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Black Metal (Dean Blunt album)

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Not to be confused with Black Metal (Venom album).
Black Metal
Studio album by
Dean Blunt
ReleasedNovember 2014 (2014-11)
GenreArt pop[1]
Length53:31
LabelRough Trade
ProducerDean Blunt
Dean Blunt chronology
Skin Fade
(2014) 		Black Metal
(2014) 		Babyfather
(2015)

Black Metal is an album by Dean Blunt, released on Rough Trade Records in November 2014.[2] The album features vocals from Blunt and frequent collaborator Joanne Robertson.[3]

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,[1] and dancehall.[4] 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 infidelity and alcoholism.[5]

Blunt has stated that the album was inspired by what he sees as black artistic liberation away from the appropriation of 'existing/old white images' (a la names like Black Elvis, Black Cobain) toward 'something that is undefined and is new'.[3][6][7]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic79/100[8]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
Fact4.5/5[9]
The Guardian[10]
Mojo[11]
NME9/10[12]
The Observer[4]
Pitchfork7.3/10[1]
Q[13]
Resident Advisor4.5/5[2]
Uncut8/10[14]

Black Metal currently has a score of 79 on Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[8] Critics praised Blunt's emotional range and directness on the album.[2][3] In a review for The Observer, Killian Fox wrote that Blunt had created "some of the most achingly beautiful music recorded this year."[4] 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.[1] However, AllMusic's Andy Kellman criticised the album for being "quantity-over-quality" and for what Kellman saw as a derivative sound.[5] Michael Hann characterised the album in The Guardian as a needlessly difficult listen that was sometimes repetitive, but nonetheless praised it as "extraordinary."[10]

Accolades

Black Metal placed first on Tiny Mix Tapes' and Crack Magazine's lists of best albums from 2014.[15][16]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Dean Blunt

No.TitleLength
1."LUSH"1:58
2."50 CENT"2:35
3."BLOW"2:31
4."100"3:20
5."HEAVY"1:58
6."MOLLY & AQUAFINA"4:06
7."FOREVER"13:00
8."X"8:54
9."PUNK"2:34
10."COUNTRY"2:10
11."HUSH"2:07
12."MERSH"2:09
13."GRADE"2:51

References

  1. ^ a b c d Joyce, Colin (17 November 2014). "Dean Blunt: Black Metal". Pitchfork. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  2. ^ a b c Ryce, Andrew (3 November 2014). "Dean Blunt – Black Metal". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  3. ^ a b c Eede, Christian (10 November 2014). "Dean Blunt – Black Metal". The Quietus. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  4. ^ a b c Fox, Killian (1 November 2014). "Dean Blunt: Black Metal review – a work of strange dichotomies". The Observer. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  5. ^ a b c Kellman, Andy. "Black Metal – Dean Blunt". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  6. ^ Chandler, Simon. "Dean Blunt – Black Metal". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  7. ^ "Dean Blunt FM : Black Metal Thesis".
  8. ^ a b "Black Metal by Dean Blunt". Metacritic. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  9. ^ Hall, Josh (3 November 2014). "Dean Blunt: Black Metal". Fact. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  10. ^ a b Hann, Michael (30 October 2014). "Dean Blunt: Black Metal review – extraordinary, in a baffling way". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  11. ^ "Dean Blunt: Black Metal". Mojo (253): 93. December 2014.
  12. ^ Nesbitt, Huw (1 November 2014). "Dean Blunt – 'Black Metal'". NME. Archived from the original on 6 November 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  13. ^ "Dean Blunt: Black Metal". Q (341): 107. December 2014.
  14. ^ "Dean Blunt: Black Metal". Uncut (211): 72. December 2014.
  15. ^ "2014: Favorite 50 Music Releases of 2014". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  16. ^ "The ultimate, definitive Best Albums Of 2014". Anydecentmusic.com. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
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