Who would have thought Defect Designer would be back so soon?
Still partnered with Transcending Obscurity Records, the Russia-born (now Norway-based) band led by Dmitry “Mr. Scavenger” (guitar/vocals, Diskord) and Martin Storm-Olsen (bass/vocals, Hermit Dreams, ex-Trollfest), with support from Eugene Ryabchenko (drums, Fleshgod Apocalypse, ex-Banisher, live for Babymetal, Decapitated, Vital Remains…), is releasing its fourth album, Depressants.
We kick off at full speed with Daily Dose of Gloom, the opening track as chaotic as the previous album was, striking in all directions between Death, Grind, and more experimental patterns that would make fans of organized Prog pale at how unpredictable it is. The slow, heavy finale gives us a chance to catch our breath, but Butterfly Juice Straws isn’t far behind, immediately delivering its dissonance before returning to its technicality, as intricate as it is explosive, swinging us wave after wave without ever warning us of what might come next, and certainly not the clean vocals or Hard Rock-oriented leads. We find these softer traces again on Repeated Aversive Stimuli Inducer before the hurricane picks up again, as fierce as ever but also bewildering, creating a slightly catchy vibe at times as it calms down, as if to merge into Carte Blanche, a track that lives up to its name and seems just as much the result of an improvisation between three strangers as one of the album’s most structured pieces. The experience is different with Expiration Deferral Request Denied, which starts off more slowly and takes on an almost ethereal Post-Metal vibe (relatively speaking) before becoming oppressive once again and suddenly handing the baton over to Scorching the Rival Pogonomyrmex Burrows, which immediately feels more imposing and aggressive, not hesitating to bring back all its most violent elements. You almost feel overwhelmed by what’s happening, just like on Body Count of My Cow Tail, where a female voice tints the sound with blues, and as surprising as that may be; I like what I hear, unlike I Heard Robespierre Screamed Like a Bitch, which brings back that almost constant auditory headache and even draws on more Old School roots to complete the barrage assaulting us. A brief pause before moving on to the breathless rhythm of Peons Before My Drabbing Wings, which will also crush our eardrums with waves of sounds, each more dissonant than the last, even using futuristic keyboards to help us reach the epic introduction of As the Terracotta Dust Settles. Even though I generally know what to expect from the band, this track is by far the most unexpected on the album, and strangely also the most accessible (again, relatively speaking), featuring almost theatrical and intense passages before returning to its madness on Awaiting the Return of the Golden Age, blending raw beats with twisted riffs. While the track tends to return to powerful sounds, it retains its bursts of infectious energy to better contrast with The Inevitable Mad Composite and its once again strange introduction, which has absolutely nothing to do with the tidal wave that subsequently crashes over us. The pressure subsides, and the album finally concludes with Wrong Future Forecast, and here again, the surprise is total: we’re treated to a veritable peplum soundtrack with majestic instrumental patterns.
Defect Designer has come a long way since their last release, and while some tracks will give even the most seasoned musicians a headache, Depressants features far more surprising and enjoyable pieces – which makes it all the more bewildering!
80/100