Length 53:31 Skin Fade
(2014) Black Metal
(2014) Artist Dean Blunt Label Rough Trade Records | Producer Dean Blunt Black Metal
(2014) Release date 3 November 2014 Genre Art Pop | |
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Released November 2014 (2014-11) Similar Black Is Beautiful, "BBF" Hosted By DJ Escrow, Soused, Lese Majesty, Ghettoville | ||
Black Metal is an album by Dean Blunt, released on Rough Trade Records in November 2014. The album features vocals from Blunt and frequent collaborator Joanne Robertson.
Contents
Musically, Black Metal features more traditional pop song structures than Blunt's previous work, but is diverse in instrumentation and genre. The album includes elements of indie pop, folk pop, Americana, dub, ambient, grime, drone, and dancehall. Critics have also noted the prose of Blunt's lyrics as being similar to contemporary hip hop lyrics, which often reflect that of dark subjects like cheating and alcoholism.
Blunt has stated that the album was inspired by what he sees as black artistic liberation away from the appropriation of 'existing white images' (a la names like Black Elvis and Black Cobain) toward 'something that is undefined and is new'.
Dean blunt black metal album review
Critical reception
Black Metal currently has a score of 79 on Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable reviews." Critics praised Blunt's emotional range and directness on the album. In a review for The Observer, Killian Fox wrote that Blunt had created "some of the most achingly beautiful music recorded this year." Writing for Pitchfork, Colin Joyce called the album "disjointed" but praised the album for its sound and for Blunt's clearer, more pop-oriented style compared to his previous work. However, Allmusic's Andy Kellman criticized the album for being "quantity-over-quality" and for what Kellman saw as a derivative sound. Michael Hann characterized the album in The Guardian as a needlessly difficult listen that was sometimes repetitive, but nonetheless praised it as "extraordinary."
Accolades
Black Metal placed first on Tiny Mix Tapes' and Crack Magazine's lists of best albums from 2014.
Track listing
All tracks written by Dean Blunt.
Songs
1LUSH1:59
250 CENT2:36
3BLOW2:31