Ordinary Corrupt Human Love

Deafheaven is an interesting band. Many attempt to box them into a specific category- black metal, blackgaze, post-metal, post-black, etc. While these all are certainly true in certain cases, there isn't really one subgenre of metal that encapsulates their entire discography. This is something that is not only remarkable, but also refreshing. They have such a distinct identity, and that's probably why they grew so popular. Many learned about Deafheaven through their breakout album, Sunbather, which was a pretty good album, though it certainly isn't their best, as they have greatly progressed over the years. I didn't learn about the band through Sunbather. In fact, I didn't even learn about them until last year. I would end up discovering them with New Bermuda and "Glint", which is from this album. While New Bermuda (Which is seriously underrated amongst the band's fans) had more of a post-metal sound with its melodies, Ordinary Corrupt Human Love goes for more of a "dream pop meets black metal" sound, which correlates well with the theme of yearning for love. Like the shoegazing elements of Sunbather, the dream pop elements of Ordinary Corrupt Human Love make for some of the most delightful and unique pieces of music I've heard in a while, especially when combined with the black metal sound. When it works, it's fantastic, and it showcases some of the best of Deafheaven's career. When it doesn't work, you get some songs which are lesser compared to the band's stellar heights.

Everything sounds fantastic, and everything is mixed well. There isn't actually too much to say here. The band knows what they're doing, and it shows.

The best combination of these elements comes in the form of "Glint", which is the highlight of the album from the first few notes to the ending. While the dream pop sound isn't there as much as in the other songs, it is probably the best usage of the sound on the album, with exception to "Canary Yellow" and "Worthless Animal". Its intro is probably my favorite piece of music period, and the track as a whole is my favorite Deafheaven track- even being above others like "Luna" and "Baby Blue" (Both from New Bermuda) for me.

The definite low point of the album for me is "Night People". Although the clean vocals and female guest would typically seem conventional, this is admittedly very experimental for Deafheaven, and it's certainly worthwhile for them to attempt it. Although it does more than "Near", I find the George's vocals don't stack up to Chelsea's in "Night People", whereas they hold up well enough on their own in "Near". "Night People" will likely leave more of an impression for most people, and that's understandable. It sounds like the ideal single on paper, but it just doesn't work for me in practice. But who knows, maybe it'll work better for you.

If anything, "Near" is proof enough that repetition, lightness, and clean vocals can very well work for the band. It's a daydream and a longing put into music form, and it works remarkably well. There isn't all too much to say about it, other than that the directness and simplicity of its lyrics and song structure work. Still, I may be in the minority when it comes to this sort of opinion, and I'm sure that the majority of listeners prefer "Night People" to this song. The reason I keep comparing the two is that they're the only two shorter and lighter songs on the album, and they're both the only ones with George's clean vocals. They'll naturally draw a lot of comparison.

Ordinary Corrupt Human Love is a different take from Deafheaven, and although I personally find it lesser than New Bermuda as a whole, there are some songs that absolutely bury anything from Sunbather and Roads to Judah. It's not to say that those are bad albums, it's simply to say that the songs that work well on this album are just that incredible. I can commend their attempts to experiment and to break away from their conventions at times, but their efforts are either bulls-eyes or they miss the mark entirely. The sum of its parts does make for a good album, but I wouldn't say it makes for as perfect/nearly perfect of an album as many might state, though it also doesn't make for nearly as shitty of an album as its detractors believe. Then again, it's something you'll have to listen to for yourself. It's somewhat tough to review Deafheaven's works here, since each track is so different, and each leaves such a different impression. It isn't that the tracks I haven't listed are decent or unremarkable- far from it- it's just that each person will have the tracks they love more than the rest and vice versa. Don't take my word or anybody else's as law. This is definitely an album that you should listen for yourself. Don't herald it nor write it off just based on the reviews. This can certainly be said for every Deafheaven album, but it's the most relevant with this one.

Cheers for the Grammy nomination, fellas. I'm pleasantly surprised they even still covered metal in 2018, though I doubt that'll last.

Songs to Recommend: "Glint", "Worthless Animal" (An excellent song whose melodies, both dream pop and metal, are simply harmonious)
Songs to Avoid: "Night People", "You Without End" (It's not bad, it just doesn't entirely click and slightly lacks cohesion)

Deafheaven is a band I’ve enjoyed seeing change and experiment throughout their career. On this album, Deafheaven took a more comfy cozy approach than the melancholy riffs and melodies on “New Bermuda” (which I believe is their best album).

The album opens up with “You Without End”, which was the song I had been waiting to hear from Deafheaven. Another post rock/blackgaze masterpiece, but this time with heavy usage of piano throughout. I really did enjoy this song, but the spoken word on it was unnecessary. Nonetheless, it was a great opener for this album.

The rest of the album is basically Deafheaven’s signature style of post-black metal, but with a more cozy vibe than on other releases such as “New Bermuda” or “Roads to Judah”. The songwriting is stellar, and each musician brings something exciting to the table.

The riffs are atmospheric and pair nicely with George Clarke’s emotional screams during the black metal sections. During the more post-rock sections, the riffs are basically the same, but less distorted. The lead guitar melodies are also great and blend wonderfully with the rest of the music.

Daniel Tracy is a super creative drummer, suiting the music perfectly. Firstly, the tonality and production on the percussion is perfect, from the snare to the cymbal crash, to the toms. Secondly his drum fills are perfectly placed. He can do calm, fun drum patterns on quiet sections, and he can blast beat when appropriate, which is accompanied by his amazing drum fills.

Bass lines on this album are actually very good and add another layer to the music making it even more atmospheric. I particularly love the bass lines throughout the songs “Canary Yellow” and “Glint”.

The only big complaint I have about this album is the track “Night People”. I’m not sure why they felt the need to include guest vocals from Chelsea Wolfe and the other vocalist on this song. This song did nothing for me, but luckily it was the shortest track on the album, so it didn’t taint my enjoyment of the album too much.

Listening to Deafheaven is such an experience, and this album is no exception. Deafheaven plays some nice atmospheric black metal, but goes beyond the norm of what black metal is. Yes, there were post black metal bands that did what Deafheaven did before Deafheaven was a band, but in my opinion, Deafheaven does what they do better than anyone else. This album was refreshing, comforting, and just straight up brilliant!

This album has a lot of negative reviews out there. For me this was my first Deafheaven album and working back through their backlog has been an interesting journey. Each album is a distinct experience and Ordinary Corrupt Human Love is the most distinct of all. That isn’t to say it’s their best work but rather to validate its place within the discography. They are labelled as post-black metal, which is a rare label to see and can mean a few things. Deafheaven have received this label due to the experimental approach they have to black metal, something they have always done. So, it seems odd to get upset when that experimentation takes a direction that could be considered a departure from the rest of their music. It’s just a hell of a lot brighter this time round and I think that’s thrown off the conventional black metal fans who tend to thrive on being the exact opposite of ‘bright’. In their album New Bermuda, you can hear riffs and sections that touch on what OCHL is doing. I feel like they decided to expand on that aspect of their sound and apply it to the heavier parts of their albums to create a whole new sound.

Two things are plainly present here, shoegaze and black metal. I love this combination because it just works, they are both genres known long brooding songs and often a platform to express negative feelings or destructive thoughts. Again, something I really enjoy. What OCHL does is use the conventions and stylings of both genres instrumentally but applies a tone that is more upbeat and positive. It’s the same familiar transitions, riffs and beats but they have been turned upside down. This is not only a cool concept for an album, but it also shows great craftsmanship musically, to deconstruct the two genres they have been known for and rebuild something new and interesting out of it. They essentially deconstructed themselves as a band. So not only does this fit in with their music but it also speaks volumes of Deafheaven’s awareness of what they do. Essentially, the point of contention for some listeners might be the aesthetic which goes against anything typically found in extreme metal genres.

The vocals are great, on a regular black metal album they wouldn’t be anything special, but they are used with the bright music in a way that is really fitting. A lot of the notes end high where they would end low and the rhythm is different. The vocalist clearly has a solid understand of the genres and he freely manipulates them for his own use. This will be restated in many ways, but I can’t help but express how much creativity is at play here. It has really breathed life into some very old ideas and styles. Other bands have attempted the core concept presented here but this is the most successful version of it that I have heard. The lyrics are stunning, I’d recommend reading them as they contribute to the attitude of the album in a very casually poetic way.

Instrumentally this album is damn near a masterpiece. It grooves, it takes it’s time and yet it is always making its point. There’s a lot of aggressive metal guitar work like tremolo picking used on this album but it’s done on a brighter key or scale, so it just sounds nice or “pretty”. It really is the reverse side of black metal and I’m not sure if it would be as possible without the slow shoegaze aspect of the songs. It still has heaviness, but it’s been inverted, I think this album is a good lesson on the idea that aggression doesn’t equal heavy. The drumming really starts to pick up when the tracks grow in intensity, becoming just as noisy as you’d hear on any other metal record. Particularly the track “Glint”, when it reaches its peak, it goes off like fireworks on the night of your life. It’s all the parts of previous albums that made Deafheaven unique put into one fully realized album that doesn’t borrow anything for the sake of contrast.

Overall this is a very emotionally stirring album and I am very glad I found out about it. It’s one of those few albums that feels like you’re exploring something as you listen to it and I haven’t felt this strongly about an album in a long time. It takes you on a journey and I think that’s worth more than any amount of genre loyalty or pandering.

This album is like your life flashing before your eyes as you lie on the verge of death but everything you see makes you happy.

After finishing this record, I came to a realization that I truly do not understand Deafheaven or rather Deafheaven doesn't understand themselves. It just doesn't fit in their discography. The way this LP started off, was like if you mixed your average ballad on the radio with some emo rock washed in heavy reverb. Everything about this record is off, the mixing is off, and the production reveals some of the flaws of the instrumentation. I'd say 'Honeycomb' is the weakest track on the album, ironically being a single from OCHL. It reminds me that I am not listening to metal but rather alternative rock or some screamo band. Which brings me to the vocals, they're comical.

Seriously, what the hell happened? I know avant-garde, experimental and those new-age classics are out and about and there is quite a bit of outsider music that goes insane, but the thing about Deafheaven is that you are essentially mixing apples and oranges here. It just doesn't work. Pianos, orchestra, and some riffs from a Avril Lavigne song thrown all together with some autistic screaming layered on top of it. That's Deafheaven. Maybe some droning here and there, some 'field recordings' and samples. These songs slog on and on with tracks usually being 7 to 10 minutes long, often leading nowhere.

One exception I will make is the final track from this LP 'Worthless Animal' which has emotionally powered riffs, sound and honestly it's a bit of a banger. It also distinguishes itself from the rest of the album, being different in execution but not style. Your signature Deafheaven sound is on this track but it doesn't leave itself in a echo chamber, in its own ego. I feel like carrying candles lit in a audience swaying back and forth and 'feeling the vibe man!' What a load of bullshit for a black metal band.

Also I might add, please listen to 'Night People' for reference to why I have decided to trash the album. I mean it is truly a pop ballad and doesn't belong here, but Deafheaven is a metal band? This brings me back to the start of this review, what is Deafheaven exactly? One minute I am hearing post-rock, then some ballads, 'blackgazing', then straight drones. Listen to this song then immediately switch to 'Honeycomb', a hard-hitting post-screamo track. It shows inconsistency like a poorly written story from David Cage. The flow of this record is poor, from high to lows like New Bermuda and past material. But despite all of this that doesn't distract from the albums upsides and strengths however, since the track referenced lifted my expectations of the band. Kind of like how a fifth grader will once in a blue moon blow you away with his beatboxing-kind-of-way.

The performances overall on this entire album is halfway decent, at times I think a couple of minutes into the track there will be moments logical and full of sense but then the vocals kick in and... my God how atrocious. You know, I think Deafheaven should throw in the towel and just write instrumentals and OSTs for '13 Reasons Why' with some occasional pop artists on their compositions from time to time. Do they even want to be a metal band? Or are they content with this crossover music?

This album isn't bad because it doesn't resemble metal, it's just not good period. There are good moments from time to time, like a Michael Bay film but it definitely doesn't save the piece as a whole. Experimentation is not bad, and I am not a metal purist by a long shot but this loses the shine. Did it achieve its goal? God, no. I felt like John Lennon, Mayhem, Brian Eno and Aerosmith decided to throw together some autistic mess with that intro track, and now I can't believe I even tried liking this album. Seriously, mix 'Mother' with some Lynyrd Skynyrd and there's the beginning of this LP and probably this entire record. Can Deafheaven stick to one thing and do it well?