Do you hate guitars and love bass? And you're still a metal music fan, and not looking for some drum'n'bass stuff? Then Japanese brutal death metal band Defiled's fourth full-length album 'In Crisis' is one for you! Well, that was written a bit with tongue in cheek...

There's huge low end on this motherfucker of an album. The bass guitar is often mixed very top, with relentless kick drums beating through one's eardrums. The mix has been fucked up, as there's audible distortion to be heard; cracking and hissing galore! The only way to hear all, or at least most, or more like some, of guitars, is via headphones or earphones. Actually, this method of listening is the only way to really get the music here. It's still not the worst production I've heard (overtly polished can be totally crap, too), but it definitely adds many hurdles for a listener. The bass guitar tone is pounding. The guitar sounds sharp. The snare drum is flapping, not tight at all. The bass drums deal what's expected. Cymbals sound shrill. The production of the album is bad, it almost ruins it.

The album is marketed with a sticker reading "for fans of Obituary, Deicide, Job For A Cowboy". Yeah, those bands that are selling quite a bit, but come on! Give this to a JfaC fanboy and he'll crap himself in a second! And both former ones are much, much more straight with their styles. Defiled is more like a crossbreeding result of Cryptopsy, Brutal Truth and Yattering. It is technical and convoluted death metal with grindcore bits. The music is simply unabated in its harshness.

Loads of fast riffs played throughout the guitar neck is what's in offer. The bass is also utilized the same way. The drums are mostly fast and blasting. Add some disharmonic, constant tempo tricks such as playing in different strokes and changes, and it's in technical territory. There's no lack of skills for players here for sure. When a memorable riff is heard, like on 'Unconscious Slavery', it hits listener how it could have been instead of this swirling mass of molten metal. There are songs to be found, at least very twisted ones, but it can easily frighten a listener off. Very easily.

The vocals are low-ish grunting and growling with some more higher voices, and are the most unvarying element on the album. The lyrical subjects are lifted from real life, so to speak, being close to Napalm Death and not about Satanic or gore lyricism. Yeah, like that demonic entity around Earth, connected to Illuminati. Wars, religions, societies of slavery...

Offering 44 minutes of brutal and constantly twisting metal of death and grindcore, with its flawed production, 'In Crisis' is not an easy album to listen to, or to get into. Still, it does offer some very cool moments for sure. But it also kind of wants to get rid of a listener, minding only its own business. Not for the faint of heart and those who don't like it kinky. You know, it can be perversely interesting sometimes?!

Rating: 6 (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
07/03/2017 21:49