Deafheaven, Trauma Ray

No one makes brutality sound as beautiful as Deafheaven does. The group’s onslaught of technical black metal musicianship with a sneaky melodic underpinning blends seamlessly with the screams and growls of vocalist George Clarke, which seem more like another instrument to create dissonant sound. Deafheaven’s power can really be felt live, as there’s something almost alluringly militaristic about the precision of their sonic attack and demeanor. The band’s 2013 album Sunbather remains one of the best heavy albums ever created, and after a less-than-ideal response to 2021’s decidedly less hard and more experimental LP Infinite Granite, the group returns to its vocal-shredding intensity on its new album, Lonely People with Power. See Deafheaven’s return to form when the band heads to the Knitting Factor for what’s very likely going to be one of the best heavy Spokane concerts of 2025.

Deafheaven, Trauma Ray • Sat, April 26 at 8 pm • $28-$50 • All ages • Knitting Factory • 919 W. Sprague Ave. • sp.knittingfactory.com