Here comes DEFILED with album No. 8, Altered State. The band may have been around for years, but they’re new to these ears.
You can definitely hear some similarities to fellow death metal mainstays OBITUARY, especially in the vocals. And honestly? It’s tough to imagine any listener having a problem with that.
The venom drips across track after track, and the band hits hard from the jump. Case in point: “Portal” and “Obsession.” These two came to tear it up, but only in the best of ways. The group has been called “Tokyo metal legends,” and that feels pretty spot-on.
Shinichiro Hamada (vocals, guitar) and Yusuke Sumita (guitar) bring a full quiver of riffs destined to draw blood and bang heads. “The Degradation” was, and still is, a personal favorite, with Takachika Nakajima (bass) and Keisuke Hamada (drums) really anchoring the sound.
Elsewhere, “Altered State,” “Metamorphosis of Evil,” and “Lunatics” run over you like a possessed steamroller looking to flatten you posthaste. “Demolition” is tasty and dark in its hellishness, and you can really feel those OBITUARY vibes seeping in.
Closing the record is “Apocalyptic End,” one you might wanna play again because the ending sneaks up on you. Either way, it’s a fun track.
All in all, my first experience with DEFILED was a good one. Altered State is out now via Season of Mist, and it’ll be getting repeated spins from me this summer.
STANDOUT TRACKS: “The Degradation,” “Portal,” “Metamorphosis of Evil,” “Obsession”
RATING: 8/10
—THE MAESTRO
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