ALBUM REVIEW: Towards Inevitable Ruin – Defiled

Japan’s blossoming metal scene has enjoyed a lot of focus in recent years, with the land of the rising sun exporting metal bands on a rising and expansive rate. It’s been five years since DEFILED‘s last studio offering and throughout that time, the band have been hard at work producing their next output of pure filth. Now, 2016 sees the arrival of Towards Inevitable Ruin, but does this offering help expand DEFILED‘s influence?

The record opens with Subversion, a short track that is straight to the point. Through consistent drumming and a raw and venomous tuning, DEFILED instantly make an impression; it’s filthy, aggressive and savage in it’s delivery. From there, the tone remains fairly consistent to the opening track. Cauterized replicates a whirlwind through rapid guitar play from Yusuke Sumita whilst Conspiracy further batters the listener through guttural snarls from Shinichiro Hamada. Relentless and unforgiving, the record is consistent with it’s delivery.

With each track on the record lasting roughly around two and a half minutes, Towards Inevitable Ruin is a short but sweet listening experience. Blending the influence of extreme metal and gutter punk, DEFILED are straight to the point and it’s relentless. The growls from Shinichiro Hamada ooze influence from the greats of death metal and the production replicates the DIY approach of the punk scene. From the barrage of Scapegoat to the closing title track, there is rarely a moment to breathe on Towards Inevitable Ruin.

It’s this unforgiving attitude which is ultimately what limits the impact of the record. With the style and delivery of the band, there is not a lot of room for experimentation and this is DEFILED‘s downfall. Through repeated listening you find that repetition rears its ugly head and tracks blend together, not in a good way. The issue this ultimately creates is that the record loses it’s overall impact towards its closure and the overall feeling is rather subdued.

Towards Inevitable Ruin is certainly not a ‘bad’ record. There are moments throughout it that create an utterly savage atmosphere; from the ferocious drumming of Keisuke Hamada to the solid bass lines, DEFILED can batter you into submission. It’s a tough and monstrous record and if you can look past it’s limitations, then DEFILED will cater your taste for the extreme. Unfortunately, it is the repetitive nature of the record that causes Towards Inevitable Ruin to falter and stand up high with the best in the scene.

Rating: 7/10

Towards Inevitable Ruin is out now via Season of Mist.

Like DEFILED on Facebook.