I have never bothered to check out Defeatist before Tyranny of Decay. The main reason being that their album covers have always turned me away from giving them a listen. Music and art have a very intertwined relationship for me, so when I see a generic photoshopped album cover I expect the band to sound generic as well. Luckily for you and me, Defeatist don't sound as generic as their album covers might suggest. The twelve tracks on Tyranny of Decay show a band that is not afraid to add some non-grind sounds and influences into the mix. From the first time I listened to Tyranny of Decay, I have noticed a slight black metal influence. From the overall production, to the vocal style of Aaron Nichols, I have been thinking of Defeatist as a more grindy Cobalt. The influences don't stop at black metal though and on tracks like "Choking the Light" and "World Left Behind" there is a bit of , dare I say, melody. The instrumentation on Tyranny of Decay is also something to take note of. The technical, yet never showy guitar work is something that will take Defeatist far. And the drumming is also unique, while not really playing traditional blast beats, it is still in your face and aggressive. There are even a couple of instrumental tracks on this album, which is something that most bands couldn't pull off.
The only criticism I have(other than the album art) is that the songs kind of blend together and I can't really tell them apart, but overall I thoroughly enjoy this album and want to go back and give all of their other albums that I have neglected a listen. Along with Total Fucking Destruction's Hater, Tyranny of Decay is one of the most unique grind albums I have heard all year, and if you are looking for some interesting grind, I recommend you check out Defeatist right now.
~Andrew Lipscomb
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