By: Darci Michon
CHICAGO– Deafheaven’s latest album “Lonely People With Power” has been making waves all across various music publications from Rolling Stone and Pitchfork, to independent music blogs. The album, released in late March of this year, serves as a culmination of the Deafheaven’s previous innovative works, and the pinnacle of how the band redefines genres by warping these elements, turning them on its head, and pushing the boundaries of what it means to be a metal band. “Lonely People With Power” has been showered with praise by critics and fans alike, and on Monday, May 5th, Deafheaven stopped at the Metro as a part of their U.S. tour for a truly unforgettable performance.
The night kicked off with Texas-based band Trauma Ray, followed by Arizona’s Gatecreeper. Between Trauma Ray’s melancholic noise-rock and Gatecreeper’s ferocious and gruesome metal. The scope of Deafheaven’s sound was encapsulated in the opening acts before the band had taken the stage, leaving the audience yearning for more.
Deafheaven, consisting of George Clark (vocals), Kerry McCoy (guitar), Shiv Mehra (guitar), Chris Johnson (bass), and Daniel Tracy (drums), stepped onto the stage with “Incidental I” in the background, and quickly launched into their track “Doberman.” From the moment the band started playing, the crowd was captivated by the sheer intensity that the band radiated through their presence and ruthless uproar.
As a frontman, Clark serves as a conductor of his own orchestra of chaos, motioning his hands to the tempos and cues of instrumentals throughout his set. While his stage presence emits a sort of extraordinary power, it is further emphasized through his vocals that cut through the air like a knife with its beautiful brutality.
A truly special moment in Deafheaven’s set is when they performed the track “Heathen.” The song transforms from tender and dreamy to vicious and merciless, which resulted in nothing short of a magnificent live performance.
Throughout the band’s set, Clark, McCoy, Mehra, and Johnson would take turns jumping onto platforms set up along the stage, and constantly moving around, creating a triumphant atmosphere. During the eight minute sonic-rollercoaster that is “Brought by the Water,” there was a moment where McCoy, Mehra, and Johnson were backlit on the platforms as Clark loomed over the crowd, and it truly felt like The Avengers of Black Metal were towering above me.
While the band barreled through the beloved songs off of “Lonely People With Power,” they also performed “Dream House” and the title track from their infamous 2013 release, “Sunbather.” These cult classic metal tracks made the crowd go wild with nonstop movement and energy.
Deafheaven’s performance at the Metro was just as nuanced as their latest album, “Lonely People With Power.” The sheer emotion, power, and noise from the band fueled the rambunctious crowd and gave them a performance of a lifetime.
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