It is not an easy task trying to label Defying Death, the band from Richmond Virginia. Certainly, they are not a conventional metalcore band because they compose their own music without being attached to the traditional metalcore. Indeed, Defying Death acknowledges influences from a variety of metal music subgenres, which they use to enhance their music.
Defiying Death released in 2020 their first demo single entitled “Lethal Dose”, a song that contains powerful hardcore riffs encompassed by melodic guitar motifs. This song is the primordial foundation of the sound of the band. So, we have an unexpected artistic contender on the way to develop their musical potential.
I listened dedicatedly to their first EP called Blinded by Sorrow and here is the review. For a better experience, play this EP on Spotify while reading the article. The playlist is as follows:
1. EMPTY/ALONE
This track is the entrance to the whole concept. An instrumental piece with keyboard chords and arranged by a melodic layer of guitar tappings. The atmosphere of this first track evokes solitude. Suddenly, some power chords burst in and become the transition to the next track.
2. FORSAKEN
This second and brief track, it’s a musical transition to the next track . It is a metaphoric description of the human hatred and those forsaken by our disregard. A clear reference to our Messiah who represents the murder of the innocence by abhorrence, in times where misanthropy often happens and sociopathic behavior is the order of the day. You can feel how metalcore riffs start to appear progressively.
3. WITHERED ROOTS
The third track is the right dosage of metalcore starting to flow widely. The song expresses despair and pain and you can feel it. It is a self acknowledgement of our inner darkness spreading like a cancer and drowning our life. This is the song of a soul looking for a point of restoration, and the chorus is asking for it. If there is no returning point just death is certain.
4. LETHAL DOSE
The core feeling of this fourth track is despair. The soul is fighting hard with regrets and tearing thoughts. The lethal anxiety is carrying out a painful ending. The riffs convey intimate fears that you can sing along with the lyrics but be prepared for a throbbing moment if you feel broken inside.
5. ISOLATED WOUNDS
This fifth track is blasting, honest and challenging. It’s a self-confrontation, being tired of our lies and pride, pretending to show empathy to others but at the same time condemning with moral speeches that disguise hatred. It’s about despising religiousness and fake spirituality that recalls teachings of the Epistle of James The Apostle, chapter 1. Definitely a demolishing song in honor to the truth.
Conclusions:
The songs that really got me were “Isolated Wounds” and “Blinded by Sorrow”. The first one because it is the climax of the previous songs and has the most complex lyrics. My perception of the last track, they reached the right balance between an awesome lyric and impressive musical creativity.
Sincerely, I hope this EP will be the beginning of many memorable musical productions. All the tracks are really good and the mixing and mastering is worthy of a professional band that takes care of their audience from the very beginning.