ALBUM REVIEW: there is a place for me on earth – Defocus

DEFOCUS are a band who love to test their limits. This is abundantly clear in the German metalcore unit’s new release, there is a place for me on earth. They’ve never been a band to shy away from heavy, rolling soundscapes (see their huge track Disease if you need further proof of this) and this latest album serves to take this one step further.

The opening track Let The Bond Be My Grave plays it a little closer to what we already know about the band; it’s metalcore through and through, though this is far from saying that the track lacks power. Older fans will enjoy getting reacquainted with the growling vocals and heavy breakdowns, while the energetic opener will win over new metalcore listeners from the get-go. 

But, if Let The Bond Be My Grave is a reintroduction, Biased is here to tell you not to get too comfortable. Thick with electronic sounds, layered screams, and a pace so fast it can run away with you, it peels DEFOCUS back and reveals a new layer. It is a trophy to them mastering the metalcore scene, and levelling it up with synths and strings. Plus, it has a breakdown that’s guaranteed to get a crowd going wild.

Consumed By You has a grittier sound than the last three tracks. While Biased and Watch Me Bleed feel like a step forward for DEFOCUS, Consumed By You feels like a blast from the past in the most positive sense. With rough vocals and choppy guitar sections, it is a track recorded with venom. Lyrics like “I’ll never be what you want me to be” suit the song to a tee, as the band seem to be truly running on raw emotion and authenticity here.

The entire first section of the album seems to build pace, with each track heavier than the last. By the time we get to Crooked Mind, DEFOCUS are in full swing. The track goes off like fireworks in a bouncy castle. There’s no escape from the wall of noise, kicking things off right away with a powerful scream, crashing drums and impossibly large guitar riffs. It’s also packed to the rafters with mini build-ups and breakdowns, and each time it fills you with more adrenaline than the last. It’s a prime example of a song built for a DEFOCUS concert. This is one you want to be in the pit for. 

Don’t Let It Hurt Me is a crucial breather after Crooked Mind. Starting with downbeat electronic tones and yearning, cleaner vocals, DEFOCUS show that they aren’t a one-trick pony. Of course, the band aren’t going to leave you without a chance to thrash your head, and the track weaves towards another metalcore breakdown layered over haunting choir-like vocals. It’s a welcome oasis after an intensely heavy run of tracks, and the genre-bending doesn’t stop there; Hybrid Anthem is heavily hip-hop influenced with video game-esque sound effects and rap verses paired with a more typical metalcore chorus. The track marks a huge moment on the album that shows you how truly versatile DEFOCUS are and is a testament to the band being able to master an array of sounds.

As the album closes out, we’re treated to another experimental track, …To Not Feel Anything which almost strays into techno, and the metalcore powerhouse Flatlines, but the record finishes on an unexpected note with the title track. This a track unlike the others, and you could be forgiven for thinking you’d switched over to a horror soundtrack. Here, the vocal strengths of the band are highlighted. The lyrics are delivered in an eerie, emotional way that isn’t heard on other tracks. It’s a track that somehow feels out of place, but right at home in an album that experiments with genres the way it does. 

there is a place for me on earth is littered with sounds that would be more than welcome from DEFOCUS in the future. But, if we’ve learnt one thing from this album, it is to expect the unexpected and know that whatever they try their hand at, they’re going to make it work.

Rating: 8/10

there is a place for me on earth is set for release on March 1st via Arising Empire.

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