This EP is the first strike, but definitely not a silent one, from Dutch death metal / crust quartet Defy The Curse. Formed in 2016, it took a couple of years for them to put out this beast. It could be well cooked but it is still raw, in a good way.

The black and white cover collage might tell, that this is more punk than it actually is. The simplest way to describe this is that it mixes Entombed and Discharge, with some sludge metal added. This is not about the original sound of Entombed, but when they were on their most sludgy/crusty, meaning 'Uprising' and 'Inferno' albums (2001 & 2003 respectively), mixed with the early Discharge sound. This death metal and hardcore punk with sludge amalgamation is virile and heavy as fuck, period. And the band really aren't holding anything back. Well, performance-wise, as this EP is made out of just five songs.

The EP starts with sludge-fest of 'Disdain'; first, heavy and groovy pummeling, that has a D-beat mid-part, before returning to how it began. It's not rocket science, the songwriting here. 'The Messiah Complex' is mid-paced punk-death song with some double kick drumming to make one pogo dance, and without any surprise, there's a D-beat part again. And then it time to return to how the song began. The pattern is plain and simple. Well, 'Oblivion' is just a short fast punk track. 'Progress to Nonetheless' contains less mid-paced stuff, emphasizing on fast hardcore. 'Obsolete' is the slowest song here, but most soulful, too. Puking out lungs has never sounded so much fun, and urban decay in its simplistic melody build is tangible.

The production is totally organic-sounding. The rhythm section is huge with pounding drums and distorted yet rubbery bass guitar tone. The guitar is rusty and choking. The vocals are shout/growl mixture, sounding really pissed but also mortally sick. And as mentioned, the band gave their everything.

Hellishly straightforward and basic, this still liquidates. The band released their debut full-length album a month ago, which has way more variety. But if you want to feel some pain in aural form, 'Defy the Curse' provides.

Rating: 7½ (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
02/11/2023 18:13