My Reaction to Infinite Granite by Deafheaven

[@lee-hyun-jin]

Your's Infinite Granite album review is much more convincing than the fantano review. Thank you for the great review~ 😀😀

[@mollyesanborn]

Glad you enjoyed it! :)

[@rashotcake6945]

this is more of a reaction than a review. to really review an album, you should prob listen more than once

[@CarlosAugusto-dq6qx]

you just did not mentioned melonhead on this gem of a channel 🤚

[@CarlosAugusto-dq6qx]

If you want to hear Sunbather mixed with Infinite Granite check out Ordinary Corrupt Human Love. To me its the best Deafheaven album. Sooooo gooooood

[@magicjermaine98]

I second this! My favourite album of all time 😁

[@anarchicnerd666]

This. Definitely this. Ordinary Corrupt Human Love is my favourite Deafheaven album, had that perfect blend of melody and savegry. From most liked to least - OCHL - Roads to Judah - Sunbather - Infinite Granite (don't quite know what I think of it yet, still too fresh) - New Bermuda (not that New Bermuda is bad or anything, it has some bangers, but it's a little more forgettable) Yes, I tier listed Deafheavens albums. Fite me! (Also the singles are great, Black Brick especially shows that Deafheaven can make great black metal, in spite of what their detractors say)

[@martyngregg2527]

This right here!

[@TheseBitchesWantNikes]

I fourth the motion.

[@eudes8k]

By far.

[@justynsullivan507]

I think that their previous album, Ordinary Corrupt Human Love, acts as a good gateway to where they are now. It seems like a logical evolution after seeing their progression over the years. That being said, Infinite Granite is still a lot to take in but I’m loving the journey so far!:)

[@holyshiet787]

You should check Alcest. They had similar route years ago, from Black metal to Shoegaze / dream pop (Shelter album)

[@Azabaxe80]

I got to Alcest because I was reading an article about Catherine Wheel (huge personal favorite from another life) and how shoegaze had evolved into various subgenres. One of them being "blackgaze", of which Deafheaven (a band I had never heard of) were representative. Heard Sunbather and was intrigued. Reading an interview with the band, they mentioned Burzum as an influence. That much was obvious, but the other band the article mentioned was Alcest. When I heard Écailles de lune I was floored. I heard not only Deafheaven, but Catherine Wheel (the Ferment vintage) in that album. I couldn't understand how this band existed and I had never heard of them.

[@piershollott339]

Absolutely, Alcest is so good, and Deafheaven has always reminded me a lot of Opale, and also old school Chapterhouse, maybe more than MBV. The thing that gets me about Infinite Granite is the drums though. Just amazing.

[@nicgarcia497]

To achieve the new sound, the band enlisted producer Justin Meldal-Johnsen, best known as Beck’s longtime bassist and for his work with electronic-based pop artists such as M83, Paramore, and Metric. So I have to say bravo and good ear 👂

[@l3m0nhernandez77]

And bass player for Nine Inch Nails from 2008-2009

[@mollyesanborn]

Cool, I didn't know that!

[@itchyvinyl]

JMJ is an all around great musical mind. I found out he produced it after buying the record. Two great tastes that taste great together.

[@andrewdesantos5008]

listening to Deafheaven's music is some of the most spiritual experiences I've ever had with music ! .. this a band that's needs to be heard by everyone at least once before you die !

[@rockomundo]

This one is kind of a transitional album from them, so it's really interesting that you went right into it as your second listen lol. I personally really enjoyed this, but it's better in context once you've heard their third album New Bermuda, which has more of their black metal sound you like from the band, and their fourth album, which is a mix of that sound and this new one. I say try their other albums out, they're fantastic no matter what.

[@Jason-to5cs]

This album is a grower for me. I am enjoying Lament for Wasps and Villain a lot more on repeat listens. Unfortunately, I think the album is just a little predictable. I can’t even really get into Other Language simply because it follows such a similar formula that a lot of the other tracks on the album follow. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad album at all. What always matters is if the songs are GOOD, which they are. Mombasa is incredibly powerful, I shed tears when the ending came in. Having that classic deafheaven moment felt very cathartic. I think if the band can put out a good album of material like this on their first try, then their potential is very high moving forward. Great reaction! I listened to Loathe “I let it in and it took everything” because you mentioned it in the Sunbather reaction. Enjoyed it a lot!

[@mollyesanborn]

Yes, a grower for sure! I think Lament for Wasps and Other Language are the two that lose me just a bit, but perhaps with more listens I will grow a greater appreciation for them. I agree though, a very powerful album with some absolutely fantastic moments. Glad you enjoyed Loathe's album! :)

[@davidblackburn1672]

Great review Molly, I got into Deafheaven through Cody and Mogwai and this was one of my favourite albums of last year

[@JCB16328]

Loved that reaction, also was pleasantly surprised to see that you've had goosebumps at the exact same moments as I did! lol

[@mollyesanborn]

Deafheaven always delivers on the goosebumps!

[@whereta3097]

Yes! There was quite a bit m83 I noticed in this album too, especially dead cities, dawn. Love the album a lot, especially being a good contrast to the rest of their discography, each having their own vibes. Excited to hear your first thoughts on Judah and Bermuda whenever you get to them.

[@mollyesanborn]

Definitely curious to hear the rest of their stuff and see how those albums differ from the sound of Infinite Granite!

[@UlverEos]

Villain is my fav track off this album, although the album in it's entirety is absolutely phenomenal!

[@BebehCookieIcecream]

Same, that track just beautiful.

[@A37927]

I really LOVE your reactions song to song of this album. Very happy you're enjoying your Deafheaven travel, hope to see you reacting to their previous albums!

[@mollyesanborn]

Glad you enjoyed it! :)

[@alc4117]

New bermuda is their best album in terms of the heavy side of the band. It captures the Perfect balance between metal and the melodies of this album. Infinite granite for what it is is an amazing album.

[@NehemiahRyan]

A lot of comments comparing this to m83 but it goes back further to the late 80s/early 90s shoegaze bands like Slowdive, MBV, Chapterhouse and Ride. If you don’t know who those bands are stop everything and go check them out now. You won’t be disappointed.

[@piershollott339]

Pale Saints and Lush too. There were a lot of shoegaze bands, but in hindsight, Pale Saints were probably my fave.

[@voixsereines1777]

Really enjoyed this, your channel has been a great discovery! I have to add my voice to the chorus of people recommending Alcest - they are a special band :)

[@mollyesanborn]

Thanks! Glad you found the channel. Alcest is definitely a band I want to delve into soon.

[@stephenf745]

I understand people's complaints about this album but I actually think I like it more than Sunbather. I agree that the restraint makes the intensity have more of an impact. That's one thing I like about some Tool songs.

[@juantienegay]

PLS do Ordinary Corrupt Human Love it's just beauty in sound!

[@mollyesanborn]

I will have to check it out, everyone has been telling me to react to it!

[@cassl7001]

love how you can appreciate just about anything music wise. There are so many people who will never understand how beautiful heavy music can be (not that this is the heaviest stuff ever)

[@rlh3959]

great non-pretentious review for a band the basement-heshers love to hate. i frickin’ love this album.

[@mollyesanborn]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@cobaltfalcon9458]

Love this new sound. FULL SHOEGAZE. My opinion is, though, you should have checked out their other albums, first. As great as Sunbather is, their other albums do have moments of melody in them. Especially Ordinary Corrupt Human Love, which is just as good as Sunbather, in my opinion

[@mollyesanborn]

Yes, I will have to give the rest of their stuff a listen!

[@chillgaze]

What I find so interesting about this album vs OCHL is that in between there they released "Black Brick" as a standalone single, which is arguably the heaviest, black-metally song they've released. That song is INTENSE. And then they follow it up with unapologetic shoegaze. Incredible. Also, I love your excitement each time the harsh vocals come in! lol

[@mollyesanborn]

Yeah, I've heard Black Brick. That song is so intense, I love it! Like you said, Deafheaven blends intensity with that relaxing shoegaze element to their music so seamlessly.

[@No-Kung-Fu]

Hey, just discovered your channel. Enjoying your reactions! Please do some Alcest reactions in the future (Especially the Les Voyages de l'Âme or Kodama albums)! Cheers!

[@mollyesanborn]

Thanks for the suggestion, I think a few others have mentioned Alcest as well so I will have to check their stuff out. Glad you're enjoying the videos!

[@No-Kung-Fu]

@@mollyesanborn If you love Sigur Ros and Deafheaven pretty sure you're gonna really like it! cheers for replying.

[@user-mp7fn4zc9r]

Mombasa is the art of integrating blastbeats into a shoegaze song.

[@diane6707]

Listen to them all! There is a bridge to this in the later albums.

[@Weestinn]

I highly recommend Thornhill - The Dark Pool, an amazing album pretty similar to Loathe. Also Northlane - Alien is an absolutely amazing and impactful metalcore record that does some of the most interesting things I’ve heard in years.

[@SanskarWagley]

go back to their other records too!

[@Carryusaway_]

This album really grew on me and I can’t stop listening to it definitely the best album I’ve heard in a while

[@aidanb7797]

I recently just returned to this album, didn't really give it a chance when it came out. I love it now, it sounds like a completely new band but that's not a bad thing. It's got a lighter vibe and a I can play it at work. Their guitarist has some really nice licks and the passages are so dreamy, he's like a more heavy metal version of Johnny Marr or something aha

[@mollyesanborn]

It's absolutely a grower album, I agree. Kind of hard to appreciate how good it is with just one listen. It's more subtle, sure, but there's a quiet power to it that I really enjoy.

[@aidanb7797]

@@mollyesanborn 100% Agree. The only thing that I fault is the vocals. They get a bit monotonous but the instrumentals alone make up for it. Wonder what direction they will take next? Can u do a react vid to Boards of Canada? They are such a unique band and conjure up so much imagery and emotions just through their music. Its manages to be unsettling yet warming at the same time. Hard to explain, give it a spin! Music Has the Right to Children would be a good place to start. Would be epic!! :D Cheers!!

[@emmaleforte9835]

When you said you got goosebumps I freaked because at the exact moment you said it so did I, in blur just did it for me

[@A37927]

Daniel Tracy is the drummer, a grand master of drums if you ask me. But I can say the same of the guitar of Kerry McCoy or the rest of the band. They really stand out and in an ideal world they would get the recognition they deserve. Well, at least now they have yours!!

[@aintcappin]

I love their mombasa like they combine their previous music and the new one

[@mollyesanborn]

Yeah, Mombasa is a great track!

[@aintcappin]

@@mollyesanborn glad you liked it!

[@TheseBitchesWantNikes]

Also highly recommend you check out Ordinary Corrupt Human Love, the album before this. It's kind of a combination of this album and their previous black metal stylings.

[@mollyesanborn]

I'm planning on it, hopefully it'll be one of my next videos :D

[@vincentvicious9861]

This album is amazing, every outro is fantastic. They have come to understand that shoegaze is one of the best genres out there.

[@FedeLup90]

Hi Molly, I have appreciated your videos about Loathe and Holding Abscense albums and now same for your thoughts on Infinite Granite from Deafheaven . Since we're talking about shoegaze I highly recommend you Holy Fawn-Death Spells album, really a heavy atmospheric shoegaze Masterpiece. Cheers from Italy🙂

[@TheseBitchesWantNikes]

This album was the biggest grower for me. As a huge fan of their previous sound, I was taken aback quite a bit. But it wasn't until the last 2 songs, Other Language and Mombasa, when it started to really grow on me. I think even though this is definitely uncharted territory for them, it still VERY much feels like a Deafheaven album in the way it flows and feels. In a vague unexplainable way.

[@mollyesanborn]

Yeah, I get that too! Way more melodic and shoegazey but certainly still sounds like Deafheaven.

[@jasonsmith666]

Hay. May we have some Mogwei? Cheers. As they do the soft/subtle the VERY loud is so impactful.

[@mollyesanborn]

I've heard their most recent album and did enjoy it, I'll have to check out the rest of their stuff :)

[@cowmark67]

Awesome that you are checking this album out. I just heard it for the first time yesterday and I love it. Same as you I had only heard Sunbather before listening to this album. Of course this album has been divisive between fans for taking out most of the black metal out of their blackgaze sound and going almost full shoegaze. My summarization of this album is this: is it a good Deafheaven album? No. Is it a really good shoegaze album? Yes. All in all if they stick with this sound I'm in for it and if they go back to the sound of Sunbather I'm also in for it.

[@mollyesanborn]

I agree with you. It's a different sound, yes, but still so immense and layered in a more subtle way.

[@andreykoens]

Super agree, having listened to the discography a lot, its definitely another sound but almost everything was in their wheelhouse already except for the singing... and it grows on you :) the lyrics are also super good! I'm hoping they spice up the songs on the live performances... but definitely expect the next albums to explore this sound a bit more, maybe bring more of the thunder but not just at the end. They're great musicians to pull all of that off, can't say otherwise! Great react channel btw Molly, you describe music with grace! :) Cheers

[@Deja_Dymons]

I love your reactions videos 🖤 do you think you can reacts to the first Korn or Slipknot Album and if you mess with it maybe the rest of their discography?

[@mollyesanborn]

Korn and Slipknot are both on my list of artists to check out! I'll have to give them a listen.

[@nosurprises6798]

I think they still need to polish this softer approach BUT the album sounds gorgeous from start to finish. As much as I love Sunbather, I wouldn't mind if they made another album like this.

[@jeffsnider9869]

Other deafheaven goosebumps moments for me: about 6 minutes into Glint off of OCHL album. And the outro to Luna from New Bermuda

[@mollyesanborn]

can't wait to hear those albums!

[@todddouglas7231]

I am all for artists changing their sound trying new things but unfortunately i didn't get much out of this album other than 'that was a decent listen'. While projects by DH like Sunbather left me speechless and emotionally rammed. If you enjoy this metallic reverb soaked post-rock sound tho, I highly HIGHLY recommend We Lost The Sea. In particular their masterpiece album "Departure Songs". One of the greatest post-rock albums of the 2010's.

[@mollyesanborn]

I can understand that, Sunbather is saturated with emotion and intensity and it's a little harder to find on Infinite Granite, but it is there just at a more nuanced level. Thanks for the recommendation, I'll check it out!

[@herbstwerk]

Departure Songs can't be recommended often or highly enough, can't wait for Dunk! to ship my 3rd and 4th copy. :) Might want to have some tissues nearby though.

[@todddouglas7231]

@@mollyesanborn I really hope you like it!

[@DestinedFX]

thanks im going to listen to that

[@stephenrostkoski837]

I'm a new Deafheaven listener too and have immersed myself in their catalog all year. The direction of the new album really didn't surprise me. Their sound has always been shoegaze-influenced and they experimented with "clean" vocals on the last few albums. So I like the new album. The only thing that doesn't work for me is the "Neptune" track which just slows the momentum for me. You're in for quite a ride hearing the rest of their albums.

[@mollyesanborn]

I'm certainly looking forward to hearing the rest of their discography!

[@stephenrostkoski837]

@@mollyesanborn If you haven't watched them already, Deafheaven have two live videos on Audiotree's Far Out series. Beautifully shot and mixed. They are two of my favorite video performances. BTW, you may not consider yourself a "music expert," but your review was more detailed than the one I wrote for my blog. And I've been writing for over 25 years!

[@mollyesanborn]

Wow, thank you! I appreciate that :D

[@tonypeck1514]

I would enjoy you doing a review of Hum’s “Downward Is Heavenward” or “You’d Prefer An Astromaut”

[@mollyesanborn]

I've heard of Hum but have never listened to their stuff. I believe they were a big influence for Deftones too. I'll have to check them out!

[@dystopiabeach]

OCHL is still my favorite Deafheaven release by far, but this was an incredibly solid project imo.

[@redrobotmonkey]

Interesting. New Bermuda was my favourite of theirs.

[@herbstwerk]

I'm certain that the jump from Sunbather straight to Infinite Granite is way more jarring than having listened to New Bermuda and OCHL when they were released. This album is almost a mediocre M. Night Shyamalan twist... everybody has seen it coming, not all are happy with it. :) And to be honest... it took me a couple of repeats to really get into this album. At first I got some serious buyers remorse for splurging hard on the vinyl pre-order, but now I'm happy with it. There's some tracks, or portions of them, I just overlook but then it just pulls me right back in with Boards of Canada-like electronics, "screams as an instrument", and simply beautiful instrumentals. I somewhat hope they take a step back towards OCHL for their next album, but I'm along for the ride even if they don't. P.S. Gotta love that 2nd half of Mombasa. The discord between vocals and instruments is just sooooo damn good. I wish there was more of it.

[@mollyesanborn]

Yes, that ending on Mombasa is fantastic!

[@printsignalsoma1248]

you missed out on a "surf rock" album amalgamation follow up to sunbather.and the follow up album to that album is their San Francisco amalgamation of all 3. and infinite granite is an amalgamation of the best and worst parts of slowdive.

[@oopirates96]

I recommend Roads To Judah and Demo both are My personal favorites.

[@dardo28]

Nice, 😀👌 no había escuchado esta banda. 👍

[@Killthesefears]

Hey, idk if you are like single, but if you are, we should talk. I think you are amazing! 😂

[@user-dj1yj2kp8g]

Try to listening animals as leaders, please. I love How you react

[@skinhead5]

They are regressing to shoe gaze 1985

[@mattemery4081]

A lot of people are comparing this album to sunbather which is really weird and unfair considering there are two whole ass albums in between the two of them.

[@mollyesanborn]

Yeah, Sunbather is the only other Deafheaven album I've heard so it's the only thing I have to compare with Infinite Granite's sound. I look forward to hearing their other albums and seeing their progression from one to the next.

[@ahorserunning]

On one hand, I’m happy that the album has found its listeners, but on the other…what a massive disappointment. As generic as could be, sounds like a hundred other pop post rock albums, vocals lost all power and individuality, but they have the audacity to tease you with two incredibly short parts(particularly the ending of Mombasa) that remind you of how screamingly great Deafheaven can be. I pray to god they leave this album behind and try something else next go around.

[@MrGmonkeywillruleyou]

Tool or Mr Bungle will blow you away