Blackgaze gods Deafheaven dropped “Heathen,” the second single from their upcoming sixth album, Lonely People With Power, set to hit shelves on March 28.
The record promises a dozen tracks, with “Heathen” nestled on Side B between “The Garden Route” and “Amethyst.”
“Lonely People With Power” is set for release on March 28th via Roadrunner Records.
Its release lands a month after “Magnolia,” the first taste of this new chapter, and the shift between the two is stark.
Where “Magnolia” roared with blackened fury, “Heathen” drifts into something softer, more elusive—clean vocals and gentle guitar lines that tease an impending rupture of screams and blast beats, only to pull back into a fleeting calm before the storm resumes.
The track’s DNA feels ripped from Sunbather’s playbook, bridging the defining atoms of blackgaze. After 2021’s Infinite Granite leaned hard into melody and cleaner tones, “Magnolia” signaled a return to the grit of New Bermuda, tackling grief, fatherhood, and the weight of existence with George Clarke’s piercing shrieks.
“Heathen,” though, stitches those threads together—screams meld with the polished vocals of their recent work, a duality that’s got people talking.
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Lonely People With Power—recorded with Justin Meldal-Johnsen, mixed by Zach Weeks at GodCity Studio, and featuring Jae Matthews of Boy Harsher and Paul Banks of Interpol—spans a tracklist that already feels like a journey.
The band’s first Roadrunner release, following cooperations with Deathwish, Anti-, and Sargent House, comes off a 10th-anniversary Sunbather tour and a limited “honeyed heat” vinyl run of 500 copies.
Recorded with producer Justin Meldal-Johnsen [St. Vincent, M83] and mixed by Zach Weeks of GodCity Studio, Lonely People With Power follows Deafheaven’s 2021 studio album, Infinite Granite, which saw the GRAMMY-nominated band charting new ground and expanding stylistic boundaries. On Lonely People With Power, Deafheaven again confound expectations, piling element on element, and towering towards the sky with their most ambitious release yet. Tracked at EastWest Studios, Lonely People With Power includes additional vocal contributions from Jae Matthews of Boy Harsher and Paul Banks of Interpol.
Formed in 2010 in San Francisco by vocalist George Clarke and guitarist Kerry McCoy, Deafheaven grew from a scrappy two-piece into a five-member force with Shiv Mehra (guitar), Christopher Johnson (bass), and Daniel Tracy (drums).
Their 2013 LP Sunbather redefined black metal’s boundaries, blending it with shoegaze and post-rock, earning critical nods and a loyal following.
Across six albums, they’ve swung from raw ferocity to melodic risk, with Lonely People With Power marking their latest turn.
This spring Deafheaven will also embark on a 2025 North American headline tour in support of Lonely People With Power. The upcoming dates will feature special guests Gatecreeper and Trauma Ray, and will kick off on April 19th at The Belasco in Los Angeles, CA. The trek includes stops in San Francisco, Vancouver, Salt Lake City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Austin and more, as well as a two night stand in New York City on May 14th and May 15th.
Deafheaven also have several U.S. and international festival appearances slated for 2025 including: Sonic Temple in Columbus, OH (May 9th), Welcome To Rockville in Daytona Beach, FL (May 15th), Rock am Ring in Nürburg , Germany (June 8th), Outbreak Fest in Manchester, United Kingdom (June 14-15th), and more. For tickets and more information on Deafheaven’s upcoming tour dates, visit www.deafheaven.com.
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Deafheaven live shows:
April 19 – Los Angeles, CA – The Belasco
April 20 – Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades
April 21 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore
April 23 – Portland, OR – Revolution Hall
April 24 – Seattle, WA – The Showbox
April 25 – Vancouver, BC – The Pearl
April 26 – Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory
April 27 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory
April 28 – Salt Lake City, UT – Metro Music Hall
April 30 – Englewood, CO – The Gothic Theatre
May 02 – Omaha, NE – Slowdown
May 03 – Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theatre
May 04 – Madison, WI – Majestic Theater
May 05 – Chicago, IL – Metro
May 06 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Pyramid Scheme
May 08 – Toronto, ON – The Opera House
May 09 – Columbus, OH – Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival 2025*
May 10 – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom
May 12 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
May 13 – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club
May 14 – New York, NY – Irving Plaza
May 15 – Brooklyn, NY – Warsaw
May 17 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
May 18 – Daytona Beach, FL – Welcome to Rockville 2025*
May 20 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theater
May 21 – Austin, TX – Emo’s
May 23 – Mesa, AZ – The Nile
June 08 – Nürburg, Germany – Rock am Ring 2025*
June 12 – Nickelsdorf, Austria – Nova Rock 2025*
June 14 – 15 – Manchester, United Kingdom – Outbreak Fest 2025*
June 19 – 22 – Dessel, Belgium – Graspop Metal Meeting 2025*
June 21 – Clisson, France – Hellfest 2025*
June 25 – Oslo, Norway – Tons of Rock 2025*
June 28 – Ysselsteyn, Netherlands – Jera On Air 2025*
*Festival Date
May 09 – Columbus, OH – Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival 2025
May 15 – Daytona Beach, FL – Welcome to Rockville 2025
June 08 – Nürburg, Germany – Rock am Ring 2025
June 12 – Nickelsdorf, Austria – Nova Rock 2025
June 14 – 15 – Manchester, United Kingdom – Outbreak Fest 2025
June 19 – 22 – Dessel, Belgium – Graspop Metal Meeting 2025
June 21 – Clisson, France – Hellfest 2025
June 25 – Oslo, Norway – Tons of Rock 2025
June 28 – Ysselsteyn, Netherlands – Jera On Air 2025
