Damnation Defaced are a German quintet that touts groove as a major selling point to their death metal sound, and I gotta say they are right on with that description.  After going through the album a few times, the main comparison that jumped out was Kataklysm, only with a bit more of the aforementioned groove.  And what you have as a result is a very solid album overall.

After a short intro, “Goddess of Machines” is an awesome ground-pounder to get the album off on the right foot.  Vocalist Philipp Bischoff has a nice semi-decipherable death bark to him that is a perfect fit for their style.  About halfway through this track you also get some of the synths that add another well-placed element into their sound and are mixed in at various points throughout the album to give it much more depth.  “Mark of Cain” has an incredibly catchy chorus line, with “The Key to Your Voice” almost sounding like it could be turned into a hardcore song (and that’s not a bad thing).

The dual guitar attack of Lutz Gudehus and Lutz Neeman is very well done, with the perfect mix of driving power chords and slick solos that show off a keen attention to songwriting.  Drummer Lucas Katzmann isn’t gonna blow you away with his speed, but that’s not the goal on this album.  A solid pocket and the ability to drive the sounds is what he’s shooting for here, and it’s just what he delivers.

Having been mixed and mastered by none other than the legendary Dan Swano, you know you can expect a nice, organic sound with each instrument well represented.  Definitely give this one a listen or two, and with this being their third LP, check out the other two.  I didn’t have a chance to do so, but this one has piqued my interest enough that I would be curious to see how their sound has evolved up to this point. 

[Visit the band's website]

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