New Bermuda
by Deafheaven
  • Record Label: Anti
  • Release Date: Oct 2, 2015
User Score
8.7

Universal acclaim- based on 134 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 123 out of 134
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 134
  3. Negative: 7 out of 134
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  1. wishpishh
    Oct 2, 2015
    10
    If you dissect each song on this album, and listen to each part separately, you could argue that many of them are rather standard in their genre. The post rock parts are not absolutely unique or groundbreaking. Neither are the black metal parts, nor the more thrash metal-influenced parts. Neither the poppier parts. At some times during the first listen I found myself thinking that someIf you dissect each song on this album, and listen to each part separately, you could argue that many of them are rather standard in their genre. The post rock parts are not absolutely unique or groundbreaking. Neither are the black metal parts, nor the more thrash metal-influenced parts. Neither the poppier parts. At some times during the first listen I found myself thinking that some parts are rather tame, run-of-the-mill or even at times rather cheesy.

    But then they always manage to segue into something else that completely blows me away and I realize that the effect is masterfully created. What I'm saying is, all the parts or influences are not extraordinary on their own, but together they become something much, much greater and powerful. Sure, they could have made some parts more subtle, or advanced, or groundbreaking and unique. But then you realize they're part of a larger picture that is just flawless, and changing something wouldn't make it any better. Every second is exactly what is needed to fill the larger picture.

    After a few listens front to back, I realize that there's really nothing that needs changing. They pull all their influences together perfectly. The composition is flawless. This is a perfect album for what it is.    … Expand
  2. intruder313
    Oct 2, 2015
    9
    If you loved Sunbather then you'll love New Bermuda. My only complaint being that at just five tracks running to 45 mins it feels a little short: one more track would have made this perfect!
  3. SixStringNinja
    Oct 2, 2015
    9
    Definitely a hard change from "Sunbather," but once you get used to the rougher guitars and darker chord progressions, it's just as good. It's almost as if they heard all the black metal elitists' complaints about "Sunbather" and went through a checklist while recording "New Bermuda." Easily one of my favorite metal albums this year.
  4. RiotFish
    Oct 3, 2015
    9
    Deafheaven's strategy on New Bermuda is simple: take the pretty parts and the ugly parts from Sunbather, and make the pretty parts prettier and the ugly parts uglier. The result is a punishing, unpredictable 48 minute behemoth that sounds like Oasis, Burzum, Wilco and My Bloody Valentine all had a baby. Delicate, folksy guitar riffs follow sinister howls and bombastic blasts of blackDeafheaven's strategy on New Bermuda is simple: take the pretty parts and the ugly parts from Sunbather, and make the pretty parts prettier and the ugly parts uglier. The result is a punishing, unpredictable 48 minute behemoth that sounds like Oasis, Burzum, Wilco and My Bloody Valentine all had a baby. Delicate, folksy guitar riffs follow sinister howls and bombastic blasts of black metal. Definitely a contender for album of the year.… Expand
  5. beflygelt
    Oct 2, 2015
    8
    I do not like metal in general.

    However, I LOVE Sunbather. It manages to have a incredibly warm and beautiful sound, while still being hard and brutal as hell. Also, as an album it flows incredibly nice from one track to the next, not only is the songwriting on point, the sequencing makes it a masterpiece. With New Bermuda, they deliver yet another really great album, but they also    I do not like metal in general.

    However, I LOVE Sunbather. It manages to have a incredibly warm and beautiful sound, while still being hard and brutal as hell. Also, as an album it flows incredibly nice from one track to the next, not only is the songwriting on point, the sequencing makes it a masterpiece.

    With New Bermuda, they deliver yet another really great album, but they also turn me off with the direction they're heading to: To show the world that they really are a metal band. The tracks are more individual from one another, which makes every song a highlight, but also hurts the flow of the album a bit, also with some really unnecessary fade-outs like in the outro of the intro, the sequencing obviously lacks between the tracks. They are more brutal than before, where Sunbather was warm, vivid and beautiful, New Bermuda is dead, cold and ugly. They also distance their sound from the shoegaze here, which I found so tight on Sunbather..

    It will be certainly a favorite of Deafheaven fans and metalheads, but I guess this album won't manage to show up on my year's end list. It's just too metal for my taste.    … Expand
  6. JLeigh
    Oct 2, 2015
    9
    A truly wonderful album that has a real sense of trajectory and cohesion. They didn't just make a follow up to Sunbather but rather built on it. Luna is the stand out track, providing the lynch pin a a seriously good piece of work
  7. ReubenIsAGod
    Dec 29, 2015
    7
    Yeah its really good, definitely a lot more black depressing in tone opposed to sunbather*in fact i would say this is a brilliant entry level black metal album* but I really enjoyed Sunbather a lot more to New Bermuda. It lacks color and personality and it doesn't really push or add anything new blackgaze genre *which i personally find rather disappointing*, Like id definitely go out ofYeah its really good, definitely a lot more black depressing in tone opposed to sunbather*in fact i would say this is a brilliant entry level black metal album* but I really enjoyed Sunbather a lot more to New Bermuda. It lacks color and personality and it doesn't really push or add anything new blackgaze genre *which i personally find rather disappointing*, Like id definitely go out of my way to buy it *cause it is really good* but like I ain't gonna call it AOTY material.… Expand
  8. ahern1204
    Oct 6, 2015
    9
    There is nothing groundbreaking about this album or from the band itself, as I read much critics say. My introduction to this band was when I stumbled upon Dream House last year and I was hooked. I don't care about black metal but this was very accessible to me and that is what I believe their appeal comes from. What I love about Sunbather, and New Bermuda,is their ability to fuse multipleThere is nothing groundbreaking about this album or from the band itself, as I read much critics say. My introduction to this band was when I stumbled upon Dream House last year and I was hooked. I don't care about black metal but this was very accessible to me and that is what I believe their appeal comes from. What I love about Sunbather, and New Bermuda,is their ability to fuse multiple genres so beautifully and make it so easy listening. The production value on New Bermuda is on a complete different level from Sunbather & I think that is what their major focus was on.

    If I had one complain, it would be that some sections of each song could have been split to make some awesome interludes. But nonetheless, Deafheaven have found a way to stand out from other black metal acts and they have done so while also making a high quality piece of music. Beautifully done!
    Best Song:
    9.1/10    … Expand
  9. JoyfulBunnies
    Feb 6, 2016
    10
    5 tracks that are all solid and captivating on their own, but make a fantastic album as a whole. A great follow-up to Sunbather, in that it isn't a follow-up at all. It is definitely its own experience, and I think it is a more visceral and creative one that its predecessor.
  10. Andremax
    Sep 11, 2018
    9
    It's impressive how Deafheaven's creativity looks there's no end. Each band's album are different of each other. And you can feel the difference for this one to the previously. If Sunbather is more delicate, New Bermuda has much more weight, aggressiveness and darkness.
  11. mrpringeek
    Oct 6, 2015
    9
    Every song on this album is a testament to the band's progression from their previous releases. New Bermuda builds on the sound of their sophomore release, Sunbather and adds even more depth and variety into their sound. Incorporating not just black metal but other genres such as shoe-gazing and post-punk, Deafheaven puts their all into this album and shows their versatility as musicians.Every song on this album is a testament to the band's progression from their previous releases. New Bermuda builds on the sound of their sophomore release, Sunbather and adds even more depth and variety into their sound. Incorporating not just black metal but other genres such as shoe-gazing and post-punk, Deafheaven puts their all into this album and shows their versatility as musicians. Whilst some of the slower sections in these song can outstay their welcome, they provide a break in the ferocity of the experience. Brilliant release, a must own!… Expand
  12. Szen
    Oct 7, 2015
    10
    Poetic, atmospheric and dark, Deafheaven's latest album "New Bermuda", is an excellent metal album with the right amount of brutal pleasure and soft rhythms.
  13. A37927
    Oct 3, 2015
    10
    It was a tough act to follow Sunbather with something that wasn't "more of the same" and DFHVN has done it again: another skilled album, powerful sound, beautiful rhythms and probably my favorite pick of 2015. New Bermuda is a win/win bet for any listener open to enjoy the thrills and feelings this band provides every track. Masterpiece.
  14. TalentlessHack
    Dec 31, 2015
    8
    While it may not have the same lasting power as Sunbather to me, New Bermuda proves that the band still has that same magic.

    It's an overall darker album compared to Sunbather. From the album cover down to the instrumentation, it's definitely more "black metal" than Sunbather. The very first seconds of the opening track "Brought to the Water" and overall less shoegazing make that    While it may not have the same lasting power as Sunbather to me, New Bermuda proves that the band still has that same magic.

    It's an overall darker album compared to Sunbather. From the album cover down to the instrumentation, it's definitely more "black metal" than Sunbather. The very first seconds of the opening track "Brought to the Water" and overall less shoegazing make that clear.

    The album does sadly suffer from some of the calmer cuts in the songs. While I'm not against these cooldown, (Sunbather had a ton of them) they just feel a bit too generic here and mess up with the momentum of the track. "Come Back" being the worst case scenario after a epic first half.

    Overall, New Bermuda is one great listen with heavier instrumentation and atmosphere than Sunbather, that suffers slightly from some pacing issues.

    Fav Tracks: Luna, Brought to the Water
    Least Fav Track: None really (maybe Come Back)    … Expand
  15. imnamine
    Dec 18, 2016
    10
    Was it possible for Deafheaven to make an album as good -or better- than Sunbather ? The answer is yes. New Bermuda is very different on its own, since it has more black metal riffs than its predecessor. But there's still those melodic parts that blow me away everytime. Deafheaven really is one of the best metal/post-rock/post-metal/blackgaze/anythingyouwant band right now.
  16. howardkc13
    Apr 21, 2019
    9
    First time listening where I followed along with the lyrics:

    Much like another review that I read about this album, although I haven't delved much into the post-rock/blackgaze scene past Deafheaven's masterful "Sunbather," one of my personal favorite albums of all time, and a little bit of Mogwai, I would have to agree with said review that, while a track like "Brought to the Water" was    First time listening where I followed along with the lyrics:

    Much like another review that I read about this album, although I haven't delved much into the post-rock/blackgaze scene past Deafheaven's masterful "Sunbather," one of my personal favorite albums of all time, and a little bit of Mogwai, I would have to agree with said review that, while a track like "Brought to the Water" was progressing, I couldn't help but love the song's brief lyricism, but not be blown away by the music backing it; it just sounded standard. That, however, changed dramatically at about the midpoint of that first track, and then continued throughout until the end. In "Luna," the emotional presence that has made Deafheaven so special is present all the way through until its empathetic outro. Again, in "Baby Blue," my personal favorite track, pounding, yet beautifully-executed riffs accompany the, again, empathetic poetry, coming from George Clarke's mouth. With "Come Back," a crushing unsympathetic lyrical and metaphorical theme of apathetic grief (a theme from Sunbather's "Vertigo") is played out, followed by a beautiful bit of Deafheaven-glazed post-rock/shoegaze. Finally, with "Gifts for the Earth," the song I had the most difficulty interpreting, I found that my interpretation was quite irrelevant, as it is the one track that gave way to beautiful symbolism, presented in both the lyrics and the music.

    As far as I'm concerned, a classic album that, like "Sunbather," will have me delving into blackgaze music for years to come.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

43
#43 Best Album of 2015
68
#68 Most Discussed Album of 2015
54
#54 Most Shared Album of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
85

Universal acclaim - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
  1. Magnet
    Oct 14, 2015
    90
    A staggering masterpiece. [No. 125, p.55]
  2. Kerrang!
    Oct 7, 2015
    80
    Boasting darker, braver, more thrillingly complex compositions. [10 Oct 2015, p.52]
  3. Clash Music
    Oct 7, 2015
    80
    Deafheaven have managed to craft a lengthy, complex offering that could be considered the antithesis of their lauded second album, but also proves to their doubters that they're here to stay.
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