Like all other European nations, the Netherlands has given metal its share of noteworthy bands, both new and from ages past. One group who have emerged from the Utrecht region in the last few years is Defacement, one group shrouded in its share of mystery as there isn’t a huge amount of info on them available online.
A lack of info can add to the intrigue of a band, which I think worked in their favour when I sat down to review their latest studio release: Duality, a piece that supposedly holds philosophical or deep and ethical themes, but is performed with some of the deepest and thickest levels of mystery a band can deliver.
By that I mean each song is beautifully indecipherable. The incoherence of each track is the kind that would make anyone who digs incoherence in extreme metal smile, as clarity is not everything in music and is not essential to make a decent piece of blackened death metal. For those of us who like to use our favourite type of music as something to meditate or chill out to, I’d recommend this album as it has the capacity to make the inner psyche arise when faced with an anxious or pensive moment.
The reason I feel the need to keep this review short is that this is the kind of album that speaks for itself and it’s one you need to hear in order to understand its longevity. It’s not an easy listen by any means, but one that will grow on you once you keep it blaring to raise your spirits throughout the hardships of the day.
I think Defacement have given us a piece of beautiful incoherence that scores well for anyone who likes to use metal as a means of keeping focus and overcoming inner demons psychologically. If you’re bored of typical mindfulness meditation pieces, give this one a try as its dense moroseness can lift up the heart and soul the way only extreme metal can.
(7/10 Demitri Levantis)
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