Deafheaven - Sunbather

I'm compiling a list of the best records of the year so far. I'll hopefully present it in a day or two. I'm listening to some of the records that I think have a good chance of ending up there.

Deafheaven's "Sunbather" is truly one of them! Such an amazing album. Much has been said about this album in alternative music press and it deserve every little piece of attention it gets. 

To best describe the music emotional black metal may be most fitting? The dynamics of the album are incredible, from brutal black metal parts to beautiful dreamy guitar parts that you almost can call shoegaze. By brutal black metal I don't mean in the vein of the "old" norwegian style, but this is something new(?).

Pelican - Forever Becoming

From Southern Lord comes one of the best releases so far this year, Pelican's "Forever Becoming".

This is Pelican's fifth album and it might be their strongest to date. They're an instrumental progressive metal band which might sound a bit boring but this is far from it! Why add a vocal if it doesn't enhance the music? Every instrument and every note is there for a reason.

The single from the album "Deny The Absloute" was the first song I heard and so far it stands out as the strongest point of the record, maybe together with the brilliantly beautiful closing track "Perpetual Dawn".

Southern Lord always put out a quality product, not only music wise, but the vinyl product. Heavy weight vinyl and beautiful gatefold sleeve. They deliver the goods as always! My copy is on orange and blue vinyl, it was the first version available and sold out the 500 copies fast on pre-order.