I always like to write reviews objectively, as if I have never heard anything from the band I am listening to (even if I am very intimate with their discography). Despite being active since 1992 and always having releases pop up in one feed or another, Defiled was never a band I took the chance on, for no good or bad reason (which is wild considering I normally listen to anything with art from Wes Benscoter).
Defiled’s brand of Death Metal tends towards a technical, more forward thinking approach akin to some of the more ‘advanced’ styles you’d hear from Florida in the early 90’s (think Atheist, mid era Death). Songs like ‘Obsession’ and ‘Portal’ have a groove to them which borders on sleazy, but acts as a nice way to keep things sounding fresh. The title track and ‘Necro-Force’ come out the gate with light speed blasting, but eventually get their dancing shoes back on for the verse section that immediately follows it. There are many sections on this that feel very “New Jersey”, in the way that groove and technicality are leveraged throughout to fill the space of a 43 minute album (think an interesting blend of Sapremia and Human Remains).
Much like the music, the production here feels very old school. ‘Altered State’ is not over produced. In fact I’d almost say it was a little underproduced but that’s part of the charm. The snare drum has that mid 90’s trigger sound (Gateways to Annihilation) and the guitars certainly sound like they’re played through one of those classic Morrisound produced albums.
Charm isn’t normally the first thing that comes to mind when describing the positive traits of any Death Metal band, but Japan’s long standing act Defiled somehow manage to keep a strong level of it present around their latest full length ‘Altered State’. This is a very fun listen, and sure to be a favorite for fans of acts like Atheist, Vektor, and Pestilence.
