Superheaven – Superheaven

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The first studio album in ten years from the Pennsylvania grunge rockers, Superheaven, is a self-titled effort that finds the band leaning heavily on their strengths to further their artistic direction. After a lengthy hiatus from their 2015 LP Ours is Chrome, Superheaven would periodically reunite to play some shows. During this process of playing one-off shows, the band connected with veteran producer Will Yip during a charity concert he put on in December 2017. This partnership seemed to have stuck, as Yip has produced the band’s third studio album, Superheaven, that released today via Blue Grape Music. Superheaven have released three singles leading up to the self-titled record in “Long Gone”, “Numb To What is Real”, and most recently “Cruel Times.” Superheaven have clearly used the momentum and chemistry from each of these reunion concerts to create a record that is worthy of the band’s past legacy.

The set kicks off with “Humans For Toys,” a grunge-heavy track that is sure to continue the band’s comparisons in sound to Deftones for the foreseeable future. Lead singer/guitarist Jake Clarke bellows over the mix by singing, “Glorious times / We’re living in / Humans for toys, they’re nothing.” The album’s best song, “Numb To What Is Real”, follows up next in the sequencing as the two lead vocalists in Clarke and Taylor Madison croon over the bass-heavy beats supplied by Joe Kane in great rhythm. The band invites the listener into their headspace as they share the lyrics of, “Where the light meets the floor / Shining bright on what is lost / It’s a pain that goes on and on / Can’t escape it anymore.” It’s a nice encapsulation of what it’s like to be living through dark days ahead, and yet the band is able to not let the dreary thoughts overwhelm the mix.

”Cruel Times” relies on fuzz pedals and STP-esque guitars to present a new side of the band. After singing, “I just wanna be your inspiration / Shining like the sun through pitch black / I could never see you out there waiting / We were never meant to come back,” it’s hard to not see the comparison in the lyrics to feelings of Superheaven re-solidifying their claim in the 2025 version of the grunge scene. The band adds in some great instrumentation towards the end of the song before bleeding into “Sounds of Goodbyes”. This track largely follows the same blueprint as the earlier material found on this self-titled effort, but the lofty chorus of “I was dreaming I could fly / Clipped wings, paralyzed / By the sounds of goodbyes / I don’t want to be a burden on life’s shoulders,” prevents the track from sounding too similar from the rest of the songs.

”Long Gone” adds in some heavy riffing from the two guitarists, while drummer Zack Robbins adds in some interesting fills between vocal sections to showcase his improved chops behind the kit. The band allows this song to breathe a bit, and takes their time in setting the stage for the chorus. “Hothead” picks up the pace at the right time in the sequencing with a breakneck track about difficult people as they quickly sing, “Hothead, your life is burning up in front of you and for all to see / Wasted all of your time trying to find another villain to blame / Hothead, can’t find a reason or the answers to the questions you have / Wasted all of your time trying to find another blame to pass.” The speedy song is over rather quickly, and I kinda wished this type of track would’ve been more the direction Superheaven took on this record as a whole.

The mostly instrumental “Conflicted Mood” fits the title well, as it’s a moody type of song that chugs along to the finish line. It matches well with the overall aesthetic of the album art as well. “Stare At The Void” follows this up with the band sharing, “Consciousness is feeling like I hit a wall / Stop a sentence just to stare off / Conversations have me at a loss / I need to go / I guess I’m running away,” and reminding us all of the importance of taking care of our well-being. The relatable lyrics make for another solid addition in the band’s discography.

”Next Time” brings the listener closer to the band’s headspace with a song about living for better days. The second verse of “Next time you see me out / I know I’m coming down to shake my flowers / Blow it out, my candles / Please don’t go and take it away from me,” takes a hard look at mortality and the uncertainty that comes with each passing day. The closer of “The Curtain” leaves the door wide open to the realm of possibilities for where Superheaven can take their heavy sound next, and longtime fans of the band can only hope it won’t be another ten years before that happens.

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