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Deafheaven
Roads To Judah (Colored Vinyl)
Deathwish 120
Released on June 28, 2011
Vinyl includes MP3 download card
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Deathwish are proud to announce the release of DEAFHEAVEN’s debut album Roads To Judah.
Recorded by Jack Shirley (guitarist of COMADRE), Roads To Judah is a hypnotic thirty-eight minute
plunge into hazy musical darkness. A dizzying hybrid of shoe-gaze shimmer, hardcore vulnerability, and
black metal intensity.
From the opening drone of the album it’s as if we are peering through a dream into the private world
that is DEAFHEAVEN’s Roads To Judah. Layers and layers of instrumentation build, tangle, and swirl
before the real onslaught begins. A ferocious drum fill then thrusts us from the serene into a free fall,
as if the ground below suddenly gave way. From there, we plummet through one awe-inducing sonic
fog into the next, blurring the traditional lines of song. Hyper blasts of speed rage and pulse while lush
guitars bellow, roar, and whine with unorthodox melody. And just as we feel we’ve departed from reality
from the aural overload, tortured vocals cry out from afar, serving as a stark reminder that there is
something very human about Roads To Judah and DEAFHEAVEN themselves.
Though the title could suggest something otherworldly, the “Judah” referenced is in fact the “N Judah”
train, the busiest line of the San Francisco transit system; a relatable landmark to compliment the haunting
ambiguity that surrounds DEAFHEAVEN and the music that they collectively create. On it, much of the
lyrical writing and personal reflection for this album took place.
With that said, Roads To Judah isn’t heavy metal role play, but a beautifully blackened artistic exploration
of the issues and self-loathing that can cloud every day life. A stunning achievement emotionally and
musically that will surely shape aggressive music for years to come.

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