Deafheaven ‘Sunbather’

Originally released in 2013, Sunbather is the landmark second full-length from Deafheaven, an album that dramatically expanded the possibilities of contemporary heavy music.

Blending the intensity of black metal with shoegaze, post-rock and atmospheric post-metal, Deafheaven created something simultaneously overwhelming and luminous. From the sprawling title track and “Dream House” to “Vertigo” and “The Pecan Tree,” Sunbather moves between explosive walls of sound, melodic guitar passages and moments of quiet reflection.

Recorded with longtime collaborator Jack Shirley, the album became a defining release for both Deafheaven and Deathwish, helping bring the sound often described as blackgaze to a dramatically wider audience.

More than a decade later, Sunbather remains a cornerstone of modern experimental heavy music and an essential entry in the Deafheaven catalog.