ACT OF DEFIANCE
“OLD SCARS, NEW WOUNDS”
Album Review By Iron Mathew

10/10

Act Of Defiance are a heavy thrash metal band from the USA formed in 2015, releasing their debut album ‘Birth And The Burial’ later the same year. Act Of Defiance are former Megadeth guitarist Chris Broderick and drummer Shawn Drover, with Matt Bachand (Shadows Fall) on bass guitar and singer Henry Derek (Scar The Martyr).

Hustle, bustle, aggressive and in your face, the new album from Act Of Defiance is out now and is gonna bowl you over with its fierce barrage of savagery. ‘M.I.A.’ opens the album with pure venom, thunderous at a very heavy mid tempo pace. Act Of Defiance have been together for over two years, honing their tightness in the live arena and are now a much better band than when they hit the airways with their debut album. A sudden and explosive change of pace sees ‘Molten Core’ rocket off at high speed. Growly and throaty vocals display aggressiveness of a very fierce nature, Henry Derek singing as good now as he ever has. Rampant and urgent, ‘Molten Core’ is speed infused thrash metal of the highest order. With the talent and years of experience on show, you would expect nothing less than great, ‘Old Scars, New Wounds’ is brilliant and is a must have album. Increasing the heaviness and pulsating with brutality, ‘Overexposure’ hits very hard, yet manages to inject a feel of the melodic across the chorus break. What an awesome achievement for a band where all four members come from a thrash metal background.

A mellow guitar intro breathes life into ‘The Talisman’, progressing into a mighty heavy foot stomp. With half the band former Megadeth members, ‘The Talisman’ riffs like Megadeth, but understandably the vocal delivery is a million miles away from sounding like Dave Mustaine (enigmatic singer for Megadeth). The distinctive throaty venomous delivery by Scar The Martyr singer Henry Derek is easily recognisable, as is his talent for swaying to a clean and clear delivery too. ‘Lullaby Of Vengeance’ increases the intensity levels and is even more aggressive than anything that has gone before. Guitars chop and rhythms ravage as ‘Lullaby Of Vengeance’ strides on majestically, seemingly without a care in the world. Have Act Of Defiance created a new sound within the thrash metal genre? Possibly, but definitely what they have created is a new energetic and frenetic blend of thrash. Increasing the pace of the album is ‘Circle Of Ashes’. Pounding and pummelling with as much force as a wrecking ball, ‘Circle Of Ashes’ is gonna demolish anything that stands in its way, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake. The up tempo and fast pace continues with ‘Reborn’ carving a savage path through the airways, invoking head banging of the furious nature.

Heavy, hard hitting and in your face, ‘Conspiracy Of The Gods’ is gonna hurt as it pounds at the senses with a savage barrage of riffs and aggressive vocals. The latter half of ‘Conspiracy Of The Gods’ picks up pace and is manic as it blisters across the airways at break neck speed. Eleven songs across fifty minutes is a long time to endure this kind of brutal punishment of the senses, but when the music is this damn good, keep it coming. ‘Another Killing Spree’ is savage and is probably the heaviest song on the album. Brutal riffing and aggressive in your face style vocals will decimate small towns as ‘Another Killing Spree’ rides on through. ‘Broken Dialect’ ups the tempo and intensity, delivering a force equal to a hurricane wind, yet somehow manages to deliver a melodic hard rock style chorus break. Act Of Defiance are proving themselves flexible and adaptable to incorporate other genres of music into the out and out thrash metal that is their roots. It is an old saying, “all good things come to an end”, and sadly this album comes to an end, with the swaggering ‘Rise Of Rebellion’ swaying from thrash to metalcore to melodic hard rock and is a meandering journey through those varying musical styles.

Overall, furious and frenetic, aggressive and savage, brutal and ferocious, Act Of Defiance have delivered a superb album of thrash metal.

TRACKLIST

M.I.A.
Molten Core
Overexposure
The Talisman
Lullaby Of Vengeance
Circle Of Ashes
Reborn
Conspiracy Of The Gods
Another Killing Spree
Broken Dialect
Rise Of Rebellion

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