What a breath of fresh air the last few weeks have been. I'm not just talking about the fact that I don't have to wear a mask in public anymore (because I got shot twice, no big deal). There's been a slew of tour announcements, reschedulings, and the last of the live streams seem to be upon us. If there were any bands holding onto their next release so that they can tour in support of it, those announcements have been rolling in as well. It's a great time to be a media consumer, and an even better time to capitalize on the surge in productivity with new blog content. That's why we're here.
It's been a fun 5-month start to the Collections blog, but in reviewing my own performance, I think I need to have the option to do something weekly so I can keep pushing myself creatively. Enter Question of the Week. Appropriately named so I have to keep some consistency with it, but ambiguous enough that its function can shift to whatever I want. This week, we've got a great way to dive in.
After teasing the date 8/20/21 on their Instagram, Deafheaven took over the conversation online Wednesday with the release of "Great Mass of Color," the first single of what will be their fifth full-length, which was announced to be called Infinite Granite. After spending the last decade known as the band who ambitiously blended a bevvy of sounds in with their artistic brand of black metal, the band's new single features more melody than any of their previous releases have ever had. Vocalist George Clarke almost completely abandons his signature harsh screams, while his bandmates create walls of sound that are more welcoming than pummeling. It's a sound that feels like it could have been taken from a Turnover record, not from one the most forward-thinking metal bands of this generation. With so much changing, the band's collective talent and vision are still evident, so obviously this is a good song. The question becomes, then: just how good is "Great Mass of Color"?
Upon first listen, it's difficult to properly place the song in the band's hierarchy of releases. There's so much going on, and so much of it is new for the band, that you really need to listen a few times before the shock wears off. Once that happens, though, you're left with a very simple fact: this is just a very well-written song. Whether you've listened to Deafheaven before or not, I can't imagine why you wouldn't enjoy listening to this song. It's a six-minute song that barely feels that long, moving quickly through the verses and choruses (both new territories that the band are trekking into), before ending with one of the band's signature flourishes. Therefore, this song is definitely good enough to win over those who hadn't given the band a chance before.
Fret not, Deaf-heads, there's plenty for you here too. As I mentioned, the crashing finale of the track is simmering beneath the song's surface throughout, and the payoff is well worth it. George Clarke couldn't quite get through the entire songs without unleashing his screams, and he does so brilliantly here. Yes, this is a big sonic departure, but it's difficult for me to envision a Deafheaven album with all songs that sound like this. Think back to last year, when Code Orange released the title track of Underneath as the album's first single? The narratives were unrelentingly negative, and even the word "sellout" started to get thrown around. Fast forward a couple weeks, and "Swallowing the Rabbit Whole" came out and eased the minds of any fans that thought Code Orange was going for mainstream rock appeal. I'm not saying we should expect to see Deafheaven roll out the tracks of Infinite Granite in a similar way, but it certainly won't surprise me if we get a few more tracks like "Dream House" or "Black Brick" on the album, either. This all leads me to believe that "Great Mass of Color" is good enough to satisfy the band's longtime fans, and excite them for what's to come.
If nothing else, shifting sounds this dramatically is always a great way to start a conversation. I've seen a lot of people reacting to this track, and if it puts Deafheaven in more people's minds, then it's tough to see this single release as anything but a success. Deafheaven have always stuck out in my mind as a band with limitless potential, but "Great Mass of Color" shows that they may be even more limitless than I thought. I'm pretty sure that's an oxymoron, but whatever. This song is great and, like so many of Deafheaven's compositions, it's a work of art that inspires deep thought and consideration, whether you're musing about George Clarke's poetic lyrics, or the band's shifting sounds throughout both the lead single and their entire career. Truthfully, the best way I can talk about how good this track is, would be to say this: it's so good that I felt compelled to get off my ass and create an entire new series in this blog because of it. So yeah, I'd say it's pretty good.
Deafheaven's fifth full-length album, Infinite Granite, is available now for pre-order here.
Other Questions considered for this week (with perhaps a comment or two in parentheses):
-Which individual player won the Julio Jones trade? (I reserve the right to revisit this next week)
-Why are so many grown adults writing about 17 year-old Olivia Rodrigo's music as if it was made for them?
-What's the best choice for Bo Burnham's next project? (Admittedly, it's way too early for me to be asking this)
-Does the fact that Circa Survive did a stream where they played Blue Sky Noise front-to-back make the Blue Sky Noise Tour a little unnecessary? (As someone who watched the stream, the answer is no. I can't wait to see how crazy Circa's fans go at these shows)
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