BLACK METAL 2

Across a decade and a half of aliases and side-projects, Dean Blunt’s been known as an enigma. With a penchant for trolling and a disdain for genre boundaries, the Londoner is hard to pin down—from the masked post-punk of his Hype Williams duo to the weirdo noise-rap of Babyfather. But the sequel to 2014’s *BLACK METAL*, released under his own name, is mostly just…pretty. A pared-down collection of downcast avant-pop, *BLACK METAL 2* blurs acoustic strums, MIDI strings, and Blunt’s deadpan half-raps, telling fascinatingly unresolved stories—a gun on the beach, a mother without a son. These are lush, delicate songs that still feel profoundly unhappy: “Daddy’s broke/What a joke/Future’s bleak,” he sing-songs on folk downer “NIL BY MOUTH.” Even at its most accessible, Blunt’s work remains a bit of a mystery.

The sequel to 2014’s beloved Black Metal is a brief but thrilling project from the mercurial artist, featuring the most approachable music of his career.

About halfway through BLACK METAL 2, some 30 seconds into "SEMTEX," Dean Blunt cranks up the delay on a single vocal line. The effect situat...

The former Hype Williams frontman has polished his rap-alt-rock aesthetic to the point of perfection

Black Metal 2 is a worthy successor to the magnum opus that was Black Metal – Dean Blunt continues to operate like nobody else

Slight but rich in tonal complexities, Dean Blunt's 'Black Metal 2' is another musical puzzle box from the enigmatic London musician.