We have been meaning to hit this review for quite some time. When push comes to shove, we haven’t been keeping up with these as much as we should.
Our friends from hardcore outfit R.A.I.D. (Rueban And the Imperium Division), have launched their third and latest seven-track release through Rottweiler Records, entitled Defiance. We have been following their career quite closely as vocalist and scientist Rueban Issac consistently develops his musical endeavors.
The album greets us with the title single “Defiance” which continues with what they left off with on their previous effort Imperium (2019). Kicking riffs expose their wares, and groove-driven elements carry the song throughout, then a cool brief guitar solo is thrown in for the enjoyment of those who dig that sort of thing…… hint hint.
The singles “Shattered Beliefs” and “Alpha” follow on respectively into the direction that the band is taking through the course of this current delivery. Both being released singles, and both making it as far as the LOUD Charts on Christian Music Weekly, that gives the listener a glimpse of what is to come and shows us all that their sound still continues down the same path of previous works that have gone before them.
“True Wisdom” kicks in with a driven energy which never seems to relent. “I Against I” brings their spin on nü-metal, which adds a take of rapcore, which doesn’t surprise me at all, not these days anyway with these guys. A great blend of keyboards can be heard in this particular track, which really made my ears ring with glee.
The group’s second-to-last track of this endeavor, entitled “Fearless”, is also their longest song on this album at a modest 4:17. The song is OK, not really a strong cut, of course the positioning of a song often tells you this, even after all these years of listening to records and full-lengths. Finally, “From The Ashes” finalizes the album. It’s pretty good, as it follows suit from the previous songs that make up the album Defiance.
My final verdict stands that it’s a cool album and I respect Rueban and the band for their consistent push, especially with a genre of hard music that I struggle to continually motivate myself to listen to. The positives are that the quality of the recording has much improved with noticeable little changes throughout the album. However, this release really seemed to have stayed within the box, so to speak, and each song repeated itself for the most part.
5/10 – Christian Sullivan (The Metal Onslaught)