Untitled Deafheaven demo explained

Italic Title:no
Type:ep
Longtype:(demo)
Artist:Deafheaven
Cover:Deafheaven - Demo original.jpg
Caption:Original 2010 artwork
Recorded:April 2010
Genre:Black metal, post-rock
Next Title:Roads to Judah
Next Year:2011

The untitled demo by the American black metal band Deafheaven was self-released by the band on June 1, 2010. The demo would later be remastered/re-released as an EP in 2012 through Sargent House.

History

The demo was initially only available in cassette and digital download formats and distributed to a few of the band's favorite blogs. It was written and recorded by the two founding members, George Clarke and Kerry McCoy, with John Kline performing on drums.[1] [2] [3] Clarke and McCoy later recruited three new band members to tour in support of the demo.

After its release, several record labels began courting Deafheaven to give the demo a proper, wide release. Deathwish Inc., co-founded by Jacob Bannon of Converge, was one of these labels who reached out to the band. Deafheaven was interested in working with Deathwish, but wanted to release some newer material they had been working on at the time instead of their demo. As a result, Deathwish released a 7" single featuring "Libertine Dissolves" and "Daedalus" in January 2011 and a full-length album with all-new material titled Roads to Judah in April 2011.

In late 2012, Sargent House released a limited-edition, remastered vinyl edition of the demo with new artwork. This version is also available on the band's Bandcamp page.

Reception

The metal blog MetalSucks gave the album a rating of (3.5/5) in 2010 and stated: "While Deafheaven's music shares surface characteristics with the classic black metal sound, this demo is so distanced from Mayhem and Immortal as to be another kind of music entirely. It engulfs rather than tramples, shimmers where so much black metal rattles."

Track listing

All music written and recorded by Deafheaven.

Personnel

Album personnel adapted from remastered vinyl liner notes.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Story of Deafheaven in 5 Songs: A primer for one of modern metal's most innovative bands. LNWY. August 21, 2021. 2019. August 21, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210821193413/https://lnwy.co/read/the-story-of-deafheaven-in-5-songs/#:~:text=Kerry%20played%20everything%20on%20it%20other%20than%20the%20drums.%20We%20had%20our%20friend%20John%20come%20in%20to%20play%20drums%20for%20that%20session%2C%20which%20is%20the%20only%20time%20he%20ever%20recorded%20with%20us.. dead.
  2. 10 Years Gone. Deafheaven. 2020. Vinyl back cover (J. Kline is credited with G. Clarke and K. McCoy for recording the original version of "Daedalus", which first appeared on Deafheaven's demo). Sargent House. SH243.
  3. "Libertine Dissolves" / "Daedalus". Deafheaven. 2011. Vinyl back cover (John Kline is credited with recording drums on the EP; both songs first appeared on Deafheaven's demo). Deathwish Inc.. DW117.