Fitting, ailment perhaps, view that Deafheaven came to town just as a sweltering heat wave seized Boston in its clutches. They seem like amiable guys in real life, purchase but on stage Deafheaven are a white-hot blast of (ahem) deafening intensity. The band is currently touring in support of their towering second LP Sunbather, and selling out shows left and right. The Pitchfork buzz has no doubt done them a favor or two, but make no mistake – they are fully worthy of the hype they’ve generated in the last few months. 2011’s Roads to Judah is an excellent experimental metal record in its own right, but Sunbather truly feels like a statement that transcends genre and scene. Their fireball of a live show is no less impressive.
Atmosphere isn’t necessarily the key ingredient to a successful performance, but it was hard to imagine a better setting for Deafheaven than a packed, sweltering TT the Bear’s, plunged into near total darkness as the band took the stage. Vocalist George Clarke was dressed entirely in black, from his shoes to his gloves, radiating an intimidating air to match his screamed vocals. Clarke exhibited a silent rapport with the audience, saying little but spending nearly the entire show perched at the edge of the stage and atop the monitors, grasping the outstretched hands of the crowd and singing inches from their faces. He’s a captivating presence, but the rest of the band was just as engaging.
From the furiously strummed opening notes of “Dream House” onward, founding guitarist Kerry McCoy, second guitarist Shiv Mehra and rhythm section Stephen Clark and Daniel Tracy were a force to be reckoned with. Call it black-gaze, post-metal or whatever other genre buzzword you prefer, Deafheaven brilliantly executed their blend of massive guitars, breakneck rhythms and quiet breakdowns. Traditional black metal and Godspeed You! Black Emperor are obvious touchstones to their sound, but they defy being pigeonholed to one genre or another. Guitars sang one second and screamed the next, veering in the blink of an eye from immensely heavy blasts of sound to plaintive passages that came as necessary respites from the intensity.
At their fastest, heaviest and loudest, Deafheaven sounded like the most triumphant metal band you’ve ever heard. Clarke’s screams were the sound of pure catharsis as the force of guitars and drums threatened to blow the doors clean off the venue. One hesitates to describe music in such pretentiously epic terms, but sometimes a set really does warrant them. Stumbling out of TT’s a little after midnight, utterly drenched in sweat with ears ringing in spite of earplugs, I was convinced that Deafheaven had just given one such performance.
Topping off the bill that night were locals VYGR and Deafheaven tourmates Marriages. Los Angeles’ Marriages brought a dose of heavy, atmospheric grooves, with Emma Ruth Rundle’s vocals and vibrant guitar work taking the spotlight. VYGR felt like a natural inclusion in the lineup, with soaring instrumental passages that plunged headlong into battering sludge metal. With this show in town, you’d have been hard-pressed to find a better use of your pre-Independence Day Wednesday night.
