It was 1989 when the debut album from Defiance came out on Roadrunner. Produced by Jeff Waters, this band really suffered the same fate as Annihilator in that while they managed to gain a certain level of success, they were a couple of years too late to really make the same impact as the likes of Testament et al. In the not so distant past (talking one or two years, if that) it seemed that anyone was guaranteed a certain amount of attention so long as they grew their hair long and wore a few retro band patches on their jacket. A handful of bands scored lucky breaks with major-indie metal labels and found themselves in Kerrang, there was a revived interest in the older bands who in turn brought out new albums and 1001 kids with guitars jumped on the bandwagon. Now all the hype seems to have died down considerably so I wonder if Defiance have once again arrived at the party just as the majority are leaving; all that remains are the true fans that have thrash metal pumping through their veins and band-wise those that will stick around are those that have something real to offer.
Well, Defiance certainly do. This is undeniably pure Bay-Area thrash that will keep the purists happy and have hair windmilling back into the 80’s. In many respects this is truly old-school, and yet that’s not the only thing it has to offer. Opening track ‘Prion’ offers no reprieve as it bursts in with a mean and aggressive it of riffage, and as the vocals kick in it all cruises along just nicely. The lead guitar work is fantastic; I don’t mean exceptionally fast but there is a kind of atmospheric touch in the playing that is very reminiscent of Skolnick’s earlier style on here especially, while ‘Eschaton’ begins with that typical 80’s thrash melodic intro in the vein of Alice In Hell. Perhaps the problem is that the Testament comparisons could go on all day, but then if, like me, you are a fan then that’s hardly a bad thing. There is a distinct Chuck Billy-ism to the vocals on tracks like ‘The Prophecy’ which sounds meaty and yet has that melodic edge that makes it slide through the ear canals so easily, while in places he sounds much more blunt and aggressive.
‘Bastard Son’ opens with some soaring lead guitar work that has a rich and melodious sound, squealing off into a main track that is heavy as fuck and really seeks to cause some damage. This one is delivered with a threatening dose of Pantera style chug, topped off with formidable Anselmo-esque thug growls which are also rather prominent on ‘Dissolving Around You.’ Steev certainly puts a lot of rage into his vocal performance; with the heavy as fuck riffs backing him up along with some mean drum work courtesy of Mark Hernandez, this is a band you don’t wanna fuck with! The angry tone continues with ‘Sloth;’ hell, you only have to listen to the lyrics to know something’s really been grinding his gears! “You good for nothing lazy bastard?” Yea, maybe, but no need to draw attention to it!
This album has a really sharp, crunchy sound that stays constant throughout. The classic thrash backbone is unyielding and yet there is also plenty of melody, a touch of atmosphere and that modern application of aggression that will make this appeal to a wider audience without losing its appeal to the died-in-the-wool thrasher. Some of the old guard have come back with disappointing albums that have only cemented in some the idea that thrash should have stayed buried, but this is a shining example of a band who sound every bit as relevant now as they ever did. Highly recommended.
http://www.myspace.com/defiancemetal
http://www.defiance1.com/
