With the momentum of 2011’s excellent Grave Times and some show-stealing support slots in their back pockets, many are pointing toward The Defiled when the subject of the next British metal band to break out of the underground is mentioned – and with Daggers they’ve given themselves a hell of a shot.
Always at their best when merging bludgeoning, staccato riffs with catchy-as-syphilis vocal hooks and huge cluster bombs of electronic bass, on the likes of Unspoken, Fragments Of Hope and album highlight As I Drown, The Defiled nail all these elements in inspiring fashion. In fact, there isn’t really a duffer here, and all 11 tracks would sit comfortably amongst the madness of their consistently excellent live shows.
The only grumble is that Stitch D’s vocals sit far too low in a mix often dominated by washes of synth. That approach might work for a band like Ministry, but when you have a chorus as stadium-ready as the one on Porcelain you desperately want it to smack you hard around the chops. But with material this strong it fails to dampen the overall impact of an impressive set of songs.
Taking a stab guessing Britain’s next top metal band? Grab yourself some Daggers.
