Deafheaven is an American post-black metal band formed in San Francisco in 2010 by George Clarke and Kerry McCoy. Sunbather (2013) is the landmark — black metal fused with shoegaze and post-rock — and still the essential starting point before Infinite Granite's dreamier turn. Explore Deafheaven vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
Deafheaven formed in San Francisco in 2010 around vocalist George Clarke and guitarist Kerry McCoy. Their 2013 album Sunbather became a critical phenomenon, appearing on numerous year-end and decade-end lists and being widely cited as one of the most important contemporary metal albums. The album also sparked significant debate within metal communities about the band's blending of black metal with shoegaze and post-rock influences. They have moved through Deathwish Inc., ANTI- Records, and Sargent House across their catalog. Infinite Granite (2021) marked a deliberate move toward more shoegaze and dream pop influenced material; Lonely People with Power (2025) returned to heavier territory.
Deafheaven's sound is foundational to post-black metal (sometimes called blackgaze), combining black metal's tremolo-picked guitars, blast beats, and screamed vocals with shoegaze, post-rock, and dream pop influences. Their work has been widely credited as a defining contemporary metal aesthetic.
Deathwish Inc. and ANTI- pressings of Sunbather, New Bermuda, and Ordinary Corrupt Human Love are widely collected. Multiple anniversary editions of Sunbather have been issued.
Listeners new to Deafheaven typically start with Sunbather (2013).
