Photo by June Zandona

Here’s some pretty awesome news for fans of post-black metal. The San Francisco based band have announced the name of their new album (which has yet to be recorded) as well as some additional information for you to foam at the mouth about.

The album is going to be titled Sunbather, and will be released via Deathwish Inc. sometime in the coming year. The album is slated to be recorded in the Bay Area’s Atomic Garden studio during the tail end of January, and the band is preparing to work with producer Jack Shirley, the man who worked with them on their debut full-length, the spectacular Roads to Judah. The album is said to tone down the elements of black metal, and more uplifting, as opposed to the melancholic nature of their debut. The band also warned fans that there will be some noticeable pop and rock driven elements to the new album. Some may cringe at the thought of that, but that actually sounds excitingly interesting. It’s not like pop-rock and post-black metal have never been friendly; Amesoeurs boasted a unique The Cure influence and Alcest has always been moving in a softer direction. The sound will suit Deafheaven well.

While 2012 has been a pretty great year for metal, 2013 is already piquing my interest far more than I thought, and it’s still December. We’ll keep you posted as new information becomes available. Cheers.

- EC