Black Metal 2 is the third studio album by British musician Dean Blunt, released on Rough Trade Records on 11 June 2021. 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; 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.
The album was produced by Blunt and Giles Kwakeulati King-Ashong of Speakers Corner Quartet, also known as Kwake Bass. The album also features instrumental performances by Mica Levi.
Critical reception
Black Metal 2 was met with very positive reviews; on review aggregator Metacritic it has a score of 84/100, indicating "universal acclaim", and according to the same website, it is Blunt's best-received album.
Accolades +Black Metal 2 on year-end lists Publication List Rank Clash Clash Albums of the Year 2021 Crack The Top 50 Albums of the Year Dazed The Best Albums of 2021 Dummy Magazine The 25 Best Albums of 2021 Gorilla vs. Bear Gorilla vs. Bear's Albums of 2021 Les Inrockuptibles Our Top 50 Albums of 2021 Loud and Quiet Loud and Quiet Albums of the Year 2021 Mojo The 75 Best Albums of 2021 Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 2021 The Quietus Quietus Albums of the Year 2021 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.
Charts + Chart performance for Black Metal 2Chart (2021)Peakposition UK Independent Albums Breakers Chart (OCC) 10 UK Official Record Store Chart (OCC)28
References