APOCHS METAL REVIEW webzine (U.S.A.)

Defiled originates from Tokyo, Japan, and formed back in 1992. It's hard to believe that this act is pushing towards a twenty year anniversary at the time of this review, but for the fans, it's a reality. Chances are good that, over the years, the band's name has been thrown around, or you happened upon one of their CDs somewhere without realizing it due to the underground nature of the band, and since aside an EP and demo, the group only issued three full-length releases, the last being in 2003. Now, roughly eight years later, the group brings their latest effort, In Crisis, to the patiently waiting fans, and the mass of new and hungry Brutal Death Metal legions that await to be fed more. It may have been a long period of silence for the band, but it's clear they can still compose some crushingly brutal, yet still technical, Death Metal. And that's one thing that really makes this release stand out. The band is able to make some really intense Brutal Death Metal that, at it's core isn't all that intricate, but the guitars themselves show some nice complexity, and a strong focus on adding another layer to the mixture with the bass. While the bass itself isn't all too complex, it makes a louder presence by having that twanging sound that a number of Technical, as well as Brutal Death Metal acts incorporate into their material, and it really just makes the music stand out more by showing that the bass gives life to the recording other then simply being in the background and following the same exact guitar patterns throughout the song. One of the stand out moments, outside the twanging on "Lethal Agitator", which sounds fantastic on it's own, is the bass solo that kicks in during "Unconscious Slavery" and really just takes command of the song and shows off the talent and potential the bassist brings with him to this group., Atop of the notable Bass work to the release, it seems to stay away from many of today's Brutal Death Metal stereotypes, and focusing more on the glory days of the story of just being heavy and ultimately like the style suggests: Brutal. The production quality of the recording is rather clear, but still slightly muddy, which couples nicely with the guitars and bass to just give a menacing, and often chaotic sound to the material like on the monsterous song "Unconscious Slavery". The vocals are typically a deeper gutteral, but nothing to the point of inhuman, which sounds perfectly fine on the recording, but at times it can be mixed with the traditional higher rhaspier approach, though luckily not over used or abused in any manner, leaving much of the attention on the gutteral vocals. It also helps that there are no pig squeels or cupped microphone attempts to sound deeper in any way, which gives a more mature, tighter, and sophisticated sound to the recording., It's a given that not all the tracks will click right away on this recording, and they eventually may take some time to grow on you due to the many sudden shifts and varying bass lines that don't follow the traditional "copy the guitarist" formula that has become so common in today's Metal, technical and non. The title track, "In Crisis", is the perfect place to start with material that will take a little time to be acceptable. The song starts with what sounds like sound effects from a classic game like Scramble, the sound of something falling, then exploding, much like missiles in those types of games. The song then slams in, hammering away with technical guitars, both lead and bass, and constantly shifts throughout the recording. This track definitely focuses more ont he technical aspect of the band then anything else, as it doesn't quite have the same impact as the heavier, more Brutal-oriented cuts like "Unconscious Slavery" and "Revelation of Doom", but there is no denying how intense and simply angry the track truly is at the core, and how impressive the technical skills of the group are. But, while that there is a strong technical approach to the music, the band has no problem laying it all on the line with less intricate tracks like "Intolerant" that, while still technical, come off more as just old-school Death Metal inspired tracks with a little hint of brutality to compliment the palette., Basically, In Crisis is a fantastic return to power for Defiled. The band may have disappeared for a long while, but with this release the group picks up right where they left off, and completely dominate you with their excellent combination of brutality and technicality. The only issues that can be had with this recording are "From Alpha" and "To Omega", the intro and outro tracks of the release, as they don't really do much to set up, or properly end the album, and seem more like simple thirty second fillers tracks that could have been included in the tracks they are meant to set up, but were extended into their own cuts for the release. Of course, these barely push over thirty seconds and don't truly do any harm, but just feel a little weaker then what one would want or expect from a punishing album of this caliber, especially "To Omega" which is just a weird sound that comes off more like a record being skipped to a fade out that only lasts a few seconds anyhow. In the long run, if you like impressive yet commanding talent and performances from your Metal, whether it's of a branch of Death Metal or not, make In Crisis by Defiled an important, and immediate purchase., - (9.5/10) http://www.apochs.net/CDs/Defiled-InCrisis.html



POWER OF METAL webzine (Denmark)

�gThe Sound of Perseverance�h is a Death masterpiece and I take the occasion to thank Thomas for his excellent review on the re-issue. Chuck Schuldiner lives forever! , �gThe Sound of Perseverance�h could also summarize Yusuke Sumita�fs career. The guitarist, only remaining founding member, started the band in 92 and its discography in 94 with a self-financed EP. Then came three LPs in 99, 01 and 03. The fourth is coming only now, but our guy has the flame, maybe more than ever. , �gThe Sound of Perseverance�h, the CD, is probably not an influence for Defiled. If the Japanese took something from Death, it comes more from �gLeprosy�h. They appreciate Morbid Angel �gAltars of Madness�h too. Above all, I guess they worship early 90�fs brutal death metal pieces like Suffocation �gEffigy of the Forgotten�h. But they are not stuck in the past and they follow their own way. , Haruhisa Takahata is slapping his bass here and there. That gives an interesting flavour which has nothing to do with fusion or funk, for sure. Kenji Sato�fs grunts are not revolutionary but hold the comparison with others. The drums, well, you cannot play this genre without certain high capacities and Takahiro Okada has them. Defiled can be defined as old school, brutal, varied, technical, and �gIn Crisis�h is genuine, including with its �gtasty�h cover by Wes Benscoter. , Bill Metoyer (Slayer, Flotsam & Jetsam, Sacred Reich, Fates Warning, Sadus�c) has surely done a great job, with a tough, rough but well thought production, where each instrument has its place and enough space. That should be easier to judge on the CD because brutal death metal and mp3 is not the best marriage you can dream on. , Old school and proud of it, but modern as well, with a real personality to offer. Are you in trouble to wake up in the morning? You can play this �gIn Crisis�h, from the Land of the Rising Sun: much better and effective than your alarm clock!
84/100 --Philippe Leconte-- http://www.powerofmetal.dk/reviews11/defiled_review.htm



ROCK HARD magazine (France)

La micro-scène death metal existant au Japon a pour tête de proue Defiled. Cette formation existe depuis le début des années 90 mais, en raison de déboires internes, a connu un dernier septennat pauvre en sorties. Obligé de remonter entièrement son line-up suite aux trop grands sacrifices personnels auxquels le groupe exposait ses membres d�forigine, Defiled est donc tout neuf : son personnel s�fest entièrement recomposé autour du guitariste originel Yusuke Sumita. Alors évidemment, ce n�fest plus le même groupe, ces gens-là ne jouent pas vraiment comme le premier line-up, dont on se rappelle l�fexposé extrêmement roots et vigoureux dans le style. Pour autant, In Crisis ne manque pas d�fintérêt. Premièrement, il apporte la preuve que même dans des conditions difficiles, un projet musical peut se survivre à lui-même sans trahir ses intentions. Premier bon point. Se justifie d�fautant plus le maintien de l�fappellation « Defiled », que le premier line-up s�fétait donné corps et âme jusqu�fà la fin, préparant en quelque sorte le terrain à ceux qui sont venus derrière et qui défendent aujourd�fhui ce pré carré très vaillamment. In Crisis ne tuera donc pas la réputation de durs bûcherons de nos Japonais, loin de là. Un certain Bill Metoyer (Sacred Reich, Slayer) a mis la main à la pâte sur la production de l�falbum. Le résultat est bigrement lourd, agressif. « Ce » Defiled est vacharde, classique dans l�fapproche du chant : Kenji Sato fait dans le guttural, bien sûr (un travail sérieux sans être non plus le plus incroyable qu�fon ait vu dans le genre). Le Defiled 2011, en plus, n�fest pas avare en expérimentations sur le plan rythmique : slap au programme et sons de basse lyrique et aigus, dès le très groovy et agressif « Lethal Agitator ». Le son est à la fois cru, gros et sale (« Paradoxical Chaos »), et si le niveau de compression semble parfois légèrement décalé par rapport à une optique très roots et chaotique (« Unconscious Slavery »), Defiled pose une nouvelle et imposante pierre à l�fédifice. Ce dernier semble ne pas devoir s�fécrouler : In Crisis est en effet le fruit du travail d�fun groupe gardant de fortes ambitions. Sa nouvelle configuration mérite respect. 8/10 --Emmanuel Hennequin-- http://www.rockhard.fr



APESHIT webzine (U.S.A.)

Almost a decade has gone by since Defiled�es previous effort, Divination. And like most bands with revolving members, only a sole constant remains–their�fs is guitarist Yusuke Sumita. Sumita forged on after many delays and problems with old members to lay the groundwork for the latest album by these Japanese metal warriors., A soothing zen-like intro starts the album, only to be ravaged by the opening notes of �gLethal Agitator.�h The furious bass guitar lines supplied by Haruhisa Takahata really shine and immediately fuels the kamikaze attack with parts that would put Cannibal Corpse�es Alex Webster to shame. Defiled�es music is not for the weak, as the riffs have an old school vibe with many strange twists and turns in tempo and time changes. Unexpected chords and strange riffing somehow seems harmonious with the slapped bass and blast beats., �gRetrogression�h and �gUnconscious Slavery�h have hints of old Monstrosity and other old school Florida death metal bands from the early 90�Œs. Tracks like �gParadoxical Chaos�h or �gIntolerant, �h are chaotic and haphazard, but the songwriting on In Crisis still shows the band�fs growth. Songs now flow smoother, as opposed to having riffs thrown together for the sake of sounding crazy. Vocalist Kenji Sato spews growls that are nothing out of the ordinary, but he gets the job done. �gRevelation of Doom, �h one of Defiled�es best tracks in their discography, closes out this extreme album, with an emphasis on �gextreme.�h, The middle of the album does stagnate a bit due to the constant speed and general lack of hooks, In Crisis is one of those albums where one appreciates the complexity of all the dynamics after hitting the play button time and time again. Defiled is certainly not for everyone, as their music is not straightforward at all, but if you want to hear mind boggling riffs, with time changes crazier than Immolation can ever produce, this is the band for you. http://www.apeshit.org/reviews/defiled-in-crisis/



METAL AS FUCK webzine (Australia)

Is it too early to start on the "Best Of" 2011 list?, Japan's Defiled returns with a resounding statement in its first album in eight years, and fourth full length overall, In Crisis. The album begins with a warped, twisted, dreamlike and atmospheric intro, From Alpha, which sets the tone for the overall sound and feel of the album. From then on out it's all out war as Lethal Agitator blasts through the speakers with drum and bass tracks that positively explode through the mix with pure, unequaled strength. It's technical and old school. Spawn of Possession, Deeds of Flesh, Dying Fetus, Gorod, Suffocation�\elements of all the greats can be found. Low but clearly enunciated vocals courtesy of Kenji Sato are delivered forcefully amid the technical but controlled chaos of this head bang worthy opening track., Retrogression is next up, beginning with a breakdown. The bass line played by Haruhisa Takahata is pure low crouch madness, raw and powerful, unfiltered and uncontained, and guitarist, founding member and main songwriter Yusuke Sumita's riffs rip through the cortex to the birthplace of insanity itself. If Japan has a counterpart to Morbid Angel's Trey Azagoth, Sumita is it. Two tracks in and Defiled are already proving that they can throw down with the giants of technical death metal such as Origin, or relative newcomers Brain Drill., Drummer Takahiro Okada serves up the ultimate battery on the next track, Unconscious Slavery, and at this point something must be said about this disc's production. Opinions will no doubt vary, but in this reviewer's opinion Defiled's choice in sound for this album simply rolls over modern death metal production, which makes the bass drum sound like a wet carp being slapped against the broad side of a barn. This is what modern death metal should sound like�\raw intensity, unchecked aggression, and natural, trigger-free sound captured with the noise of the air being pushed out of the cabinets left intact., It all adds up to a sound that makes the disc seems like less of a CD and more of an incendiary device thrown into a gas-filled, bare concrete-walled room. Add this to the prowess of the guitar work, the rawness of the vocal attack, and the crowd pleasing fist pump passages, and we've got a serious heavyweight contender going to work on the body and the brain., Each subsequent song goes straight for the synapses, obliterating the mind, breaking it down one piece at at time and rebuilding it in a twisted, mechanical form. The fluidity of the bass work on Paradoxical Chaos simply can't be touched. The title track is mental illness in musical form�\a bestial symphony of primal confusion and schizophrenic visions from the areas of the mind humanity would rather leave untapped. By the time Behind You Pray comes on, it's apparent that Defiled have taken everything that is right with technicality, musicianship, and competent songwriting and brought them together in a package as well rounded as any band in the business. A truly career defining effort., Resentment Without End swirls round like a virulent mass of venomous, carnivorous winged earwigs, ripping any remnants of sanity out through the ear canal. Chaotic vocal lines bring a welcome dose of unpredictability with a mix of Frank Mullen and J.R. Hayes does death metal. Intolerant exudes raw emotion via the kick drums as the song goes back and forth through the various stages of nuclear fusion, taking the listener back to the days when giant albums like Breeding the Spawn decimated the death metal community. Maze of Nescience has brilliantly layered guitar tracks for maximum sonic effect. It's a tactical track, like machinery that evolves as it interacts, conquers, and becomes self aware., What else can Defiled do at this point? The last full song, Revelation of Doom, comes around and the band has already laid everything to waste. There's nothing left to prove, and yet they pull out one more deadly track., If eight years between albums is what it takes to make a record this good, then more bands should consider letting an eight-year itch build up before heading back into the studio. By the time this final mechanical salvo is over, there's not a cranial capillary left. The outro, To Omega, puts the finishing touches on the record, continuing on the theme of the intro., Consider this an early candidate for death metal release of 2011. --Joe Reviled-- http://www.metalasfuck.net/zine/reviews/2011/defiled-crisis-season-mistriot



THE FRENCH TOUCH webzine (France)

Ah, le death-metal... un genre avec lequel j'ai bien du mal. Non pas qu'il n'existe pas de bons groupes, au contraire, certaines formations tendent à enrichir leur musique avec plus moins de succès en mélangeant les styles ou en faisant progresser le leur (Septic flesh - musique classique, Impureza - flamenco, The berzerker - techno, Obscura, Gojira, The monolith deathcult...). Mais il est malheureusement rare qu'un groupe arrive à se dépêtrer de tous les stupides poncifs du genre pour proposer quelque chose d'assez personnel pour être intéressant. On se retrouve souvent face à un disque déifiant la mort, glorifiant la haine, célébrant la destruction - pourquoi pas ? Mais ces sujets délicats ont déjà été traités mille fois, et mille fois mieux par d'autres. Il arrive cependant parfois que parmi ces derniers, il existe une minorité de groupes capables de se démarquer un tant soit peu, et sur lesquels je peux fermer les yeux quant aux clichés musicaux ou textuels; Defiled en fait partie - en tout cas, sur ce dernier disque. Car la musique des nippons a un charme tout particulier sur moi, et c'est notamment grâce à cette basse, qu'il est absolument impossible d'omettre car elle est à elle seule le centre et l'instrument principal du disque. Difficile de ne pas s'en rendre compte passé les quelques secondes de la courte introduction atmosphérique "From alpha", lorsqu'elle prend les commandes de la rythmique sur le début de "Lethal agitator" et déverse son riff ravageur d'efficacité. Efficacité qui découle d'une production typée death old-school bien crade mais qui permet tout de même une distinction excellente de chacun des instruments des musiciens. Ne reste désormais plus qu'à faire le constat de leur irréprochabilité, que ce soit au niveau de l'interprétation ou de la technicité des compositions, et ce qui en résulte logiquement : le disque ne faiblit pas une seule seconde et tous les titres sont du même niveau ! Mais il ne faut pas croire en une quelconque linéarité lassante. Ce disque est très varié et ne répète jamais à outrance; au contraire, les riffs sont en mouvement constant et les structures changeantes et imprévisibles; la balance étant parfaite entre agressions bestiales et ralentissement bien sentis. "Unconscious slavery" est un de ces monuments de haine s'ouvrant sur une rythmique écrasante rappelant les premiers Meshuggah, et s'étendant pendant six minutes cinq en riffs impétueux et sinueux, n'hésitant pas à entrecouper cette tornade cadencée de courts silences pour accentuer la violence des assauts musicaux. Le son donne parfois un aspect chaotique aux compositions ("Resentment without end", "In crisis"), accentué par la superposition des blasts et des parties de guitare et de basse qui, exception notable pour le genre, sont rarement les mêmes. Bien que certains riffs ressemblent fortement à ceux d'Origin ("Behind you pray", "Maze of nescience", "Paradoxical chaos", "Retrogression"), force est de contaster que Defiled a développé une véritable identité sonore, et que "In crisis" est, sans faire progresser le genre, un très bon disque de death-metal classique et brutal. 4,5/6 (lundi 17 janvier 2011) --Antoine-- http://www.thefrenchtouch.org/tft/objet.php?objet=2899



ANGRY METAL GUY webzine (Sweden)

I�fll admit it, I�fm a biased motherfucker. When I think of Japan, I think of anime and J Pop and bands like over-the-top shit like X Japan and the crazy clown lookin�f girls, not brutal death metal bands like Defiled. I guess I should have learned this lesson already from bands like Gore Beyond Necropsy and Sigh and others who break against this stereotype in their own way, but no, my bias remains. Though I guess you can really say that Defiled is over-the-top�\as they are an excellent, but also very brutal and pretty technical death metal band that is releasing their fourth full length. However, I can say that I was right surprised to get this record since I had no idea it was coming out and it has been 8 years since their Season of Mist debut Divination. But whether or not I had warning, Defiled has put out another ball breaking slab of death metal crushingness., Of all genres, I�fd say that technical/brutal death metal is the genre that has taken me the longest to get into. I never found bands like Cryptopsy or Gorguts to be particularly fulfilling when it came to getting out aggression. In fact, I�fd say that a lot of this kind of music is supremely cerebral�\to the point of frustration sometimes. Defiled is definitely on that cerebral side of the spectrum�\In Crisis maybe even more so than 2003�Œs Divination. One major thing that will stand out to fans of the band right away is that all the songs on this record are about twice as long as the band�fs previous discs. And this definitely shows up in the writing. The tracks are not as direct, they�fre more complex and highly compressed., This complexity and compression leads to an album that takes your active participation and attention to really get into. So this really depends on what kind of fan you are. Do you want a record that hits you with its hooks and takes you on an immediate ride? Or do you want a record that is going to pummel you with its crazy riffs, time changes and brutality and that takes 7 listens before you really appreciate it? If you�fre willing to wait around In Crisis is definitely a record worth checking out., For me, I was struck by one change from their earlier material that I�fd heard, and that with the rise in complexity the memorability of the riffs seems to have gone down a bit. Divination is chalk full of riffs that stick to you. They�fre not necessarily melodic, but they�fre outstanding. They stick to your brain like creepy little mutant worms and they dig into your gray matter, willing you to listen to them over and over and over. In Crisis, while outstanding in its complexity and brutality, hasn�ft really done that for me. This is partially because the writing style being different (though, really, it�fs Defiled and you will recognize it), but I have another theory., It�fs been 8 years since Defiled put out a record and production has changed in 8 years. Records released in 2003, particularly on smaller labels, didn�ft have the kind of access to high-tech, state-of-the-art production technologies. In Crisis is too damn compressed�\and by this I mean in a production sense. The bass doesn�ft stand out like it did on earlier releases, and despite being very good I had to put it into my earphone monitors to really be able to appropriately get a feel for it. While the drums sound better (not unbalanced), the level of compression here makes the whole mix so dense that those bits and pieces that caught listeners on previous releases and stuck get hidden underneath the wall of compressed sound. And so the record loses something for it. In essence, it makes a composition style that is already a hard nut to crack for some, more difficult to get into., All-in-all, though, if you�fre a fan of technical, brutal death metal then you should definitely check out this record. It will reward your patience and you will enjoy it. The riffs are razor sharp, the rhythm section is pummeling and aggressive and the vocals are exactly what you expect them to be�\no more, no less. However, if this is your first experience with Defiled I strongly encourage you to go back and check out their earlier material, as well. While this record is great, it might take some of their earlier stuff to convince you to give it a deeper listen. 4.0/5.0 --AngryMetalGuy-- http://www.angrymetalguy.com/defiled-in-crisis-review/



WORMWOOD CHRONICLES webzine (U.S.A.)

Over the last ten years the Japanese death metal scene has grown by leaps and bounds and for the better part of that time one of Japan's first and foremost death metal acts Defiled has been on the sidelines. Finally, after a long seven-plus year hiatus, they're back with a new album, "In Crisis", which features 12 tracks of aggressive, face-peeling death metal., Stylistically, Defiled is the Japanese answer to Canada's Cryptopsy. In a broad sense, they're old school, having clearly taken their influences from the First Wave of American death metal, but they're also very technical in an outside-of-the-box kind of way. There are passages on "In Crisis" that are very reminiscent of Cryptopsy's "None So Vile" album. The most striking resemblance is the way the bass guitar is used. Defiled's bassist, Haruhisa Takahata, optimizes his instrument, playing his bass with every technique imaginable, ranging from percussive popping and slapping to notey and melodic arpeggio craziness., The rest of Defiled play with a high degree of technique, but with enough simplicity to keep things dynamic. Vocalist, Kenji Sato prefers a mid-ranged guttural style foremost, but he throws in screaming accents that resemble more closely those of Pantera and Lamb of God than they do Pig Destroyer or any number of grind outfits. The guitar work of founding member, Yusuke Sumita is adequate, though much more raw than it was on their last album, "Divination"--a rawness that defines the entirety of "In Crisis". Lacking polish, as it turns out, helps the album retain an energy that was lacking the last time around. Drummer Takahira Okada is solid throughout, retaining an old school vibe while blasting competently but never threatening to out-race any of those Japanese commuter trains., The first track "From Alpha" is merely an intro, which is followed by the first real song, "Lethal Agitator". This track is ferocious, hammering home Defiled's updated approach to recording their music--raw, visceral and on the brink of crashing and burning. The additional highlights on "In Crisis" include "Unconscious Slavery", which features a staccato drum and guitar intro that evolves into one of the most crushingly heavy riffs I've heard in a while, and the title track, which features a doomy passage dripping with old school malice., As is common with extreme music, "In Crisis" doesn't stay interesting the entire time but it manages to avoid long stretches of monotony and its energy level unistakably surpasses that of Defiled's last release. "In Crisis" is a good album and marks a bit of an evolution for a band that desperately needed to do so after disappearing for so long. It's a crowded field of brutal bands inhabiting the Land of the Rising Sun these days and "In Crisis" does nothing to diminish Defiled's position amongst the top of the heap. --Thor--
http://www.wormwoodchronicles.com/torture-chamber/defiled