Sunbather by Deafheaven

A Pale Boy Blistering In the Sun

Black Metal music is a region of the musical world that I have only occasionally explored, but after hearing Sunbather for the first time it didn't seem as foreign to me. It stirred a lot of controversy in the metal community regarding its metal quality, but deservedly received rave reviews becoming the best-reviewed major album of 2013 on Metacritic. Deafheaven intentionally crafted a sound more lush and rock-driven than previous metal work and created a gem that I would offer up as a half step into the wider world of metal.

The album begins with harmonious guitar-shredding, soon joined by rapid-fire percussion, and finally throat searing vocals. After the 9-minute explosion (Dream House) the album takes a breath with the calming Explosions-In-The-Sky-Esque shoegaze interlude (Irresistible) before a return to gut-punch. Deafheaven packs the rawness of metal emotion and energy while enforcing a greater melodic and dynamic structure within the songs themselves and the album as a whole. For non-metal listeners, it'll be jarring at first, but the album is so well-formed that once you get past the initial shock of "SHESDKJK YAAHASSA HDSAAAAAYAAAAH" there's an incredible work of art to appreciate.