Single Slam – Black Brick by Deafheaven (Anti- Records)

American post metallers, Deafheaven, have released a brand new single called Black Brick, originally a B Side from their most recent release, Ordinary Corrupt Human Love.

Not a band to sit still for long, a year after releasing their 4th studio album, Ordinary Corrupt Human Love, they are back with a new single. You can read our thoughts on Ordinary Corrupt Human Love here.

Ordinary Corrupt Human Love wasn’t the heaviest material we have ever heard from Deafheaven and that may be why Black Brick was cut because this is them at their heaviest. Black Brick is 7 and a half minutes long and is a dark and thrash heavy affair. It starts off with a loose hanging riff and speed drumming. The vocals come in very quickly, delivered in devilish tones and with extended roars and screeches. The drums are frenzied and the loose riff makes for a pit worthy song. There is no gazing at shoes here.

We settle into a strong rhythm made for banging your head along to and more than a little thrash influenced. The repeated chugging, smothered in bass is excellent. As well as being great to listen to, it  also acts as a calm before the storm of black metal that follows. Vicious drumming, punishing riffs and throat destroying vocals tear you a new one. Lead melodic guitars gently peer through the blackness adding extra depth though we are quickly back to the “in your face” heaviness. As the track fades out, having not let up for a second we are treated to a heavy, groove laden section before a vocal chord destroying growl leaves the guitars to sit alone and fade out.

Deafheaven really turn up the heaviness in Black Brick with a fast and aggressive song that could have dropped straight out of the Scandinavian scene. It is fast and forceful, with ripping vocals and a punishing riff. The drums are the stand out instrument though, blazing through thrash beats into blackened blasts at will over the near 8 minute length. Fingers crossed this is the first song leaning towards a straight up black metal Deafheaven album. They have the skill and talent to pull it off and if you ever doubted that, well, listen to a Black Brick again.

Black Brick is out now on all the usual streaming platforms. You can also grab a copy from Deafheaven’s Bandcamp page here. Keep up to date with Deafheaven news at their website, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram by following the links.