Sunbather
by Deafheaven
User Score
8.5

Universal acclaim- based on 417 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 368 out of 417
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 417
  3. Negative: 29 out of 417
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  1. NicoMontuoro
    Jul 8, 2013
    0
    What a horrible record. It has no sense, it repeats the same guitar sound and the same screams for around 10 minutes sometimes. There are short "songs" but they are made only by sounds of people talking and a poor beat. I don't understand the 95/100, really.
  2. sickboy83
    Jul 13, 2013
    1
    Hype and nothing more. This is crap. Seriously, is this even an album? 70 minutes of nothing repeated on and on and on. Of course, top rated in 2013. And every damn time I fall for it. Trick me once, shame on you, trick me five hundred times, shame on me.
  3. mumubare
    Jun 11, 2013
    1
    The fact that so many reviewers are naming Deafheaven "the greatest or most significant or most influential" black metal band ever only tells you how far black metal music still is from becoming a serious art. Complete pleb crap. It's black metal for people who don't like black metal. The problem with this starts with the cover. It just screams "I'm-a-teenage-girl-who-uses-tumblr" in allThe fact that so many reviewers are naming Deafheaven "the greatest or most significant or most influential" black metal band ever only tells you how far black metal music still is from becoming a serious art. Complete pleb crap. It's black metal for people who don't like black metal. The problem with this starts with the cover. It just screams "I'm-a-teenage-girl-who-uses-tumblr" in all it's pink eye scourging awfulness. Once you get past that, you then need to subject yourself to listening to it. Good luck with that.

    Sunbather? More like Sunpooper. It was like having turds dropped into my ears for about 70 minutes. Never again. Never again.    … Collapse
  4. qrobur
    Jun 13, 2013
    0
    Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.; where to start with this stinker of an album? Well, the vocals are in the fashionable strangulated manner. I don't know what effect this is supposed to produce, but to my ears it just sounds both affected and silly. As for the music, it's a bog-standard heavily compressed dirge. The guitar is monotonous, the bass pedestrian and the drumming unvarying for theOh dear, oh dear, oh dear.; where to start with this stinker of an album? Well, the vocals are in the fashionable strangulated manner. I don't know what effect this is supposed to produce, but to my ears it just sounds both affected and silly. As for the music, it's a bog-standard heavily compressed dirge. The guitar is monotonous, the bass pedestrian and the drumming unvarying for the most part. There are moments of quiet, which are a relief from the tedious sonic assault found everywhere else, but they are brief. Candidly, this is a juvenile way to make music and this album is both deeply uninspiring and deeply disappointing. As I said in the first line, it's a stinker.… Expand
  5. lastchance
    Jun 12, 2013
    0
    This is a perfect example of how polarized and messed up the music community and reviews are. This album has a 99 on Metacritic (of 6 reviews). Meanwhile, the user ranking is 6.6 (out of 10). I previewed it to see why such high marks by the reviewers and it's a bunch of noise droning stuff. I don't even know how to properly detail what kind of "music" this is because I can't fathom anyoneThis is a perfect example of how polarized and messed up the music community and reviews are. This album has a 99 on Metacritic (of 6 reviews). Meanwhile, the user ranking is 6.6 (out of 10). I previewed it to see why such high marks by the reviewers and it's a bunch of noise droning stuff. I don't even know how to properly detail what kind of "music" this is because I can't fathom anyone liking or listening to this. It just puts a really bad taste in my mouth.… Expand
  6. ImAwesome
    Jul 21, 2013
    0
    Basically sounds like a British art rock band playing at a stage too close to a death metal band. If you like Funk/metal and other tasteless hybrids, you may like this. It's sad.

    Metal in cardigans and corduroys.
  7. TheDrownedGod
    Apr 9, 2014
    0
    Simply awful. Deafheaven do not seem to have grasped what makes post rock or black metal good. Instead, they have taken the absolute worst parts of both genres and combined them into something unlistenable. I love post rock and black metal. One for its beautiful guitar tones, soundscapes and general laid back feeling and the other for its ugly, raw energy. But what Deafheaven have done wasSimply awful. Deafheaven do not seem to have grasped what makes post rock or black metal good. Instead, they have taken the absolute worst parts of both genres and combined them into something unlistenable. I love post rock and black metal. One for its beautiful guitar tones, soundscapes and general laid back feeling and the other for its ugly, raw energy. But what Deafheaven have done was take the repetitive and monotone drums and vocals of black metal and the uninspired songwriting of bad post rock and made an album that is tedious, pretentious and, worst of all, boring. Anyone listening to this is either trying to prove that they are "trve black metal" fans or is deaf.… Expand
  8. DingusDingoDung
    Jun 11, 2013
    3
    Hype metal.
    Even worse than regular metal.
    Listen to weakling instead, then move on with your life.
    Or alternatively, give into the hype and be a pathecitc virgin for the rest of the summer. Loser.
  9. Scraper
    Aug 21, 2013
    1
    They're playing their hearts out and the production is really good. But why even have lyrics and voice if there is no coherence to the lyrics or character to the vocals? It's almost an insult to the instruments. This was over before it began.
  10. TheMaximalist
    Feb 15, 2014
    3
    http://bit.ly/1jDqoeq For me this is just unnecessary noise. Though other critics don't share that opinion. I'm hesitant to give it any score at all but I'm going to. While it was interesting I didn't like it. I found the experience mostly unpleasant and poorly arranged although it was performed fine.
  11. ChrisHawth
    Aug 27, 2013
    2
    This is just a reasonably standard late 90's early 2000's post rock album, but with someone incomprehensibly screaming all over it. I guess that kind of thing can suit the campy, theatrical nature of black metal, but hear it just sounds completely out of place. The scores this thing is receiving it utterly mystifying.

Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best Album of 2013
17
#17 Most Discussed Album of 2013
33
#33 Most Shared Album of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
92

Universal acclaim - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. musicOMH.com
    Dec 2, 2013
    90
    Sunbather is an emotionally overwhelming but truly absorbing listen. But best of all, it’s cleansing.
    Read full review
  2. Rolling Stone
    Aug 12, 2013
    60
    The mood stays ominous, even as sonic details thrill headphone-equipped headbangers.
    Read full review
  3. AllMusic
    Jul 3, 2013
    90
    Many bands go through their entire career without making an album as well crafted, fully realized, and downright gorgeous as Sunbather, and somehow, Deafheaven have managed to nail it on their second outing, with an album that seems to get bigger and more affective with each listen.
    Read full review
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