Black Metal 2
2021 studio album by Dean Blunt
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Black Metal 2 is the third studio album by British musician Dean Blunt, released on Rough Trade Records on 11 June 2021.[2] The album was only formally announced on 8 June 2021, following pictures being posted to the social media accounts of collaborators Vegyn and James Massiah depicting a billboard with the album cover;[3] however, references had been made to it by Blunt prior to this, as far back as 2016, including in the description of various releases on SoundCloud. It serves as a sequel to his 2014 album Black Metal and features an edited version of that cover as its album cover. The album features additional vocals from Joanne Robertson on six songs.
| Black Metal 2 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 11 June 2021 | |||
| Genre | Experimental[1] | |||
| Length | 23:26 | |||
| Label | Rough Trade | |||
| Producers |
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| Dean Blunt chronology | ||||
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The album was produced by Blunt and Giles Kwakeulati King-Ashong, also known as Kwake Bass.[4][5] The album also features instrumental performances by Mica Levi. There is very little information found online for this record, as Blunt's image has been evasive since his days as a member of Hype Williams (band).
Critical reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.9/10 |
| Metacritic | 85/100[6] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Beats Per Minute | 79%[7] |
| Exclaim! | 8/10[8] |
| The Guardian |   [9] |
| Pitchfork | 8.1/10[1] |
| PopMatters | 8/10[10] |
Black Metal 2 was met with very positive reviews; on review aggregator Metacritic it has a score of 85/100, indicating "universal acclaim", and according to the same site is Blunt's best-received album.
Accolades
| Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clash | Clash Albums of the Year 2021 | 22 |
|
| Crack Magazine | The Top 50 Albums of the Year | 42 |
|
| Dazed | The Best Albums of 2021 | 20 |
|
| Dummy Magazine | The 25 Best Albums of 2021 | 16 |
|
| Gorilla Vs. Bear | Gorilla Vs. Bear’s Albums of 2021 | 6 |
|
| Les Inrockuptibles | Notre top 50 albums 2021 | 4 |
|
| Loud and Quiet | Loud And Quiet Albums of the Year 2021 | 15 |
|
| Mojo | The 75 Best Albums of 2021 | 51 |
|
| Pitchfork | The 50 Best Albums of 2021 | 19 |
|
| The Quietus | Quietus Albums Of The Year 2021 | 3 |
|
| Resident Advisor | The Best Albums of 2021 | - |
|
| Vinyl Me, Please | The Best Albums of 2021 | - |
Track listing
All tracks written by Dean Blunt, except where noted. All tracks produced by Blunt and Giles Kwakeulati King-Ashong.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Vigil" |
| 2:30 |
| 2. | "Mugu" | 1:39 | |
| 3. | "Dash Snow" |
| 2:00 |
| 4. | "Sketamine" |
| 2:32 |
| 5. | "Semtex" | 1:27 | |
| 6. | "La Raza" | 1:44 | |
| 7. | "Nil by Mouth" |
| 2:40 |
| 8. | "ZaZa" | 2:06 | |
| 9. | "Woosah" | 3:02 | |
| 10. | "The Rot" |
| 3:43 |
Charts
| Chart (2021) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Independent Albums (Official Charts)[23] | 39 |
| UK Independent Albums Breakers Chart (OCC)[24] | 10 |
| UK Official Record Store Chart (OCC)[25] | 28 |