Album Review: Defiled – Horror Beyond Horror (Season of Mist)

Since their emergence from Tokyo’s underbelly in 1992, Defiled has been a relentless force in the death metal scene, and this latest offering is no exception. ‘Horror Beyond Horror’ will be released on September 20th, 2024, via Season of Mist.

Continuing their incredible run of brutality, Defiled return to the noisy fray with a brand-new slice of death metal intensity. A 14-track showcase of frenzied mania and bullish bloodletting. Where an ugly rawness permeates every inch of it, but rather than detract from the sonic savagery, it only enhances it. From the moment Smoke and Mirrors explodes in vicious style, it’s clear that even this far into their careers, Defiled are as mean as ever.

It’s a start that will make your ears ache and eyes water, but it’s also just that, the start, and there’s a lot more intense experiences to come. This, at its most basic, is an extreme metal release and with that comes extreme sounds. With a garish wickedness to their rhythmic sound, Defiled take the listener on a visceral journey that includes head bangers and gurn inducing hefty efforts like the title track and Syndicate. Defiled focusing on more elaborate and technically-tinged efforts to be begin with, albeit with a ruthless undercurrent to both.

Having lulled the listener into a false sense of security with these more complex sounding efforts, Defiled now unleash a cacophony of horrid and vicious sounds. Delivering a series of tracks that are shorter, punchier, and much more frantic. The Alchemy, Demagogue, The Terminal Phase, Trojan Horse, and Spectrum of Fear. This middle part of the album is sickeningly heavy as it finds Defiled meshing the best of old school death with a rip-roaring modern technique.

There’s a slight extension on this with The Crook and the Flail as Defiled go over the 3-minute mark and showcase moments of catchy rhythm in it. Although the overall take away is the absolutely ruthless drum beat approach.

It’s a highlight amongst highlights, and this is a great example of a band making raw old-school death metal sound so necessary in the modern times. It’s why this album stays so hot and harsh sounding right up to the very end.

Defiled pouring some darker vibes with just a smidge of hardcore groove directly into the ears with Replicator Dynamics. Then delivering one of the most unapologetic of death metal efforts with Equinox. Before throwing their all into a savage set of final tracks to leave every listener feeling like they’ve been whacked over the head a few times. The Chains, Psychopomp, and To See Behind the Wall confirming this as another classic slice of Defiled brutality.

They really are untouchable when it comes to delivering extreme metal goodness.

Defiled – Horror Beyond Horror Track Listing:

1. Smoke and Mirrors
2. Horror Beyond Horror
3. Syndicate
4. The Alchemy
5. Demagogue
6. The Terminal Phase
7. Trojan Horse
8. Spectrum of Fear
9. The Crook and Flail
10. Replicator Dynamics
11. Equinox
12. The Chains
13. Psychopomp
14. To See Behind the Wall

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