Are Deafheaven the genre-bending antidote to heavy metal’s conservatism? We meet their chief songwriter and guitarist Kerry McCoy to talk black metal, Johnny Marr and why their critics have got them wrong.

What is metal? Or more precisely, who is metal? Of all the genres, metal fans seem the most fractious in our digital age; many duking it out in wars of words online as they seek to question the credentials of emerging talent. Korn, Trivium and Bring Me The Horizon are just a few who have gone the through the same hazing process; their heavy/authentic credentials doubted by metal traditionalists.

The thing that I don’t like is when people seem to want to enforce these rules. For me that’s boring

One such band, is San Francisco’s Deafheaven, “It’s a weird thing, because I understand that we’re not for everyone,” reasons guitarist Kerry McCoy with a calm sincerity. “The type of person that wants to listen to Blasphemy, Bathory and Venom… we’re not going to be for them, and that’s fine. The thing that I don’t like is when people seem to want to enforce these rules. For me that’s boring.”

Kerry’s band aren’t just getting people talking by rattling their cages. Metal debate aside, Deafheaven’s records are genuinely exciting propositions that draw fans from all genres; a swirling, progressive pot of extremes with blast beats, co-founder George Clarke’s impassioned screams, and Kerry’s blend of intense metal picking, otherworldly shoegaze, dreamy alternative rock… even Oasis influences. And they’ve had a horde of supporters and critics desperate to pin a tag on them as a result; everything from blackgaze to hipster metal.

Latest album, New Bermuda, is further proof this is far from a flash in the pan scenario. And while Kerry is the first to admit his band aren’t the first to combine some of their disparate influences, his band are certainly making uniquely powerful musical statements with them. Kerry’s open-minded approach to tone and composition is a huge part of that. But firstly, let’s pick things up again with him about this whole ‘metal’ brouhaha…

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