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Blackgaze
Blackgaze is a fusion genre combining elements of black metal and shoegaze. The word is a blend of the names of the two genres, described by The Guardian as "the buzz term for a new school of bands
Development#
Michael Nelson of Stereogum tracks the origins of blackgaze to the early work of French musician Neige, who pioneered the fusion through projects including Alcest, Amesoeurs and Lantlôs. According to Nelson, Alcest’s 2005 EP Le Secret was “the birth of blackgaze”; he noted that it sounded “like a Cocteau Twins/Burzum collaborative split” and that " r oughly half the time, vocals were delivered in an angelic coo; the other half, they were a raw, distant shriek". Natalie Zina Walschots of Exclaim! also credits Neige with pioneering the style, while noting that American band Deafheaven has pushed the genre to “greater prominence”.
Reception#
Some fans of traditional black metal and heavy metal more generally have criticized the genre for its success among those outside of the metal community, most prominently after the release of Deafheaven’s 2013 album Sunbather. However, this reaction was vastly overshadowed by critical acclaim for the album, which became one of the defining releases of blackgaze. Deafheaven have also managed to gather widespread appeal by way of playing mainstream music festivals, often being one of the sole metal-related acts performing.
See also#
*List of blackgaze artists
- Genre family
- 21st-century music genres, Black metal genres, Fusion music genres, Heavy metal genres, Rock music genres