Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
Deafheaven have unexpectedly launched their latest EP titled “At Work In The Fields Of The Bomb”, as per theprp. The release of this three-track collection was anticipated, as the band had previously started distributing copies in advance. Additionally, they have been performing new material from the EP in live settings earlier this month.
‘At Work in the Fields of the Bomb‘ borrows its title and central concept from Robert Del Tredici’s photo book documenting the ordinary places and people involved in the production of nuclear weapons. The EP explores the unsettling contrast between the unimaginable consequences of the bomb and the mundane actions that make such destruction possible, focusing on the choices and systems that lead us toward irreversible moments. It considers how catastrophe can emerge from seemingly ordinary details—and how, once extinction becomes possible, there is ultimately no one left to witness it.’
A short film accompanying the opening track “Hunter” was produced in collaboration with Nico Poalillo.
Tracklist:
Upcoming shows:
Deafheaven was established in February 2010 in San Francisco, California, with vocalist George Clarke and guitarist Kerry McCoy, who had previously collaborated in the grindcore band Rise of Caligula. Clarke is uncertain about the origin of the band’s name but acknowledges its appearance in William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 29.
The name ‘Deafheaven’ is a portmanteau of the words ‘deaf’ and ‘heaven,’ serving as an homage to the band Slowdive. In April 2010, Clarke and McCoy recorded an untitled demo album at Atomic Garden Studios with Jack Shirley, incurring a cost of approximately US$500, which the band could not initially afford. Due to the lack of an electric guitar or amplifier, the demo was composed on an acoustic guitar and recorded using borrowed equipment. This four-song demo, released digitally and in limited cassette tape editions, fused elements of traditional black metal with post-rock.
Although the band did not plan to release the demo, they distributed it to select favorite blogs. The positive reception prompted Clarke and McCoy to expand the lineup by recruiting bassist Derek Prine, guitarist Nick Bassett of Whirr, and drummer Trevor Deschryver, who responded to a Craigslist advertisement. By July 2010, the five-member ensemble had performed their first live shows.
