Sunbather
by
Sunbather Image
Metascore
92

Universal acclaim - based on 18 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.5

Universal acclaim- based on 417 Ratings

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  • Artist(s): George Clarke, Kerry McCoy, Daniel Tracy
  • Summary: The second full-length studio release for the San Francisco-based black metal band formed by George Clarke and Kerry McCoy was produced by Jack Shirley.
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  • Record Label: Deathwish Records
  • Genre(s): Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock, Post-Rock, Heavy Metal, Black Metal
  • More Details and Credits »

Top Track

Dream House
Hindered by sober restlessness. Submitting to the amber crutch. The theme in my aching prose. Fantasizing the sight of Manhattan; that pour of a... See the rest of the song lyrics
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. NOW Magazine
    Jun 13, 2013
    100
    You can spend hours dismantling Sunbather and cooking up a neat sub-sub-genre for it (post-black-metal-gaze-death-dreamcore-whatever). Or you can just call it one of the year’s best records.
  2. The A.V. Club
    Jun 11, 2013
    100
    What’s undeniable is that moments from Sunbather will resonate long after the pointless babble has died down, proving that sometimes the greatest beauty can only be found in the face of chaos.
  3. Beats Per Minute
    Jun 27, 2013
    92
    Sunbather is a future classic, no matter where you pigeonhole it, and that’s the mark of a true sonic masterpiece. Black metal, not black metal, just call it what it is: perfect.
  4. Exclaim
    Jun 11, 2013
    90
    The result is a perfectly flowing album that is, at times, as calming as it is chaotic.
  5. No Ripcord
    Jun 17, 2013
    90
    Sunbather needs not to be judged as black metal, post metal, or any other subgenre, but simply as heavy music--loud, visceral, beautiful heavy music.
  6. CMJ
    Jun 12, 2013
    90
    Sunbather is every bit as explosive and engaging as any metal album you’re likely to hear all year.
  7. Rolling Stone
    Aug 12, 2013
    60
    The mood stays ominous, even as sonic details thrill headphone-equipped headbangers.

See all 18 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 72 out of 88
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 88
  3. Negative: 11 out of 88
  1. Nedloh94
    Jun 12, 2013
    10
    I've honestly never heard anything like this. Granted, I'm not as seasoned in metal, but it skews more post-rock than anything. That beingI've honestly never heard anything like this. Granted, I'm not as seasoned in metal, but it skews more post-rock than anything. That being said, as an album, this is truly a remarkable effort from a group that has something interesting to say. There's a lot of complex songwriting, and enough of a dynamic experience that this is as an accessible of a challenge any newcomers are ever going to find. One of the best of the year.… Expand
  2. BrennanH
    Jan 13, 2020
    10
    It’s hard to describe, so just listen to it and find yourself invested in it from start to finish
  4. nlnjasith
    Jul 7, 2014
    10
    this album is great, every song is well recorded and all the ambient of the songs is just amazing.
    This album rocks! All the circle-jerking    this album is great, every song is well recorded and all the ambient of the songs is just amazing.
    This album rocks! All the circle-jerking black metal elitists are jealous, your genre has been hijacked by Deafheaven.    … Expand
  5. burrito
    Apr 9, 2014
    9
    This album evades classification. To simply call it "black-metal" would be reductive, as this album utilizes shoegaze and post-rock sounds.This album evades classification. To simply call it "black-metal" would be reductive, as this album utilizes shoegaze and post-rock sounds. Sunbather features complex, sophisticated song structures and oppressive guitars that the vocals struggle against. The vocals are very similar to those of Converge. In essence, this is a great album. Black metal may form the skeleton, but the album is fleshed out with a range of other genres making it a wildly experimental album.… Expand
  6. RoosterJuice
    Jun 21, 2013
    9
    As someone who loathes metal, I have no idea how this album appeals to me, but it does. Love the post-rock feel. The "singer", who justAs someone who loathes metal, I have no idea how this album appeals to me, but it does. Love the post-rock feel. The "singer", who just screams through the entire album is somehow compatible with the music. Yet I still question whether or not the album would work better if the lead singer of the band used a less death-metal style of vocals.… Expand
  7. Barneyfresh
    Aug 18, 2013
    8
    Black metal and shoegaze mixed, gets Blackgaze. Sunbather is a blackgaze album that is extremely melodic and pretty. The vocals beingBlack metal and shoegaze mixed, gets Blackgaze. Sunbather is a blackgaze album that is extremely melodic and pretty. The vocals being unintelligible isn't really an issue as much as I thought it would be. With very folky interludes, it's the long titans that really shine.… Expand
  8. 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 worstSimply 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

See all 88 User Reviews

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Awards & Rankings

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

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