conspiracy - Blunt Force Trauma (currently being proofread) The Haunted - Unseen Pestilence - Doctrine Ajattara - Murhat Then the negative reviews are done.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071  |
Such a shame you mentioned the horribly generic Gorgoroth at the beginning of this review.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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