About this item

Dean Blunt’s newest odyssey, ‘Black Metal’, rides this tension between critical detachment and mainlined human feeling and in fact he climbs ever-steeper theoretical heights just as his emotionally stark songs become, at times, startlingly intimate.

A true multi-media vanguard, Blunt employs original instrumentation along with elements of pastiche and his unique vocal performances to create songs and recordings that are not only beautiful but also tie into his larger project that incorporates music, visual art and the written word to play with identity, cultural signifiers and artistic agency.

‘Black Metal’ is, above all, a majestic collection of songs encompassing everything from hypnotic longform experiments to ballads almost disarming in their sweet simplicity, swirling equally with fascinating sounds and fascinating ideas. Blunt’s influences are wide-ranging, from rock’s underground pioneers (he quotes Sonic Youth in interviews; the album leads with a Big Star sample), to neoclassical composers, to early indie pop (another track samples The Pastels), to classic rock, hip hop and R&B. However, rather than coldly compiling them, Blunt brings the works and genres he draws from into a new musical and cultural conversation.

TRACK LISTING

1. Lush
2. 50 Cent
3. Blow
4. 100
5. Heavy
6. Molly & Aquafina
7. Forever
8. X
9. Punk
10. Country
11. Hush
12. Mersh
13. Grade