We haven’t gotten a new Deafheaven album since 2021’s “Infinite Granite”, but in February of last year, they posted a teaser video captioned “The next chapter with Roadrunner Records,” marking their signing to the storied rock and metal label. “Lonely People With Power” is Deafheaven’s most confident and direct set of songs yet, combining everything the band does best and more. Bands grow and evolve, and if you’re lucky enough to be doing this for 15 years, you’ll have naturally learned some lessons along the way.
While “Infinite Granite” may not be the consensus pick for Deafheaven’s best album, it might be their most important, since it became a true launch point for the band’s unwillingness to settle. “Lonely People With Power” sees them flexing their muscles in a way they haven’t since their run from Roads to Judah through New Bermuda, and Justin Meldel-Johnsen’s bombastic production brings a newness to an already familiar volume. There are no punches pulled on these songs, no Oasis-like breakdowns or piano-driven interludes. Clarke’s screaming is also very much back and, aside from the scaled-back trio of “Incidentals” interludes—two of which feature Boy Harsher’s Jae Matthews and Interpol’s Paul Banks
“Lonely People” is a relentless onslaught of metal. For 15 years, the band has never settled, always pushing the boundaries of what their music is capable of. What started out as a black metal project between George Clarke and Kerry McCoy has matured into something way beyond just a simplistic genre classification. Deafheaven have totally entered into a league of their own, and “Lonely People With Power is their legacy.
The Fat Angel Sings 