Deafheaven, originally formed in 2010 as a duo, is now a restless, experimental metal quintet from San Francisco. The band will perform alongside special guests Portrayal Of Guilt and Zeruel on November 15 at Prague’s Rock Café.

The group, often labeled as black metal, considers this term limiting and sees metal subgenres as their main inspiration. Their ever-evolving sound incorporates elements of black metal, shoegaze, post-rock, and even accessible—but musically demanding—arena rock, as evidenced by albums such as 2013’s Sunbather and the more punchy and dynamic New Bermuda. 2018’s Ordinary Corrupt Human Love wedged a somewhat gentler, more experimental, and more cinematic songwriting style into their established black metal roots. Their fifth studio album, 2021’s Infinite Granite, was their least metal-influenced recording to date, leaning more toward dream pop, ambient, and alternative rock.

Deafheaven’s monolithic second album, Sunbather, not only was a huge success in 2013, but also caused a radical shift in heavy music culture, the acceptance of the genre by previous outsiders, and a pioneering sound that had not been heard outside of educated circles until then. It was a territory that introduced a changing of the guard in metal, garnered phenomenal reviews across all disciplines, and broke the mold used by uptight indie types and fake music dilettantes who wanted to maintain the status quo.